The life cycle approach at Rona
At RONA, we made a commitment to reduce the impact of our daily activities on the environment.
Since the products we sell in our stores contribute significantly to our environmental footprint, we embraced a rigorous approach that would allow us to select products with the lowest possible impact. To do this, we adopted the life cycle assessment approach, a process that measures the environmental impact of a product from cradle to grave. The goal of this process is to minimize the environmental footprint of a product across all the phases of its life cycle – from design to end-of-life – and to avoid transferring negative effects from one phase to another, as well as seeking to convert waste into resources. This internationally recognized methodology is being applied in partnership with the International Chair in Life Cycle Assessment at the Polytéchnique de Montréal
Our RONA ECO and eco-responsible products, like the eco-responsible renovation suggestions we provide in this guide, all rely on the use of this life cycle approach, which also offers solutions that truly provide a better environmental outcome. The life cycle approach:
1 Considers eco-responsible products and actions globally, across the five stages of their life cycle:
| Resource acquisition | This is the stage when the primary materials are obtained, whether they’re natural (mineral, water, wood, crude oil, etc.) or derived from recovery programs (recycled pre- or post-consumer materials). |
|---|---|
| Manufacture | This stage consists of using energy and primary materials to process and assemble final products. |
| Packaging and transportation | This stage consists of packaging, storing, handling and distributing products between the various stages of manufacture and the consumer. |
| Use | This stage consists of taking advantage of the service provided by the product, but it may also involve the consumption of energy or materials, as well as maintenance or upkeep. |
| End-of-life | In this stage, the useful life of the product is over and it must be re-used, recovered, recycled, or sent to landfill. |
2 Simultaneously considers several major environmental issues that are the subject of international consensus:
- Climate change
- Availability and quality of water
- Human health
- Quality of ecosystems
- Depletion of resources
It is only by considering a product or behaviour in the context of its entire life cycle and based on its impact on different environmental issues that we can come to a conclusion on its environmental superiority.
The uniqueness of our approach also relies on our commitment to pass on to our customers, as openly as possible, the facts related to the selection of our eco-responsible products (including RONA ECO products).
By reading this guide and our product fact sheets, you’ll see how your actions and the products you choose can help reduce your impact on the environment.
How eco-responsible products help you reduce your environmental footprint