Screening LCA

Version: V2025‑02‑28‑SLCA

1.1 Introduction

Preparing a standard‑compliant LCA in accordance with ISO 14040/44 is often complex and associated with high effort. Many companies shy away from this because access to data is difficult and extensive documentation requirements exist. As a result, the potential of LCA as an analysis instrument often remains unused. A pragmatic solution is offered by the Screening‑LCA, a simplified LCA that enables an initial assessment of a product’s environmental impacts. GREENZERO provides a methodological description (separate document) that defines minimum requirements and methodological specifications in order to ensure a structured and comparable Screening‑LCA. Although it is not standardised, the Screening‑LCA follows clear methodological principles to provide a reliable basis for sustainable decisions. Its main goal is to identify hotspots in the product life cycle, reveal environmental potentials, and evaluate the need or necessity for a full LCA. In the long term, it can contribute to further development towards a standard‑compliant LCA and help companies systematically reduce their environmental impacts. The following sections give an overview of the requirements for the Screening‑LCA (cosmetics sector). A detailed description of the Screening‑LCA is provided in a methodological document.

A Screening‑LCA is not yet a standardised term or process. The preparation of simplified LCAs can be carried out in accordance with the core LCA standard ISO 14040/44 and other standards, but indicates that, for the sake of simplification, compliance with all aspects of the standards is deliberately waived. The results of Screening‑LCAs are therefore only of limited significance and can generally not be used for further comparative analyses or external communication without additional validation. The statements made in this document are based on considerations by GREENZERO and do not claim completeness or conformity with any other standard.

Here is a comparison between Screening vs. Scientfic Life Cycle Assessment:

Category	Screening LCA	Scientific LCA
Goal / Result	Detailed scan of individual products for environmental cost calculation and hotspotting	Precise analysis of environmental impact and costs of individual products
ISO Compliance (14040/44)	Based on standards	Yes
Data Collection	LCAP software or Excel	LCAP software or Excel
Mapping	LCA consultant	LCA consultant
No. of Raw Materials Included	Up to 20 (note: ~)	Up to 30 (note: ~)
More Raw Materials Possible	Yes (extra cost)	Yes (extra cost)
Use of LCA Database	Limited preset by GREENZERO	e.g., Ecoinvent (more optional)
Proxy* Design w/ Primary Data (from Manufacturer)	No	Optional*
Proxy* Design w/ Secondary Data (Literature)	No	Optional*
Cut-off Criteria	5%	0.1%
Hotspotting Possible	Yes	Yes
Result Report	Simple report (optionally detailed report for review)	Simple report (optionally detailed report for review)
Result Presentation	Optional*	Optional*
Consultation on Results	Optional*	Optional*
Critical Review by Third Parties	No	Optional*
Effort	~4 h incl. plausibility check (plus LCAP onboarding)	5–8+ person-days
Communication Option	Internal, B2B, optionally claim	Claim & seal

1.2 General Information and Scope of Application

Aspect	Description	Minimum	Optional
The reasons for carrying out the study	Conducting a Screening‑LCA for a cosmetic product (e.g. shampoo) to determine potential environmental impacts and associated environmental costs.	Execution of a Screening‑LCA for the product.	Detailed analysis progressing towards a full LCA.
Intended application	Use the results as a decision basis for deeper analyses (e.g. certification according to GREENZERO v1.11). Results are not published or made accessible to third parties.	Internal use by product manufacturers and third parties which have explicit permission.	Optional publication for external stakeholders (when a full LCA exists).
Target audience	Internal: primary addressees are product manufacturers as well as third parties which have explicit permission, B2B.	Manufacturers and retail partners.	–

1.3 Standards and Guidelines for LCA Calculation

Aspect	Description	Minimum	Optional
Standards used	Mandatory standard and core requirement: ISO 14040/14044.	Oriented towards ISO standards.	Full conformity with ISO standards.
Guidelines or Product Category Rules (PCRs)	GREENZERO requirements – cosmetics sector (separate document); Eco‑Beauty Score (status: under review).	GREENZERO requirements, cosmetics sector.	Use of the latest version of relevant PCRs or guidelines (e.g. Eco‑Beauty Score). Future adjustments to new standards.
Critical review	No critical review planned for Screening‑LCAs.	Internal quality assurance.	External review.
Type of report	See GREENZERO template example.	Internal report for manufacturers.	Extended reporting with critical review.

1.4 Impact Assessment Method and Impact Categories

Aspect	Description	Minimum	Optional
Mandatory method with impact categories	ReCiPe 2016, hierarchist perspective (Huijbregts et al., 2017).	Use of the ReCiPe 2016 method.	Comparison with other methods possible.
Impact categories	Climate change, eutrophication, acidification, summer smog, ozone depletion, land use, water use.	Assessment of the eight minimum impact categories.	Expansion to additional categories.
Environmental‑cost standard	Environmental Cost Assessment (CE Delft 2026).	Application of the specified method.	Future adjustments to new standards.

1.5 Product System

Aspect	Description	Minimum	Optional
Product system	Cosmetic product on the shelf (e.g. shampoo) including ingredients and primary and secondary packaging. The product system includes raw‑material extraction and transport (for ingredients and packaging), product manufacturing, inbound and outbound logistics, and the end‑of‑life of the product packaging.	Consideration of all relevant processes of the product system (see “Description”).	Analysis of alternative packaging/ingredients.
Accounting/functional unit	One product on the shelf (including ingredients and primary and secondary packaging). Reference flow: one sales unit (e.g. 200 ml shampoo).	Compliance with the functional unit.	–

1.6 System Boundaries, Data Collection, Quality and Exchange

System Boundaries (Life-cycle phases)

Description: Cradle‑to‑grave: raw‑material procurement, manufacturing, packaging, transport, end‑of‑life of packaging. Use by consumers and storage are not considered.Minimum Requirements:

Consideration of the defined system boundaries

Optional Extensions:

Inclusion of the use phase possible
Expansion to additional processes possible (e.g. end‑of‑life of ingredients)

Primary Data Requirements

Material & Ingredient Data
Process Data
Transport Data

Data relate to the raw materials and Ingredient used in a product.Examples:

Material type and quantity (e.g. 200 g PET for a bottle)
Chemical composition of ingredients (Bill of Materials, e.g. 5% surfactants in shampoo)
Origin of raw materials (e.g. sustainably sourced palm oil from country X)

Minimum Requirements:

100% use of complete primary data for material type and quantity (packaging) and chemical composition of ingredients (product) required
Comprehensive list of all primary data sources used

Optional Extensions:

High share of primary data for further material‑ and ingredient‑related data
Supplement with detailed secondary data

Data Sources

Primary Data Sources

Direct information from manufacturing partners for material/energy flows (BOM, production, logistics).Minimum:

Direct exchange with manufacturers
Comprehensive list of all primary data sources used

Optional: Supplement by specific studies

Secondary Data Sources

Use of LCA databases (e.g. ecoinvent 3.9).Minimum:

Use of recognised data sources (see methodological documentation)
Comprehensive list of all secondary data sources used

Optional: Comparison of different databases

Data Quality Requirements

Aspect	Primary Data	Secondary Data	Minimum	Optional
Temporal Reference Limits	Most recent data, not older than two years for primary data.	Not older than five years.	Compliance with temporal requirements (for primary)/ Use of the latest available data.	For primary data: Update after project end For secondary data: Sensitivity analysis for older data
Geographical Reference Limits	Consideration of country‑specific primary data.	Consideration of location‑specific secondary data.	For primary data: Use of country‑specific average values For secondary data: Use of continental average values	For primary data: Use of manufacturer‑specific average values For secondary data: Use of country‑specific average values

Cut-off Criteria

Mass‑based cut‑off criteria of 5.0% (use of proxies).Minimum Requirements:

Documentation of cut‑off criteria
Use of proxies when applying cut‑off criteria (see methodological documentation)

Optional Extensions:

Further sensitivity analyses

1.7 Methods of Data Collection and Calculation

Aspect	Description	Minimum Requirements	Optional Extensions
Specific calculation rules	• End‑of‑life rules: cut‑off criteria for evaluating waste treatment and recycling • Allocation: allocation rules and corresponding standards • Handling of biogenic carbon (0/0 static approach)	Compliance with the defined calculation rules (see methodological documentation)	Adaptation to new developments possible

Get Started

User Management

Product Management

Environmental Insights

1.1 Introduction

1.2 General Information and Scope of Application

1.3 Standards and Guidelines for LCA Calculation

1.4 Impact Assessment Method and Impact Categories

1.5 Product System

1.6 System Boundaries, Data Collection, Quality and Exchange

Primary Data Sources

Secondary Data Sources

1.7 Methods of Data Collection and Calculation

​1.1 Introduction

​1.2 General Information and Scope of Application

​1.3 Standards and Guidelines for LCA Calculation

​1.4 Impact Assessment Method and Impact Categories

​1.5 Product System

​1.6 System Boundaries, Data Collection, Quality and Exchange

Primary Data Sources

Secondary Data Sources

​1.7 Methods of Data Collection and Calculation

1.1 Introduction

1.2 General Information and Scope of Application

1.3 Standards and Guidelines for LCA Calculation

1.4 Impact Assessment Method and Impact Categories

1.5 Product System

1.6 System Boundaries, Data Collection, Quality and Exchange

1.7 Methods of Data Collection and Calculation