An Integrated Life Cycle Assessment Model for the Carbon Storage Cycle of Wood Products: A Case Study of Medium-Density Fiberboard in China

Conventional life cycle assessment (LCA) of wood products often lacks a dynamic representation of biogenic carbon flows, leading to an oversimplified account of their climate impact. This study introduces a novel methodological framework by integrating a four-stage carbon storage cycle (carbon sequestration, first carbon emission, extension of carbon storage, and second carbon emission) with the ISO 14067:2018 standard for product carbon footprinting. We developed a transparent calculation model to partition CO 2 emissions across production, transportation, and disposal stages using a representative medium-density fiberboard (MDF) production case in China for empirical validation. The results reveal a total emission of 32.8135 kg CO 2 /m 2 , with a striking 59% originating from the disposal and recycling stage, overshadowing production (39%) and transportation (2%). This finding underscores the critical, yet often neglected, role of end-of-life management in the carbon footprint of manufactured wood panels. The study provides a replicable template for dynamic carbon accounting of wood products.