Packaging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Quantify and optimise the environmental impact of your packaging

Packaging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)


Most packaging sustainability claims rely on a single metric — carbon footprint or recyclability. That's not enough. Packaging LCA quantifies environmental impact across the full life cycle: material extraction, manufacturing, transport, use and end-of-life. It's how you identify where impact actually sits and avoid shifting problems from one stage to another.

Lifecycles helps brands, manufacturers and packaging engineers make better decisions with quantified, ISO 14040/44-aligned evidence — not assumptions.

We work across the full spectrum: comparative studies of design alternatives, portfolio-level analysis, peer-reviewed studies for public claims, and in-house tools that put LCA capability in your team's hands.

Metrics include:

  • Carbon footprint (kg CO₂-e)

  • Water use and scarcity

  • Energy demand

  • Resource depletion

  • Toxicity and ecosystem impacts

  • Material circularity index

  • Packaging EPR aligned metrics

Get in touch

  • LCA consulting services for Packaging systems

    Our consultants use advanced modelling platforms and high-quality background data to deliver studies that are scientifically defensible and aligned with international standards. Whether you need a comparative LCA of two materials, a full portfolio assessment, or evidence to support an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), we build the case with rigour.

    A selection of our case studies are below.

    Get in touch

  • PIQET — quick online packaging LCA tool

    For teams that want to run packaging LCA in-house, PIQET (Packaging Impact Quick Evaluation Tool) provides structured workflows with built-in ISO 14044-compliant reporting. It's designed for packaging engineers and sustainability teams who need credible, standards-aligned results without specialist LCA software to run quick comparisons for better decision-making.

    Visit PIQET
Case studies
Schütz Packaging Systems | LCA of reusable plastic drums (2024)
Schütz Packaging Systems | LCA of reusable plastic drums (2024)

Lifecycles undertook an LCA of Schüetz’s reusable plastic drum system used in the agrochemical sector. The study identified supply chain hotspots, evaluated alternative scenarios, and quantified environmental benefits from recycling drum waste. Results supported Schüetz in enhancing resource efficiency and circularity within its Australian operations and product stewardship efforts.

WOSUP | Reusable aluminium cups for public events (2025)
WOSUP | Reusable aluminium cups for public events (2025)

WOSUP commissioned Lifecycles to assess the environmental performance of its reusable aluminium cup system compared with single-use alternatives commonly used at public events. The LCA demonstrates that the WOSUP cup delivers the lowest climate change impact per drink while significantly reducing microplastic pollution and land-use impacts. The results show that achieving high return and recycling rates is key to maximising environmental benefits. With additional carbon sequestration through WOSUP’s tree-planting initiative, the system can become carbon positive—helping event organisers transition away from single-use plastics with a science-based reusable solution.

Pilot Pen | LCA Packaging Calculator (2023)
Pilot Pen | LCA Packaging Calculator (2023)

Lifecycles developed a life cycle assessment (LCA)-based calculator for Pilot Pen to quantify the environmental performance of refillable writing instruments compared with single-use pen systems. The model applies an ISO 14044-aligned methodology and evaluates impacts per functional unit of one “single pen equivalent” use, enabling comparison between disposable and refillable product systems. The tool assesses key indicators including climate change (kg CO₂-e) and plastic reduction (kg plastic), providing Pilot with a science-based approach to quantify the environmental benefits of extending product lifetimes through refill systems.