Introduction.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) constitutes the reference methodology for quantifying the environmental performance of a product throughout all stages of its life cycle. Its methodological framework, standardised in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, underpins many of the current instruments for environmental communication, eco-design and product decarbonisation.
However, the conventional application of LCA presents limitations in terms of cost, time and reproducibility that hinder its deployment when the demand for environmental data extends to large portfolios.
This article analyses this limitation, examines the circumstances that make it necessary to scale the LCA practice and describes a methodological and technological approach to generate LCA at scale with the tool Zirkel-LCA.
The problem: cost, timeframe and validity of LCA results.
Conventional LCA practice relies on a work model that is intensive in expert time. The usual procedure — commissioning a study from an external consultant who, after several months of work, delivers a report corresponding to a single product — is highly unscalable and presents two main limitations:
The first is related to cost and timeframes: each LCA study and EPD or PEP Ecopassport development requires months of specialised work at a high cost (€/hour), which makes it unfeasible to tackle extensive product portfolios within a reasonable timeframe and budget.
The second has to do with the immobility or rigidity of the system: the environmental results obtained in the conventional way reflect a specific configuration of the product and its supply chain, meaning that any relevant modification to materials, suppliers or processes requires the analysis to be redone. To redo the analysis, the project has to be started again, going through most of the steps, with the consequent dedication of time and money.
Regulations, competitiveness and environmental communication.
The European regulatory framework and corporate efforts to decarbonise their supply chains reinforce the need to scale up LCA practice.
On a regulatory level, Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 on construction products (CPR) and Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products (ESPR) require manufacturers to measure and publish the environmental profiles of all products they place on the market.
In the field of B2B relationships, there are incentives, such as the performance of ESRS indicators, compliance with decarbonisation commitments and targets, such as SBTi, or direct competition between companies in the sustainability vector.
These circumstances are driving companies to disclose specific product environmental indicators almost in real time. The challenge is to have tools and management systems in place that make it possible to obtain environmental data for the entire product portfolio using an accessible and cost-efficient methodology.
Generation of LCAs (and EPDs and PEPs), at scale with Zirkel-LCA.
Zirkel-LCA it is a web-based LCA tool designed to calculate the environmental footprints of extensive product ranges. Developed in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, it allows product systems to be modelled according to applicable product category rules (PCRs), enabling the generation at scale of EPDs, PEP Ecopassports and PEFs.
Zirkel-LCA automates inventory loading through bulk data uploading and API connectors, and its interface does not require a specialist profile for use.
The determining factor in the scalability of LCAs in Zirkel-LCA is the template-based LCA methodology upon which it relies. Instead of building each study product by product, this approach generates the LCA of an entire category in a single operation, structured in three steps:
Step 1. Materials and processes library of the category. Products within the same category share materials, processes and components, and differ essentially in quantities and dimensions. The first step consists of registering these elements a single time, creating a reusable library that will feed all subsequent calculations.
Step 2. Category LCA structure. The model architecture, integrating the aforementioned materials and processes, is defined and designed in accordance with applicable PCRs where they exist. This structure operates as a common and coherent template for the entire family and ensures the necessary conformity for verification and the issuance of declarations.
Step 3. Bulk import of Bills of Materials (BoM). With the library and structure defined, the bills of materials for each reference are imported in bulk. The specific data for each product are automatically linked to the materials and the model's structure, simultaneously generating an LCA per product. What previously required hundreds of individual studies is now resolved in a single operation.
The result is a substantial increase in computing capacity, which can multiply that of the manual approach by several orders of magnitude.
Its value also transcends mere calculation: with verifiable results per product, the organisation can identify hotspots in its portfolio, compare eco-design scenarios to assess improvements in materials, processes or suppliers, and substantiate its environmental communication using traceable data, thereby reducing the risk of greenwashing.
Zirkel-LCA incorporates eco-design features that allow product scenarios to be evaluated and compared at the design stage. The environmental footprint thus shifts from a static report to an operational capability integrated into product development and customer relations.
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