The Stage Comparator helps you gather important information to understand the real impact of each decision at different stages of the supply chain, starting from raw materials.
You can start comparing, clicking on the Stage Comparator tool in the sidebar. Then, start filling in the form according to your criteria.
The impact performance is separated into two steps:
Step 01: Display form
First of all, you’ll need to fill out more general information about your comparison.
- In which stage does this comparison take place.
- What type of indicator do you want to calculate.
- In which unit you want the results.
✏️ Tip: If you feel a bit lost on what to choose, you can select the extraction stage where you will understand the benefits of your material selection in terms of environmental impact. Or, you can choose packaging or transportation which are the stages where you can have more input and be more flexible in making changes in your chain.
Step 02: Comparison form
Next, you can go to the more customized section where you choose the origin, process, and type for the two scenarios you want to compare, based on your current stage.
Are you unsure which data to put first?
The impact difference is always measured considering the use of Scenario 01 (Your Scenario) instead of Scenario 02 (Baseline Scenario).
Use the 🔄 switch tool to exchange your results and make hypotheses of what would happen if…
Make good use of the comparator
While the Comparator offers complete flexibility, we can guide you on how to make effective comparisons. Here are some tips:
- Try to compare materials that have the same properties. Indeed, two materials that have different quality and resistance to washes would behave differently in time. Are your two scenarios really comparable?
- In case you want to compare material processes and wet processes, think about the final aspect of the article. Even if one has lower impacts than the other, do they provide the same finishing?
- For transportation, think about the number of kilometers to be traveled and the time frame for sending the merchandise. Do you really need your freight to arrive right away at your warehouse?
How can this tool help you?
The Stage Comparator tool is based on the use of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology following the ISO 14040/14044 standards, allowing to easily compare the potential environmental impact of a life cycle stage with the raw data of the latest version of the BCome database. If you are a designer or someone involved in product decision making, set different scenarios and discover the benefits of each of them.
