Getting Started with Product Environmental Impact Evaluation

Launching an environmental assessment isn’t just ticking a box or a formality; it requires a clear purpose. Setting the utility helps define the direction and focus efforts toward achieving specific objectives. 
 
To streamline the process more efficiently, we recommend prioritizing specific tasks for a smoother approach.

For instance, if you are in France, start by ensuring AGEC law compliance, then look for Climat & Résilience law by integrating the environmental impact of your reference on product pages, and ultimately, incorporating eco-design into your upcoming collections. 

Each focus could require a different assessment level – that’s why we recommend a step-by-step approach.

During this stage, you’ll need to establish the number of products for analysis. You have two options to kick off the process: a gradual approach, beginning with a few products and gradually expanding, or a more immediate approach, involving a larger quantity right from the start. The decision hinges primarily on your available data (as mentioned in the next point). 

Our SaaS platform equips you to analyze an extensive number of references, almost without limit.

To explore our commercial offers, tailored to the amount you choose and scalable, reach out us via this link.   

Who is the recipient of the reports? Is it management, investors, or other relevant stakeholders? When is the appropriate time for submitting these reports, and in what format should they be presented? These are vital considerations to tailor the assessment according to the specific requirements.  

At Peftrust, we provide all-encompassing solutions that offer detailed dashboards containing crucial product benchmarks, traceability data, and more. It serves as a valuable repository of information, enabling anyone to craft impactful reports.. 

The best part of generating an initial product score is that it can begin with minimal data. For example, in our Peftrust tool, all that is needed to get started with your brand name, name of the product, its reference and its composition (what you can find on the composition label).

Weight is not mandatory for the initial assessment because an average weight is furnished by product category. But we recommend to have this data, indeed weight has a huge impact on the score.  

Please note that additional data is required if AGEC compliance is the goal. This includes product location (Textile Formation, Dyeing, Confection, Stitching, Assembly, Finishing steps), SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern), and pertinent recyclability information in an evaluation.

Adding this additional data can enhance a score by incorporating more primary data from various value chain stages throughout the evaluation process. The more information added, the more specific and accurate an assessment will be. 

Peftrust has introduced a DPR (Data Precision Rating), an advanced system designed to analyze data accuracy.

Through a customized questionnaire, the DPR assesses whether a brand possesses all the mandatory data and determines the achievable level of score quality with the currently available data.

This tool is also accessible to our partner brands, empowering them to conduct evaluations and receive real-time results.  

Suppose your current database needs to be stronger. In that case, you’ll need to establish a robust methodology for collecting data from your supply chain or set up a new tool to professionalize, structure and streamline your information gathering (as mentioned in the point 4 & 5). 

Consider the following questions:

• How is the data collected? 
• Has a third party validated the tool for accuracy? 
• How frequently is the tool and its database updated? 
• Is the tool readily accessible and easily understandable? 
• Are tool and product results consolidated in a centralized location?
  

There are three available operating modes: 

1. Collect, input, and compile data managed within an organization. Starting a  product’s environmental impact calculation can be as straightforward as storing a Bill of Materials (BOM) in a file. 
2. Gather and consolidate information within a PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) system.
3. Implement a traceability tool to reduce the risk of errors, save time, and automate data collection processes. 

Incorporating a supply chain traceability solution into an LCA analysis empowers brands to monitor products throughout each stage of their journey closely, simplifying supplier information integration along the LCA process.

Furthermore, integrating a robust Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution with an equally strong Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) solution forms a mutually beneficial relationship that enhances the advantages of both approaches. 

This synergy enables a comprehensive understanding of a product’s environmental impact. Enhancing decision-making, fostering continuous improvement, and ultimately bolstering the drive toward a more sustainable and resilient business ecosystem.

Planning and considering the specific tasks at hand are crucial when initiating any environmental footprint calculation. The human resources needed may differ depending on whether the process is conducted internally or if external players are involved in automating specific components.