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Life cycle assessment (LCA) of a product

Send an enquiry →

We prepare an LCA of your product

The report helps your product compete

Useful when you apply for green funding

We calculate under ISO 14040 and ISO 14044

Talk to us about an LCA for your product.

Definition

What is an LCA (life cycle assessment)?

A life cycle assessment (LCA) measures the environmental impact of a product or service over its whole life. It covers every stage: from taking raw materials from nature, through production and use, to the end of life, including disposal or recycling.

An LCA shows the hot spots. These are the processes with the largest impact on the environment. It also shows where you can improve.

An LCA can give you the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). The study uses energy models, material balances and emission models. You see the full life cycle of the product.

We calculate under recognised standards. For example: ISO 14040, ISO 14044, ISO 14067, EN 15804 or the GHG Protocol Product Standard.

Why it matters

Why prepare an LCA?

An LCA shows the full impact of your product on the environment. You find the parts of the life cycle that cause the most harm. Then you can reduce them. The result can be a new, greener version of your product, for example with a lower carbon footprint.

Lower legal risk

A reliable LCA also protects you against accusations of greenwashing. From 27 September 2026, Directive (EU) 2024/825 requires that environmental claims rest on verified data. Verification under ISO 14021 checks the claims themselves. If you do not know which LCA results to show your customers, start with an analysis of your product's environmental advantages.

Product carbon footprint

The carbon footprint of products is slowly becoming a requirement on the European market. Many large companies, especially in the automotive sector, ask their suppliers for it.

Points in BREEAM and LEED

Building certification includes life cycle assessment and the carbon footprint. Without them, a high score is hard to reach.

Stronger market position

More and more large companies want greener products in their supply chain. Consumers also pay more attention.

Funding

An LCA or PEF study helps when you apply for EU or national funding for greener production.

Better reputation

An LCA or PEF study and real action to cut the impact show that your company takes the climate seriously.

Regulations

Is an LCA mandatory?

Under the European Green Deal, the EU is introducing the Digital Product Passport. The environmental impact of a product, measured with an LCA, is one of its main parts.

An LCA also helps when you want to publish the carbon footprint of your product. The carbon footprint is one part of the environmental assessment of a product.

Timing

When should you prepare an LCA?

It depends on the goal. These are the three most important moments:

01
Concept

When you know the main idea of the product, you can still choose technologies and materials freely. You can cut the impact a lot before production starts.

02
Production

At this stage, you get the most accurate data on the impact. But changes can be limited by the chosen technology or by materials you must use.

03
Improvement

When you prepare a new, improved version of the product, an LCA helps you choose changes that lower its impact on the environment.

Input data

What data do we need for an LCA?

Good data collection makes the project run smoothly.

Data we need
—Materials and packaging used in production
—Transport of these materials
—Products made
—Energy used in production
—Waste from production
Process

How do we work with you?

We keep the project on track. This is how we prepare a life cycle assessment of your product:

Week 0–1

Project start

—We agree the scope and goal
—Kick-off meeting
Weeks 2–4

Analysis

—Data collection
—Data check
—Data corrections, if needed
—LCA calculations
—Report layout
—Draft LCA report
Weeks 1–2

Report review

—We present the draft report
—We add your comments and corrections
—You approve the final version
Week 1

Project close

—We hand over the final LCA report
—Optional training or workshop
—Project close
Case study

See our case studies

Construction
Construction materials manufacturer

An LCA report and EPDs for several product groups. We covered data on raw materials, energy, transport and waste, the LCA model and support in verification.

LCAEPDEN 15804
Read the case study →
Metal industry
Metal products manufacturer

The carbon footprint of a product group with physical allocation. The result is per unit of product mass and ready for talks with B2B customers.

Product footprintLCAPhysical allocation
Read the case study →
Contact

Contact us

Let's talk about an LCA for your product. Leave your details and our consultant will come back with a proposal.

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See also

See also

Services

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

A verified declaration based on an LCA.
Services

Corporate carbon footprint – Scope 1, 2 and 3

A full inventory of company emissions under the GHG Protocol.
Services

Product carbon footprint

The carbon footprint of one product, under ISO 14067.

Services

LCA critical review

An independent review of an LCA study under ISO 14044 and ISO/TS 14071, needed for public comparisons.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

1. Do I need an LCA for all my products, or is one typical product enough?+
Often one typical (representative) product is enough, especially if your processes and materials are similar. If the technologies differ a lot, an analysis of several products gives a fuller and more reliable picture. The scope should match your company and the goal of the study.
2. What information do you need for an LCA?+
We need data on materials, energy, transport and waste. You usually have most of it already, in invoices, logistics documents or internal records. We help you collect and organise it, so the study is consistent and meets the standards.
3. How long does an LCA take?+
On average, 6 to 12 weeks. It depends on your data and on how complex the product is. The better your documents are at the start, the faster the work goes.
4. Is an LCA required by law?+
There is no general legal duty for all sectors today. But customers, tenders and rules linked to the European Green Deal ask for LCA results more and more often. An LCA also prepares you for the Digital Product Passport.
5. What can I use the LCA results for?+
An LCA is above all a tool for decisions. The results show which processes cause the largest impact and where you can improve. They help you cut emissions, choose raw materials and design new, more sustainable products.
6. Does an LCA help with funding or certificates?+
Yes. The results help when you apply for EU funding and in building certification, for example LEED or BREEAM. An LCA often brings extra points or a better score.
7. Does an LCA always show only one scenario?+
No. We often prepare several options to compare materials, technologies or transport. You can then decide on real data before you change your processes or production.
8. What are ISO 14040 and ISO 14044?+
ISO 14040 sets the principles and structure of a life cycle assessment. ISO 14044 sets the detailed requirements: goal and scope, inventory (LCI), impact assessment (LCIA) and interpretation of results. You need these standards if you want to use an LCA for an EPD or for reliable green claims. We carry out all our LCA studies under ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
9. When does an LCA need a critical review?+
When you publish LCA results or use them to compare products, ISO 14044 requires an independent critical review by an external expert or panel. The review covers the method, the data and the interpretation. We offer both the study and an independent check of the LCA report: LCA report verification.