To calculate the carbon footprint of a product or service, to modify it and reduce its environmental impact, to develop a new one, – especially if you want to demonstrate that it is better than similar ones -, to obtain an eco-label… the objectives can be many and varied.
For all this, you must first know its characteristics, and identify the environmental impacts of each raw material, each resource used and each process, and thus know where to act, which raw material must be changed or reduced and how to do so. can reduce energy or water consumption. In short, everything that is required to achieve the intended objective.
Furthermore, it must be done with method. That method is life cycle analysis (LCA). It details the entire history of the product and the environmental impacts of the processes and components necessary for its production, use and end of life.
An example, the manufacture of a brick, “if I made bricks and wanted to know their environmental impacts from the cradle to the grave (as the complete life cycle is expressed), -explains Virginia Marín, founding partner of the environmental consulting firm Abaleo and professor of the master’s degree in Environmental Management at the ISM (Higher Institute of the Environment), – would need to evaluate both the raw material, the clay, and the consumption of energy, water and natural gas necessary for the oven. More of the packaging material and transportation to put it up for sale.
The first part would be, the following: “if the brick is going to be installed in a building, in order to place it and some type of mortar will be needed, since it would have to be evaluated. And then we would reach the end of life, when that brick is no longer used because it has broken, we change it or turn it into waste. What happens to that product at the end of its useful life? It goes to recycling, landfill or incineration. All the environmental impacts that have occurred throughout this entire chain of processes are what the LCA evaluates.
What can this study be applied to? From Martín’s experience, it can be said that everything: “a ham, a streetlight, a sea bream, events, agricultural fertilizers or a Navy ship.” In the latter case, “except for areas that are secret.”
An international standard
The methodology to follow to carry out the life cycle analysis of a product or service is defined in the ISO 14040 standard of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Decide the objective, “which can be varied: you want to know the carbon footprint of that product, obtain an eco-label or an environmental product declaration,” says Martín. Having this declaration is interesting, for example, “to participate in public tenders. With green public procurement, meeting these criteria adds points for award. For example, if it is a product that is going to be installed on a road. The information provided by an LCA is essential to be able to adequately compare a conventional product with an improved or newly created one, “and to know where to start if what we are looking for is to reduce environmental impact.” Another possible situation would be “to replace one raw material with another.” With a CBA it is checked and shown if the alternative is better. It may turn out that the new one appears to be ideal but, once both are analyzed and compared, it really is not.
LCA and ecodesign, allies
After defining the objectives, there will be the inventory phases, the compilation of all the information already mentioned; the evaluation of the respective environmental impacts and, finally, the interpretation of the information obtained. With everything done, strategic decisions will be able to be made from a business point of view. That is, where to act, what to change, even what to leave for the moment.
In the design phase of a product or service, the information provided by the LCA is one more of those that come into consideration “there may be ergonomic needs, quality needs, etc. With beverage cans, Martín gives as an example, aluminum is very energy intensive, but it is the appropriate material. In cases like this, ecodesign criteria are applied to see what would be the maximum amount that could be reduced. In this case, it would surely affect the thickness of the aluminum sheet.
Sectors that are currently applying LCA a lot in their activity are “construction, the organization of events of all kinds, from conferences to sports, and music festivals and concerts. These above all to calculate your carbon footprint and then compensate for it.
Information for the consumer so that they can be an agent of change
Apply life cycle analysis on a large scale. This is what Leroy Merlin has done with his Home Index project and by evaluating 140,000 references found in his DIY, decoration, construction and gardening stores.
For five years they have worked internally and with their suppliers to evaluate aspects ranging from raw materials to repairability, transportation or the manufacturing process of the products they put up for sale.
Since last August in Spain, and a year and a half ago in France, through signage in stores, the website and the app it is possible to consult the evaluation of each product. It is similar to the well-known labeling of household appliances, and is condensed into a letter from A, for those with the least environmental and social impact throughout the entire chain from cradle to grave, to E, for those with the most. Or with greater room for improvement, as Leroy Merlin prefers to express.
The company’s objectives with this project were basically to “effectively address ESG (environmental, social and governance) challenges.” We are in a much more demanding legislative context, a market in continuous change and with more aware consumers. So much so that 8 out of 10 prefer a sustainable product to another that is not, under equal economic conditions. This approach allows us to continually improve and offer transparent information to our customers, who will be able to make more conscious purchasing decisions,” explains Cristina Sánchez, executive director of Positive Impact at Leroy Merlin Spain.
The methodology used “robust, tested and audited, takes into account up to 30 life cycle criteria, and includes, in addition to environmental, social, ethical and people’s health aspects,” Sánchez details.
In these months, products with labels A, B and C have accounted for 55% of sales throughout Spain. And, among those with A classification, the best seller is a ceramic floor that imitates wood.