Want to make your business sustainable but confused by terms like Carbon Footprint, LCA, or ISO standards? This article clears up all your questions with easy-to-understand Q&A. We cover everything from choosing the right boundary (Cradle to Grave), calculating multi-layer packaging emissions, to implementing ISO 14067 for products. Plus, practical tips you can apply right away. By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap to comply with global standards and take confident steps toward sustainability.
- How is Cradle to Grave different from LCA?
Cradle to Grave is one type of LCA boundary, covering the entire life cycle from raw material acquisition (Cradle) to disposal (Grave).
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is the methodology for assessing environmental impacts throughout a product’s life cycle, as defined by ISO 14040/14044. Common boundaries include:
- Cradle to Gate
- Gate to Gate
- Cradle to Grave
- Cradle to Cradle
- If our factory doesn’t produce end products for consumers, should we use B2B boundaries?
Yes. For semi-finished goods or components passed to customers for further production, LCA/CFP should use B2B (Cradle to Gate) because:
- The product’s life cycle doesn’t end at your factory.
- You can’t control or know end-user usage and disposal.
- This aligns with ISO 14067 guidelines for intermediate products.
- If there’s no EF (Emission Factor) for a component, where can we get data? And how to calculate multi-layer packaging emissions?
Use sources in this order:
- Secondary databases (recommended) — ecoinvent, GaBi, ELCD, ICE Database, etc.
- Peer-reviewed literature with LCA-compliant boundaries.
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) from material suppliers (steel, plastic, paper, etc.).
- Proxy data — choose the closest material and clearly state assumptions.
Example: No EF for special HDPE grade → use EF for standard HDPE.
For multi-layer packaging: Calculate each layer separately, then sum up.
Steps:
- Identify material type (paper, plastic, foil, PE, PP).
- Record weight of each layer (g or kg).
- Apply EF from database.
- Calculate emissions per layer.
- Sum all layers for total GHG per product unit.
Example:
- Layer 1: Paper 30 g (EF = 1.1 kgCO₂e/kg)
- Layer 2: PE 5 g (EF = 2.0 kgCO₂e/kg)
- Layer 3: Aluminum foil 1 g (EF = 10 kgCO₂e/kg)
Composite layers (e.g., PET/AL/PE laminate):
- Split by weight percentage, use weighted average EF, or use laminate EF from trusted sources.
- If an organization already has ISO 14064, does it need ISO 14067 for products?
Yes. ISO 14064-1 covers organization-level GHG inventory, while ISO 14067 is for product-level Carbon Footprint. Even if you have GHG data from ISO 14064, you still need:
- Different boundaries and functional units.
- Detailed product-level activity data.
- LCA per ISO 14040/14044.
- Complete upstream–core–downstream data.
Summary:
- ISO 14064 cannot replace ISO 14067.
- Existing energy/fuel data can help as a base for ISO 14067.
- For multiple products, must allocation methods be the same for all?
No. ISO 14044/14067 requires allocation methods to match process characteristics, justify choices, and apply consistently within the same product. Different products can use different methods if documented transparently.
- How long is CFP certification valid under ISO?
Typically around 3 years, depending on the certification program.
- What is the cost of ISO 14067 assessment and verification?
Costs depend on audit days, number of products, process complexity, number of sites, and data readiness. More sites or complex processes increase costs.
- In B2C, how can we know consumer usage and recycling behavior?
Direct observation isn’t possible. Use PCR guidelines, national statistics, LCA databases, research studies, and transparent assumptions to model usage and end-of-life scenarios.
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