What is a Footprint Data Sheet (FDS)?
Source 44 has created the template and process for manufacturer specific sustainability footprint data:
Material Footprint Data Sheet™ (MFDS)
For 30 years industry EH&S professionals have relied on “Material Safety Data Sheets” (MSDS) for important information concerning hazardous materials management. If you are looking for an MSDS, click here for 3E Company, the premiere provider of a MSDS. MSDS are an important component of US federal and state Right-to-Know legislation. We believe it is just as important for consumers, suppliers and manufacturers to have access to GHGe and sustainability data and information. That is why we have developed the Material Footprint Data Sheet™ (MFDS). The MFDS™ is a proprietary product of Source 44.
Our MFDS's contain crucial sustainability information that is manufacturer specific. Just like the MSDS contains key safety and health information for chemicals our “MFDS” allows subscribers to evaluate the key sustainability factors for the material they use in their operations. While we capture many informational elements our anchor element is Greenhouse Gas emissions. So what else? You got it PFDS Product Footprint Data Sheets. The PFDS™ is for finished products - all of them from soda bottles to the chair your sitting in or the clothes you are wearing.
So what comprises a footprint?
- GHG Emissions
- Water - Consumption & Contamination
- Waste (non-renewable resources)
- Environmental Discharges
- Ethical Conduct
But why MFDS?
Federal legislation coming into effect in 2010 mandates facility level reporting for top emitters and many states already have laws in place. Even more pressing than this is the tremendous movement throughout the country, indeed on a global level; where suppliers, manufacturers and consumers are demanding GHGe and sustainability data so they may make better choices regarding the raw materials or products they purchase. An MFDS will concisely summarize these data for you in an easy to read, user-friendly format.
An example of an MFDS:
