Lifecycle Analysis

• Early product development phase when you can still make fundamental design changes that significantly impact environmental footprint • Before seeking investment from ESG-focused funds or impact investors who require environmental impact data • When targeting B2B customers who have corporate sustainability mandates and need lifecycle data for their own reporting • Prior to launching consumer products in markets where environmental claims are heavily regulated (EU, California) • When considering materials or manufacturing alternatives to make evidence-based decisions between options • Before scaling production to identify and address environmental bottlenecks that could create future compliance or cost issues • When competitors are making sustainability claims and you need objective data to differentiate your offering

1. Define your scope and boundaries - Determine which life stages to include (cradle-to-gate vs cradle-to-grave), set geographic boundaries, and identify the functional unit for comparison (per product, per use, per year)

2. Map your complete value chain - Document all inputs (materials, energy, water) and outputs (products, waste, emissions) at each stage from raw material extraction through manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal

3. Collect quantitative data - Gather specific measurements for material quantities, energy consumption, transportation distances, and waste generation. Use supplier data when available, industry databases (like ecoinvent), or reasonable estimates

4. Calculate environmental impacts - Use free LCA tools like openLCA or SimaPro student version to quantify impacts across categories like carbon footprint, water usage, land use, and toxicity potential

5. Identify impact hotspots - Analyze results to pinpoint which life stages, materials, or processes contribute most significantly to environmental impact

6. Generate improvement scenarios - Model alternative materials, processes, or design changes to quantify potential environmental and cost benefits of different approaches

7. Validate findings with stakeholders - Review results with suppliers, customers, and sustainability experts to ensure accuracy and identify implementation barriers

8. Document and communicate results - Create clear summaries showing key findings, improvement opportunities, and competitive advantages for different audiences (investors, customers, team)

Pros

• Comprehensive perspective - Reveals hidden environmental impacts and prevents problem-shifting between life stages • Data-driven decisions - Provides quantitative evidence to choose between design alternatives and validate sustainability claims • Competitive advantage - Creates differentiation opportunities and supports premium pricing for environmentally superior products • Risk mitigation - Identifies potential regulatory, supply chain, and reputational risks before they materialize • Investor appeal - Demonstrates due diligence and strategic thinking to ESG-focused investors and sustainability-conscious stakeholders

Cons

• Time-intensive process - Requires significant research and data collection, which can slow product development timelines • Data quality challenges - Results depend heavily on data availability and accuracy, which can be limited for innovative materials or processes • Complexity for novices - Methodology has a steep learning curve and requires understanding of environmental science principles • Scope creep risk - Can become overly detailed and academic rather than focused on actionable business insights • Static snapshot - Analysis reflects current conditions but may not account for rapidly evolving technologies or supply chains