Product Carbon Footprint Determination (CFP
Carbon Footprint of Products
Measurement of greenhouse gas emissions in CO₂ equivalent
🔢 One of the most important results of LCA
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Product Carbon Footprint (CFP – Carbon Footprint of Product) is one of the most important metrics for sustainable product development and corporate environmental strategy. On the OurOffset platform, calculations can be performed with the following approaches:
Three approaches:
- Cradle to Cradle – The complete product life cycle, including recycling
- Cradle to Grave – From production to final disposal
- Cradle to Gate – From production to product shipping
Cradle to Gate: The most common approach
With the "cradle-to-gate" approach to CFP calculation, we examine the following life cycle stages:
- Production of raw materials and packaging materials
- Transportation of materials
- Product manufacturing
Note: Product delivery and post-consumer waste management are not part of the analysis.
Who needs LCA calculation?
- Manufacturing companies – To understand the environmental impact of their products
- E-commerce – To develop a sustainable product portfolio
- Shipping companies – To optimize the supply chain
- Fashion and clothing industry – To green manufacturing processes
- Food production – To improve production methods
- Retailers and brands – To maintain transparency with consumers
Why is it good to have the product carbon footprint?
- 🌍 Competitive advantage – Sustainable products are increasingly popular among conscious consumers
- 📊 Data-driven decisions – You know exactly where to improve in production
- 💚 Climate protection – You can take measurable steps to reduce emissions
- 🎯 ESG and regulations – Comply with EU and international standard requirements
- 🏆 Consumer trust – Show that your product is truly sustainable
- 💰 Cost optimization – Discover savings opportunities in production processes
Service – Systematic approach
1. Kickoff
Alignment of calculation steps, overview of the manufacturing process. We clarify all important details about the project.
2. Data collection
Collection of data required for the calculation from the product manufacturer and the ecoinvent 3.9.1 database (raw materials, packaging materials, transportation processes, waste management, etc.).
3. Results calculation
Building the product life cycle model in openLCA software and calculating the carbon footprint using the IPCC 2021 method.
4. Documentation
Preparation of a summary document of the calculation results in English or Hungarian.
Required data
The following information is needed for successful project implementation:
- Mass and composition of the product and packaging materials
- Supplier distances and transportation modes
- Manufacturing energy consumption
- Waste quantities and management
- Consumption of other auxiliary materials and emissions (calculated per 1 unit of product)
Methodology
CFP calculation follows the methodological guidelines of the ISO 14067 standard, applying a "screening" approach. This means we focus on the most important carbon footprint data and use approximations and estimations for less significant factors.
The documentation is summary in nature but scientifically credible. The calculations and application of standards are performed by an independent expert with 25 years of professional background, applying life cycle perspective methods.
