Text-based discs, tapes or other physical media

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR covers recorded physical media whose defining content is non-audio text material, including text drawn from periodicals, textbooks, reference works, directories, mailing lists, databases, and similar compilations. Covered carrier examples include CD-ROM, diskette, microfilm, and microfiche. It excludes musical recordings, audiobooks and other audio products, films and other video content, blank media, packaged software, online-only publications or databases, and fee-or-contract reproduction services. The category boundary follows un-cpc-3-0-explanatory-notes-2025.

The detailed inventory pattern below is verified for mass-replicated optical discs at the factory gate. It shall not be used as a proxy for magnetic tape, diskette, microfilm, microfiche, or another carrier technology; those routes require their own disclosed, atomic foreground inventories before review. Distribution, use, end-of-life, and sale packaging are outside the default boundary.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.metal-products-machinery-and-equipment.radio-television-and-communication-equipment-and-apparatus.text-based-discs-tapes-or-other-physical-media
classification_refs	CPC 3.0: 47692, exact classification context
covered_products	Recorded physical media whose defining content is non-audio text material, including CD-ROM, diskette, microfilm, microfiche, directories, mailing lists, databases, and text compilations
excluded_products	Musical audio media; audiobooks; non-musical audio media; films and video media; blank media; packaged software; online-only content; reproduction services
representative_product	Conforming recorded and labelled text-based optical disc, without sale packaging
production_route	Content mastering, polycarbonate injection moulding with stamper, metallic reflective-layer deposition, protective acrylic varnishing, label printing, inspection, and factory-gate release
market_state	Finished recorded physical medium at the manufacturing site gate; carrier technology, format, capacity, text-content type, recording method, label system, product mass, and packaging exclusion declared

3. Reference Flow

Field	Value
What	Provision of a finished recorded physical medium whose defining content is non-audio text material
How much	1 kg of conforming product at the manufacturing site gate
How well	Readable in the declared carrier format, content master and label verified, and accepted under the producer's documented inspection criteria
How long or cycle	One manufacturing lot released at the factory gate; no use-life claim is implied
reference_flow_link	The functional unit is realized by the single reference product flow below

Field	Value
Reference amount	1 kg
Reference product flow	Text-based discs, tapes or other physical media 744fd6c5-67cd-43f5-b5f4-6bc44a73dd93
Reference flow property	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	carrier technology and format; recording or replication technology; text-content type; nominal capacity or image count as applicable; product mass; label and coating system; recycled-content claim; manufacturing geography; manufacturing period; sale packaging excluded or separately modelled; inspection acceptance basis

When constructing a foreground data package, the items listed in Required qualifiers must be declared in dataset metadata, process notes, reference flow comment, product description, or an equivalent data package field. Missing required qualifiers make the reference flow definition incomplete for that data package.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
reference_product_mass	Reference product and all mass-normalized inventory rows	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Measure net product mass after inspection and before sale packaging. Normalize the accepted lot and every inventory amount to exactly 1 kg of conforming reference product.
energy_unit_conversion	Purchased electricity	Net calorific value 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	MJ	Preserve metered electricity in its source unit and convert kWh to MJ using 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ; do not apply a fuel heating-value conversion.
water_mass_conversion	Process water	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Prefer direct mass records. If water is metered by volume, record measured volume, temperature or adopted density, and the conversion calculation; do not silently assume a density.

5. System Boundary

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
boundary_factory_gate	Representative replicated optical-disc route	Include content-master preparation performed by the reporting facility, injection moulding and stamping, reflective-layer deposition, protective varnishing and curing, label printing, inspection, internal handling, purchased electricity, process water, and exported manufacturing scrap through factory-gate release. Exclude distribution, use, end-of-life, and sale packaging unless a declared study extension models them separately.	us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd
boundary_non_optical_routes	Magnetic, diskette, microform, or other non-optical carrier routes	Do not substitute the optical-disc inventory pattern. Disclose the carrier route and add one atomic exchange per actual material, energy, water, waste, and direct-emission flow supported by foreground records and route-specific evidence.	un-cpc-3-0-explanatory-notes-2025
boundary_capital_goods	Capital equipment and infrastructure	Exclude moulding machines, metallizers, printing equipment, buildings, and durable stampers from the default foreground boundary; disclose and separately include them only when the study goal requires capital goods or their contribution is material.

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	Purchased materials, electricity, and water cross the manufacturing-site gate in the supplier state documented by invoices, delivery records, specifications, and meter boundaries
starting_condition_role	Foreground production starts at receipt of inputs; upstream production remains represented by linked supplier or background datasets
product_classification_scope	Recorded physical media whose defining content is non-audio text material; carrier technology does not change the content-based product identity
recursive_input_rule	If a recorded text-media product in this same category is consumed as an input, record it once as a product input with its own upstream dataset and do not recursively reproduce its manufacturing inventory inside the consuming process
upstream_dataset_requirement	Every purchased product input and energy input requires a geographically and technologically representative upstream dataset, or a disclosed proxy with justification
disclosure	Declare supplier state, recycled content, carrier format, content-master ownership, site geography, temporal coverage, packaging treatment, excluded capital goods, and every proxy or data gap

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
optical_disc_replication	Optical-disc replication and finishing	required	Applies only to the representative mass-replicated optical-disc route	Foreground production	1 kg conforming recorded and labelled text-based optical disc output before sale packaging
sale_packaging	Sale packaging assembly	excluded_by_default	Include only in a declared extended boundary and add each actual packaging component as its own atomic flow	Conditional packaging extension	Per 1 kg packaged reference product

Process: Optical-disc replication and finishing (optical_disc_replication)

Inputs

Product flows

Optical-grade polycarbonate substrate resin (polycarbonate_granulate)

Polycarbonate granulate enters injection moulding to form the recorded optical-disc substrate.

• Selected flow: Polycarbonate granulate f4ad7c9a-3141-4c38-b932-45b7e67e05c6
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured net polycarbonate granulate issued to the lot, less documented unopened returns to stock
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_issues
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Aluminium sputtering-target material (aluminium_sputtering_material)

Metallic aluminium consumed from the sputtering target creates the reflective layer. No exact Tiangong flow UUID is confirmed; do not substitute primary-aluminium bar or volume-based semi-finished aluminium candidates.

• Selected flow: Aluminium sputtering-target material
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured target mass consumption assigned to the lot, including documented target change and reclaim accounting
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Technology-specific (technology_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_issues
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Protective acrylic varnish (acrylic_varnish)

Protective acrylic varnish crosses the process boundary for coating the reflective layer and curing it against damage.

• Selected flow: Acrylic varnish 56a0ef1c-80ef-4e0c-b690-c8aefb4c7e8e
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured varnish issued to the lot, corrected for documented returned material
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_issues
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Label printing ink (printing_ink)

Printing ink crosses the process boundary when the product label is printed on the finished disc.

• Selected flow: Ink 7627af63-d2c2-4245-906f-023847c7739f
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured total printing ink issued to the lot, net of documented returned ink
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_issues
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Purchased electricity (electricity)

Purchased electricity supplies content mastering performed on site, moulding, sputtering, curing, printing, inspection, and allocated auxiliary equipment.

• Selected flow: Electricity 67b723a9-6f63-4802-adca-b52ce7967d47
• Flow property / unit: Net calorific value / MJ
• Amount rule: Metered purchased electricity assigned to the lot after subtracting separately metered excluded operations
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_electricity_meter
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Process water (process_water)

Process water is recorded only when it crosses the foreground boundary for manufacturing or equipment-support operations allocated to the lot.

• Selected flow: Process Water 94a04f7e-2d5c-41f0-b182-d54a3b373a02
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Metered or invoiced process-water input assigned to included operations and converted to mass under water_mass_conversion
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_water_meter
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Waste flows

Elementary flows

Outputs

Product flows

Conforming recorded text-media product (text_media_product)

The accepted product output realizes the reference flow after content, readability, label, and mass checks.

• Selected flow: Text-based discs, tapes or other physical media 744fd6c5-67cd-43f5-b5f4-6bc44a73dd93
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Exactly 1 kg after normalizing measured conforming lot output
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1 kg reference product
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_conforming_output
• Sources: un-cpc-3-0-explanatory-notes-2025

Waste flows

Polycarbonate manufacturing scrap (polycarbonate_manufacturing_scrap)

Rejected substrates, edge or start-up scrap, and other polycarbonate disc-moulding scrap leaving the included process are recorded as one polymer-specific waste exchange. Internally reprocessed material does not cross the process boundary and is reported separately as an internal loop.

• Selected flow: Polycarbonate manufacturing scrap
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measured polycarbonate scrap leaving the process, excluding documented internal regrind returned within the same process boundary
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: Per 1 kg conforming recorded text-based optical disc output
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_scrap_mass
• Sources: us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

Elementary flows

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_subdivision_first	Shared lines and auxiliary systems	Subdivide or meter the text-media lot directly wherever feasible. For a shared meter that cannot be subdivided, allocate by a documented causal driver such as machine operating time or measured throughput; mass allocation may be used only when the causal relationship is demonstrated.
allocation_internal_regrind	Polycarbonate regrind returned within the same process boundary	Treat internal regrind as an internal loop: do not report it as an exported waste or a second product. Record losses and additional energy once in the processes where they occur.
allocation_exported_scrap	Polycarbonate scrap crossing the foreground boundary	Report exported scrap as a waste flow. Do not credit avoided virgin material inside this foreground process unless a separately declared downstream recycling model applies a consistent substitution method.

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_material_issues	optical_disc_replication	Polycarbonate, aluminium target, varnish, and ink inputs	Inventory issue and return records	material identity; lot id; opening stock; issued amount; returned amount; closing stock; target change or reclaim record	Reconcile warehouse issues, line-side stock, returns, and supplier specifications	kg	Each production lot; monthly reconciliation	Same period as reported output	All included lines at the reporting site	Net consumption = opening stock + receipts - closing stock - documented returns; assign shared target consumption by measured lot throughput or operating time	Calibrated scales, stock reconciliation, supplier specification, and exception log
cp_electricity_meter	optical_disc_replication	Purchased electricity input	Meter and operating log	meter id; opening and closing readings; source unit; included equipment; operating hours; excluded load	Read dedicated meters; otherwise reconcile submeter and equipment logs to the site invoice	kWh or MJ	Per lot or shift; monthly invoice reconciliation	At least one representative production period	All included production and auxiliary equipment	Subtract excluded metered loads, allocate residual shared load by documented operating time, convert kWh to MJ, and divide by conforming output mass	Meter calibration, invoice reconciliation, coverage map, and allocation worksheet
cp_process_water_meter	optical_disc_replication	Process-water input	Meter, invoice, and conversion record	meter id; volume or mass; temperature; density source; included operation; discharge linkage	Read dedicated water meter or reconcile included share to invoice; retain conversion inputs	kg or m3	Per lot or monthly, matching output period	Same period as reported output	Included manufacturing and equipment-support operations	Convert measured volume to mass with documented density and divide included water mass by conforming output mass	Meter calibration, invoice reconciliation, density record, and boundary map
cp_conforming_output	optical_disc_replication	Conforming reference product output	Production and inspection record	lot id; carrier format; gross produced mass; rejected mass; conforming mass; content-master check; readability result; label result	Weigh accepted output and reconcile to inspection and reject logs	kg	Each production lot	Same period as all input and waste records	All included lines at the reporting site	Sum conforming output only and normalize the inventory to exactly 1 kg	Scale calibration, inspection record, reject log, and lot reconciliation
cp_scrap_mass	optical_disc_replication	Polycarbonate scrap output	Waste and internal-loop record	lot id; scrap polymer identity; gross scrap mass; internal regrind mass; exported scrap mass; destination	Segregate and weigh polycarbonate scrap; reconcile internal regrind and off-site dispatch	kg	Each lot or waste dispatch; monthly reconciliation	Same period as reported output	All included moulding and inspection points	Report only scrap crossing the process boundary; reconcile exported scrap plus internal regrind to total measured scrap	Scale calibration, polymer segregation record, regrind log, and waste transfer record

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calc_reference_normalization	All inventory rows	Normalized amount = included exchange amount / conforming product mass	Exchange record; conforming output mass from cp_conforming_output	Exchange per 1 kg reference product
calc_electricity_conversion	electricity	Electricity (MJ) = electricity (kWh) × 3.6	Metered kWh	MJ of purchased electricity
calc_material_net_use	Material input rows	Net material use = opening stock + receipts - closing stock - documented returns	Stock and issue records	kg material consumed by the lot
calc_scrap_boundary	polycarbonate_manufacturing_scrap	Exported scrap = total segregated polycarbonate scrap - verified internal regrind returned within the same process boundary	Scrap scale record; regrind log	kg waste crossing the process boundary

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_identity	Reference product and material rows	Retain carrier format, content type, material grade or formulation, supplier state, and the exact UUID decision where available; do not merge non-optical carrier routes with the optical-disc inventory.	Product specification, supplier specification, content-master record, and UUID audit
dq_temporal	Foreground inventory	Inputs, outputs, and wastes shall cover the same production period and capture start-up, changeover, rejects, and shutdown effects when they occur.	Dated meter, stock, production, inspection, and waste records
dq_completeness	Optical-disc replication	Reconcile material issues, conforming output, rejects, internal regrind, exported scrap, electricity, and water for all included lines; disclose any unmetered or excluded operation.	Lot mass balance, utility reconciliation, and boundary checklist
dq_representativeness	Published dataset	Declare site geography, technology, carrier format, capacity, recording method, label system, supplier state, recycled content, and reference period.	Dataset metadata and primary records

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validate_reference_identity	Reference flow	Confirm the output is non-audio text material on a physical carrier, not audio, video, blank media, packaged software, online-only content, or a reproduction service; require all reference-flow qualifiers.	un-cpc-3-0-explanatory-notes-2025
validate_inventory_balance	Process inventory	Require exactly eight declared representative-route rows, with each selected flow atomic; flag any missing UUID only when it is absent from the manifest unresolved register, and confirm total rows equal UUID-matched plus unresolved rows.
validate_mass_normalization	Foreground calculations	Confirm measured conforming output is positive, every amount covers the same period, and every reported exchange is normalized to exactly 1 kg reference product.
validate_route_applicability	Carrier technology	Reject use of the optical-disc inventory pattern as a proxy for tape, diskette, microfilm, microfiche, or another carrier technology lacking a separately verified atomic inventory.	un-cpc-3-0-explanatory-notes-2025
validate_packaging_boundary	Sale packaging	Confirm sale packaging is excluded from the reference product and inventory; if an extended study includes it, require each packaging component to be a separate atomic flow outside this default eight-row pattern.	us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	Foreground production dataset for the representative mass-replicated optical-disc route
downstream_use	Secondary dataset and background dataset for products consuming recorded text-based optical media
allowed_use	Factory-gate modelling of recorded, labelled, unpackaged text-based optical discs when the declared carrier, process, geography, period, and material states are representative
excluded_use	Magnetic tape, diskette, microfilm, microfiche, other non-optical carriers, blank media, packaged software, online content, distribution, use, end-of-life, or packaged-product claims without separate route-specific modelling
required_metadata	Canonical PCR id; carrier technology and format; content type; recording and label technology; capacity; product mass; site geography; reference period; supplier and recycled-content states; packaging boundary; allocation drivers; unresolved UUIDs; proxies
required_quality_disclosure	Meter and stock coverage; output and reject reconciliation; internal regrind treatment; utility allocation; data gaps; proxy datasets; uncertainty; excluded operations; inspection criteria
update_trigger	Change in carrier technology, substrate, reflective layer, coating or ink system, content-replication process, site or grid, packaging boundary, allocation method, or evidence that materially changes the inventory

11. Data Sources

Source id	Type	Reference	Used for
un-cpc-3-0-explanatory-notes-2025	official_guidance	United Nations Statistics Division, CPC Ver. 3.0 Explanatory Notes, updated 30 June 2025, https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/Econ/Download/In%20Text/CPC_Ver_3.0_Exp_Notes_30Jun2025.pdf	Official CPC 47692 boundary: non-audio text material on physical media, including CD-ROM, diskette, microfilm, microfiche, directories, mailing lists, databases, and similar compilations
us-epa-life-cycle-cd-dvd	official_guidance	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Life Cycle of a CD or DVD, https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P1001UU0.TXT	Optical-disc materials and process decomposition: polycarbonate injection moulding and stamping, aluminium sputtering, acrylic protective lacquer, label printing, and optional plastic or cardboard packaging