Background
Why LCA and product documentation matter
Sustainability is no longer just about ambition
For many years, sustainability was something companies chose to work on.
Today, documentation, traceability, and product data are gradually becoming part of how products are developed, sold, and maintained.
Customers are asking more questions.
Suppliers are setting more requirements.
Regulation continues to evolve.
And companies increasingly find that it is no longer enough to know a product is good. You also need to be able to document why.
That is where LCA, ISO standards, and Digital Product Passports come in.
What is an LCA?
LCA stands for Life Cycle Assessment.
An LCA analyses a product's environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle.
- From raw material extraction.
- To production.
- Transport.
- Use.
- Maintenance.
- And finally recycling or disposal.
The purpose is not simply to get a CO₂ figure.
The purpose is to understand where impact occurs and where improvements can be made. For many companies, LCA is the first time they get a complete picture of their products' environmental footprint.
Why do companies work with LCA?
Companies work with LCA for many different reasons.
But what they all share is that decisions are better when they are based on data rather than assumptions.
From product idea to responsible documentation.
LCA is not only about CO₂. It is about understanding the full product life cycle - materials, use, reuse, and end of life - so you can act on what matters most.
What are the ISO standards?
When working with sustainability, credibility is essential.
If two companies calculate carbon footprint in two different ways, results become difficult to compare. ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 are the international standards that describe how a Life Cycle Assessment should be performed.
- A systematic method
- Documented results
- Transparency in calculations
- Comparable analyses
They serve as a common language between companies, customers, authorities, and advisors.
What is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital identity card for a product.
The goal is to gather important product information in one place throughout its lifetime. In practice, a product will often be linked to a QR code or other digital identifier providing access to information such as:
- Material composition
- Origin
- Carbon footprint
- Repair options
- Recyclability
- Certifications
- Documentation
This makes it easier for customers, businesses, repairers, and authorities to access relevant information.
Why is the EU introducing Digital Product Passports?
The EU wants to create greater transparency around products. Goals include:
- Reducing resource waste
- Increasing reuse and recycling
- Making repair easier
- Strengthening documentation and traceability
- Promoting more sustainable products
Digital Product Passports are therefore a central part of the EU's work on the circular economy.
Who is affected?
Many believe these requirements only apply to large international companies.
The reality is more nuanced.
If your company produces, imports, or sells products in the EU market, this development is likely to affect you in one way or another. Smaller companies also become part of the value chain.
- Large companies will demand data.
- Suppliers will need to provide documentation.
- Customers will ask more questions.
- And requirements will gradually move further down the value chains.
Why start now?
Most companies will not struggle with the technology.
They will struggle with data. Information is often scattered across:
- Excel files
- PDF documents
- Supplier emails
- ERP systems
- Product sheets
- Internal documents
When requirements arrive, many companies discover they lack structure, overview, and documentation.
That is why companies that start early are often far better prepared. Not because they necessarily do more work.
But because they do the work in time.
Where does LCAB fit in?
LCAB is built for companies that want a better overview of their sustainability data.
We do not believe future documentation should be handled through endless spreadsheets, manual processes, and scattered files. We believe in:
- Simple workflows.
- Clear data.
- Structured documentation.
- And tools that make the work easier rather than more complex.
Whether the goal is an LCA, customer documentation, internal analysis, or preparation for future requirements, the objective is the same:
- Providing overview.
- Building trust.
- And making it easier to make better decisions.
We are not building LCAB because of regulation
We are not building LCAB because companies need yet another system.
We are building LCAB because we believe good decisions start with good data.
When companies gain better insight into their products, materials, and processes, it becomes easier to improve them. That creates value for:
- The company.
- Customers.
- And the people who work with the products every single day.
That is the future we want to contribute to.