> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.greenzero.eu/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your First Environmental Assessment

> A step-by-step guide to conducting your first environmental assessment in GREENZERO Journey

This guide walks you through the process of conducting your first environmental assessment in GREENZERO Journey. We'll cover each step in detail, with practical tips to help you get meaningful results even if you're new to environmental footprinting.

## Before You Begin

Before starting your first assessment, it helps to gather some basic information about your product:

* Product name and description
* Main materials used (even approximate information is helpful)
* Approximate weights of materials if available
* Country of manufacture
* Any existing product documentation or specifications

Don't worry if you don't have all this information—GREENZERO Journey's AI can work with whatever details you have available.

## Step 1: Create a New Product

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log in to GREENZERO Journey">
    Navigate to [journey.greenzero.eu](https://journey.greenzero.eu) and log in to your account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Products">Click on "Products" in the main navigation menu.</Step>

  <Step title="Add New Product">
    Click the "Add Product" button to begin the product creation process.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Import Method">
    GREENZERO Journey offers three ways to add a product. Choose the one that works best for your
    situation:

    <AccordionGroup>
      <Accordion icon="link" title="Import by URL">
        If your product is available online, you can simply provide the URL to the product page. The
        AI will extract relevant information automatically. 1. Select "Import by URL" option 2.
        Enter the product URL in the field provided 3. Click "Import Product" The AI will analyze
        the webpage, extract product details, and create an initial Bill of Materials.

        <Tip>
          This method works best with e-commerce product pages that contain detailed product
          information.
        </Tip>
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion icon="file" title="Import by File">
        If you have product documentation in digital format, you can upload it for the AI to
        analyze. 1. Select "Import by File" option 2. Drag and drop your file or click to browse 3.
        Click "Upload and Import" Supported file formats include: - PDF documents - Excel
        spreadsheets - CSV files - Images of products or packaging - Technical drawings

        <Tip>
          Product specification sheets, technical datasheets, or existing BOMs work particularly
          well with this method.
        </Tip>
      </Accordion>

      <Accordion icon="message" title="Import by Description">
        If you don't have a URL or file, you can simply describe your product in detail. 1. Select
        "Import by Description" option 2. Enter a detailed description of your product 3. Click
        "Create Product" Try to include information about: - What the product is and its purpose -
        Main materials used - Approximate weights or dimensions - Manufacturing location - Any
        special features or components

        <Tip>
          Be as specific as possible in your description. For example, "A cotton t-shirt with
          polyester stitching, weighing approximately 150g, made in Portugal" is better than just
          "cotton t-shirt."
        </Tip>
      </Accordion>
    </AccordionGroup>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Review and Refine the Bill of Materials

After importing your product, GREENZERO Journey will generate an initial Bill of Materials (BOM). This is a critical step for accurate environmental assessment.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review the Generated BOM">
    Examine the materials and components that the AI has identified. Check for: - Missing materials
    or components - Incorrect material types - Inaccurate quantities or weights

    <Note>
      The initial BOM is based on available information and may not be complete. Your review and
      refinement are essential for accurate results.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Missing Materials">
    If any materials are missing: 1. Click "Add Material" button 2. Enter the material name and
    description 3. Specify the quantity and unit (e.g., 0.5 kg) 4. Add any additional information like
    supplier or manufacturing process 5. Click "Save"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Organize Components (Optional)">
    For complex products, you may want to organize materials into components: 1. Click "Add Component"
    button 2. Name the component (e.g., "Battery Assembly") 3. Add materials to this component 4.
    Specify manufacturing processes specific to this component

    <Tip>
      Components help organize complex products and can make it easier to identify improvement
      opportunities later.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Specify Quantities">
    For each material, ensure the quantity is specified accurately: 1. Click on the material in the
    BOM 2. Enter the weight or quantity 3. Select the appropriate unit (kg, g, m², etc.) 4. Click
    "Save"

    <Note>
      If you don't know exact weights, reasonable estimates are better than leaving quantities
      blank. You can always refine these later.
    </Note>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 3: Add Packaging Information

Packaging often contributes significantly to a product's environmental impact. GREENZERO Journey allows you to document packaging separately from the product itself.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Packaging">Click on the "Packaging" tab within your product view.</Step>

  <Step title="Add Packaging Materials">
    Similar to the product BOM, add all packaging materials: 1. Click "Add Material" button 2. Enter
    the packaging material name (e.g., "Cardboard Box") 3. Specify the quantity and unit 4. Add any
    additional information 5. Click "Save"

    <Tip>
      Common packaging materials include cardboard, plastic film, paper, foam inserts, and adhesives.
      Don't forget small items like labels and tape.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Specify Packaging Type">
    Indicate whether each item is: - Primary packaging (in direct contact with the product) -
    Secondary packaging (groups products together) - Tertiary packaging (for shipping and handling)

    <Note>
      Currently, GREENZERO Journey focuses primarily on primary packaging, with support for
      secondary and tertiary packaging coming in future updates.
    </Note>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 4: Generate the Environmental Assessment

Once you've reviewed and refined your product and packaging information, you're ready to generate the environmental assessment.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Request Assessment">Click the "Generate Environmental Assessment" button.</Step>

  <Step title="Processing">
    GREENZERO Journey will process your product information and calculate environmental impacts across
    all eight impact categories. This typically takes just a few minutes.

    <Note>
      During processing, the AI is: 1. Matching your materials to environmental profiles in its
      database 2. Calculating impacts for each material and process 3. Aggregating results across the
      full product system 4. Identifying hotspots and improvement opportunities
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review Completion">
    Once processing is complete, you'll be notified that your environmental assessment is ready to
    view.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 5: Explore Your Results

Now comes the exciting part—exploring your product's environmental footprint and understanding what it means.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Overview Dashboard">
    The overview dashboard shows your product's environmental performance at a glance: - Total
    environmental cost (monetized impacts) - Performance across all eight impact categories -
    Comparison to industry benchmarks (if available) - Key hotspots and improvement opportunities
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore Impact Categories">
    Click on any impact category to see more detailed information: - What the impact category measures

    * Your product's performance in this category - Main contributors to this impact - Potential
      reduction strategies

    <Tip>
      Start with the categories that show the highest impacts—these represent your biggest improvement
      opportunities.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Analyze Hotspots">
    The "Hotspots" section identifies materials, components, or processes that contribute most
    significantly to your product's environmental impact: 1. Review the highlighted hotspots 2. Click
    on each hotspot to see which impact categories it affects 3. Consider the suggested improvement
    strategies

    <Note>
      Focusing on hotspots gives you the most environmental benefit for your improvement efforts.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and Share Results">
    You can save your assessment results and share them with team members or stakeholders: 1. Click
    "Export" to download a PDF report 2. Use the "Share" button to invite others to view the results
    3\. Save specific views or insights for future reference
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next Steps After Your First Assessment

Congratulations on completing your first environmental assessment! Here's what you might want to do next:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Refine Your Data" icon="pencil">
    Improve the accuracy of your assessment by adding more detailed information about materials,
    processes, and suppliers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore Improvement Scenarios" icon="lightbulb">
    Use the "Scenarios" feature to model how changes to your product might reduce environmental
    impacts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add More Products" icon="plus">
    Build your product portfolio to identify patterns and priorities across multiple products.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Learn More About Impacts" icon="book">
    Explore the [Impact Categories](/insights/impact-categories/global-warming-potential)
    documentation to deepen your understanding.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Common Questions About First Assessments

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How accurate is my first assessment?">
    Your first assessment provides a good starting point, but accuracy depends on the quality and
    completeness of your input data. As you add more specific information about materials, weights,
    suppliers, and processes, your results will become more accurate. Even with limited data, the
    assessment can identify key hotspots and improvement opportunities.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I don't know exact weights or quantities?">
    Reasonable estimates are better than no data at all. GREENZERO Journey can work with approximate
    values, and you can refine these as you gather more precise information. The system will indicate
    where data quality could be improved.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I know if my results are good or bad?">
    Environmental impact results are most meaningful when compared to something—either industry
    benchmarks, previous versions of your product, or alternative designs. GREENZERO Journey provides
    context where available, but the most important thing is to identify your biggest impacts and
    focus on reducing those.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What should I do with my assessment results?">
    Start by focusing on the identified hotspots—these are your biggest opportunities for
    improvement. Consider material substitutions, weight reductions, process changes, or supplier
    shifts that could reduce impacts. Document your current results as a baseline, then track
    improvements over time.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Tip>
  Remember that environmental footprinting is an iterative process. Your first assessment
  establishes a baseline, and you can continuously refine and improve both your data and your
  product's environmental performance over time.
</Tip>