Context
I have carried out several Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) in the course of my past experience, particularly in the industrial and food sectors:
- PCF of a consumer electronics product, « the Lovebox » for Lovebox ;
- PCF of a recycled plastic for Marubeni ;
- LCA of 15 vegetable oils from different countries for oilseed cultivation for CarbonMaps ;
- LCA of cell-based foie gras for Gourmey ;
- PCF of a board game for Tailemi ;
- PCF of a Carbon Removal Technology for Sinkco Labs ;
- Comparative LCA of a reusable container for mass catering for Eternity Systems ;
I’ve developed 2 examples below. Eternity Systems wanted to prove that its reusable steel container was less polluting than disposable packaging for mass catering.
Tailemi, on the other hand, wanted to calculate its carbon footprint and implement actions to reduce its emissions.
Process for Eternity Systems
Context
Eternity Systems offers a cleaning service for reusable food containers. The LCA aimed to compare the service’s environmental impacts with those of single-use packaging commonly used in the food industry and prove the solution’s environmental benefit.
Scope
The first step was to frame the LCA. It was decided to carry out a « cradle-to-grave » LCA, as use and end-of-life are the main stages to be considered. It would make no sense to carry out another type of LCA (e.g., cradle-to-gate, where use or end-of-life are not taken into account).
The impact criteria selected were the 16 impacts of the PEF, based on the ADEME recommendations.
All stages have been taken into account: extraction of raw materials for the manufacture of returnable packaging, manufacture of returnable packaging, transport of packaging to the central kitchen for use, transport of packaging by trucks to school canteens and cleaning center (clean on the outward journey and dirty on the return), washing of packaging and end-of-life. Ditto for single-use packaging (no use, end-of-life only).
Results
For confidentiality reasons, I cannot publish all the LCA results.
However, it was concluded that after 21 uses, Eternity’s system steel packaging became more environmentally advantageous (regarding climate change) than PP single-use packaging.
Customer Feedback
« I worked with Alice her help was decisive on several subjects, including the lifecycle analysis of the service offered by the company. She’s very efficient, autonomous, and quick to understand. I highly recommend her for your projects! » Nicolas D., Project Manager at Eternity Systems
Process for Tailemi
Context
Tailemi is a company that sells board games. It wanted to repatriate the production of its board game, « Mamie Moule Maki, » to Europe or produce it entirely in China. Currently, the game is partly made in Poland and partly in China. The LCA aimed to compare the game’s current production with possible country changes in the production line.
Scope
This was a « cradle-to-gate » LCA + transport to the logistician (here, use and end-of-life were not taken into account, as there was no difference between the current scenario and the changes in production) on a single criterion (climate change, GHG emissions).
The stages taken into account were: extraction of raw materials for the manufacture of the different parts of the game, manufacture of the game parts in Poland and China, transport of the various elements to the assembly plant in Poland, assembly of the game and transport to the logistics. 5 scenarios were studied to give the company the best tools to make a decision: assembly and manufacture of the paper parts in Poland with production of the plastic parts in China transported by plane (reference scenario), idem with sea transport of the parts produced in China (scenario 2), production of all the parts in Poland (scenario 3), assembly and production of the paper parts in France + plastic parts produced in China, transported by ship (scenario 4) and finally production and assembly in China with transport of the complete game by ship (scenario 5).
Results
For confidentiality reasons, I cannot publish all the LCA results.
The deliverable offered the company a comparison of the 5 scenarios regarding GHG emissions. As Poland and China have very similar electricity mixes, the difference in production in these two countries was insignificant. The main difference was, therefore, in the transport aspect and the means of transport used.
Each scenario was compared with the 4 others to give a global view of the company.
Customer Feedback
« Alice carried out an LCA (cradle-to-gate) for one of our board games. While we had some difficulty in obtaining the information from our supplier, Alice was very patient and, above all, very constructive in finding solutions to obtain this information. The mission went well, the report is very clear and Alice took the time to present us with the results of her research. I highly recommend this professional » E. G., Marketing Manager at Tailemi
Other Customers’ Feedbacks on LCAs
« Working with Alice is an incredible delight. Alice is extremely thoughtful, spontaneous, and very professional. I’m extremely pleased with the work carried out with her and look forward to working with her again soon ! » Victor C., CTO of Sinkco Labs
« I highly recommend Alice for her exceptional support on our Life Cycle Assessment project. Her profound LCA expertise and meticulous attention to detail exceeded expectations. Alice demonstrated professionalism and effective communication, and she consistently met deadlines, ensuring our project was a success. I confidently endorse Alice for any LCA analysis – Thank you! » Kevin M., CEO of Five Glaciers Consulting
Sustainability Consultant 