Patch Cord Fiber Optic Cable

Declaration details

Manufacturer

AFL Telecommunications LLC

Program operator

Smart EPD

Declaration number

SmartEPD-2025-066-0477-01.4

Date of issue

May 14, 2025

Valid until

May 14, 2030

Product category rules (PCR)

EPD Norge NPCR 027: Part B for Electrical cables and wires (version 2)

Standard

ISO 14025:2006 and EN 15804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021

Functional unit

1 m of product installed fiber optic patch cords, including waste treatment at end-of-life

System boundary

Cradle to gate with other options (A1 - A3, A4, A5, C2, C4, D)

Product specificity

Product Average

Manufacturing specificity

Facility Specific

Manufacturing plant

AFL - Duncan, SC (170 Ridgeview Ctr Dr, Duncan, SC 29334, USA)

Product SKU

This EPD is representative various Patch Cord SKUs between 1 and 8 optical fibers.

Product service life

60 years

Verifier

Lucas Pedro Berman, Senda - Consultoria Ambiental & Energetica

LCA software

SimaPro 9.6

Program instructions

Smart EPD General Program Instructions v.2.0, March 2025

Life cycle assessment results

Results per 1 m of product installed fiber optic patch cords, including waste treatment at end-of-life.

Environmental Impact Assessment Results

Resource Use Indicators

Waste and Output Flow Indicators

ND = not declared. Life cycle modules: A1-A3 product stage, A4-A5 construction process, B use stage, C end of life, D benefits and loads beyond the system boundary.

Material composition

Hazardous substances

No regulated hazardous or dangerous substances are included in this product.

Product description

Single fiber patch cords are high-performance optical cables used in hyperscale data centers, telecommunications, and high-speed computing. These cables consist of a single optical fiber, typically single-mode or multimode, with precision connectors such as LC, SC, or MPO/MTP to ensure low-loss, high-bandwidth transmission. Designed for durability and flexibility, they feature LSZH, OFNR, or OFNP rated jackets and may include bend-insensitive or armored designs for enhanced performance. Optimized for low latency and high-speed data transfer, they enable scalable, high-density interconnects essential for modern network infrastructure.

Interpretation

A1 - A3 Cradle-to-Gate

This section discusses the cradle-to-gate results for the declared unit, 1 meter of installed fiber optic patch cords, including waste treatment at end-of-life. Although this discussion is focused on the LCIA results, calculated using the EN 15804 + A2 (adapted) LCIA method, the section also includes A1-A3 results for Primary Resource Use, Indicators Describing Waste and Output Flows, and Additional Environmental Information, inclusive of the GWP-IOBC indicator as required by NPCR Part A (EPD Norge, 2022).

Stage A3 is the dominant contributor to 17 of the 19 reported indicators, with contributions ranging from approximately 55% to 95% of the total A1-A3 impacts. The two indicators which deviate from this trend are GWP-luluc and ODP. For these indicators, the A1 stage is the primary contributor. Across all indicators, A1 is generally the second most impactful stage, with contributions ranging from 5% up to 75% depending on the indicator. The A2 stage represents the least significant contribution across indicators, contributing less than 10% to the total A1-A3 impacts of each indicator. These results highlight the significance of the manufacturing stage in cradle-to-gate environmental performance of patch cord production.

Cradle-to-Gate, with options

The LCIA results for A1-C4 demonstrate that the A1-A3 stages dominate impact contributions across all indicators, ranging from 70% to well over 95% of the total life cycle impacts. This reinforces the significance of raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing processes in determining the overall environmental performance of the product. Beyond A1-A3, the A4 stage has moderate contributions, reaching up to 25% in select indicators. A5 contributes less than 5% across all impact categories. B1-B7 (Use Stage) are considered null in this assessment, as patch cords do not require energy, water, or routine maintenance throughout their use phase. End-of-life impacts (C1-C4) are also relatively low in comparison with A1-A3. Stages C1 and C3 are considered null due to the assumption that all patch cords are directly incinerated at end of life, requiring no deconstruction or additional waste processing. C2 (Transport to Waste Treatment) has an immaterial contribution in most impact categories, while C4 (Disposal) contributes nearly 10% in some categories due to emissions from incineration. Appendix A contains 4 tables containing LCIA for Bulk Cable Groups and Cable Termination Groups. These results are to be used in conjunction with the scaling equation and scaling factors to calculate results for the SKUs represented in this EPD only. Results for the Bulk Cable or Cable Termination groups should not be used independent of the scaling formula as these LCIA results do not represent finished products.