Life Cycle Assessments
As climate change, resource scarcity, and regulation intensify worldwide, we rely on transparent data on the environmental impact of every product we produce and use. That is why we provide clear and documented proof of our products' impact.
Turn data into choices with Life Cycle Assessments
Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are a method to evaluate the environmental impact of a product at every step of its life cycle – from initial materials to production, packaging, transport, use, and disposal – and to translate this into clear, comparable numbers.
This gives you a fact-based foundation for choosing products based on their impact and helps you respond to growing regulatory, climate, and procurement demands by documenting how products affect the environment across their life cycle.
3 ways LCAs help you make better decisions
Choose based on facts
Reduce scope 3 emissions
Strengthen ESG reporting
Get started with LCAs
To make it easy to get started, we guide you through a simple process:
- You identify the relevant product categories and use cases.
- We share Life Cycle Assessment data and explains what the numbers mean.
- Together, we explore how you can apply the results in purchasing, documentation, and strategy.
Built on recognized standards
Behind every number is a structured calculation based on internationally recognized standards, methods, and tools. Together, these standards and tools help ensure that our Life Cycle Assessments are methodologically robust, transparent, and comparable across products and categories.
Our calculations follow the scientific foundation of the Product Environmental Footprint methods set by the European Commission. Our approach follows the principles and framework described in ISO 14040 and the requirements and guidelines set out in ISO 14044.
ISO 14040
ISO 14044
Product Environmental Footprint (PEF 3.1)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Sphera LCA for Experts
16 impact factors
When we calculate your numbers, we look at all resources extracted from the environment (for instance raw materials) to the emissions that go into the environment (for instance carbon dioxide).
The factors we can measure are:
Climate change (CO2)
Ozone depletion
Ecotoxicity for aquatic freshwater
Human toxicity - cancer effects
Human toxicity - non-cancer effects
Particulate matter/respiratory onorganics
Ionising Radiation - human health effects
Photochemical ozone formation
Acidification
Eutrophication - terrestrial
Eutrophication - freshwater
Eutrophication - marine
Resource Depletion - water
Resource depletion - mineral
Resource use - fossils
Land transformation
Frequently asked questions
A life cycle assessment, or LCA, express a products’ environmental impact in one, plain number. The number is calculated based on the impact the product has throughout its lifecycle, from initial choice of raw materials to production, transport, use, and disposal. With LCAs it becomes possible to compare two similar products' with each other based on their impact on the environment.
When you know your products' impact on the environment, you have a strong foundation of improving your footprint. Our LCA are designed to be comparable and practical. You can, for example compare two similar products (such as two glove types) per pack or per 1,000 pieces. You can also compare different materials (for instance virgin vs recycled content) within the same product category. Finally, you can compare the effect of changes in packaging or usage patterns. Because all results are calculated using the same methodology and standards, you can see whether one option has a higher or lower impact on climate change, resource use, or other indicators - and by how much.
We can calculate 16 different environmental factors for each product, although we mainly focus on CO2 and climate change right now. The 16 factors are defined by the European Commission's Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, version 3.1. You can find the different factors further down on this page.
We have a dedicated team of specialists who calculate LCAs of our products. We start by collecting detailed data from our suppliers on materials, weights, and number of units. We then verify the information to ensure it is correct and consistent, checking that nothing appears inaccurate or out of scope. Next, we feed the verified data into our LCA models, carry out the calculations, and structure the results into clear product footprints that we upload and share with the requester.
Not quite yet. Some products in our extensive assortment are quite complex, so we don’t have LCAs for them yet. However, we’re continuously expanding our coverage and adding new LCA calculations.If you would like information about a specific product, please get in touch.
We care for the impact our products' leave on the planet and strive to minimize the impact by providing transparent data and guidance on your product choice. Get in touch with our experts to get your numbers and see how you much CO2 you can save.
Big impacts begin with small actions
Every product we make and every decision we take has an impact. Life Cycle Assessments are one of the ways we work to identify and reduce our environmental footprint together with our customers, as part of our broader sustainability ambitions.
Learn more about our climate actionsLearn more about our actions
In-house production
Sourcing
