Understand the main changes of BCome products as well as the content of the different versions released.
The database is reviewed at least on a 6-month basis in order to model the background processes with the most recent data. Periodically, extensive data search is performed in order to identify new and better data. In case it can be found, the previous data is removed from the database and substituted by the higher quality data.
The updates are released through a new database version to keep consistency. In any case, all the data has been extracted from international databases, institutes, and organizations and from research in specialized literature, which guarantees the good quality of the data we use. The client can access the modeling sheet of any data upon request.
Overview of changes
The main changes implemented by BCome along the different versions are summarized in Table 01. For more information please check the detailed summary of changes:
- Summary of changes 1.7
- Summary of changes 1.6
- Summary of changes 1.5
- Summary of changes 1.4.1
- Summary of changes 1.4
- Summary of changes 1.3
- Summary of changes 1.2
Table 01. Summary of LCA changes throughout BCome versions.
| Version | Impact database | Traceability form | Methodology |
| BCome 1.7 | 90 new processes 16 new packaging 62 new product categories 456 reviewed impact datasets updated to MSI version 3.8 and ecoinvent 3.10. Review of all the metadata. Benchmark origin database for Raw material extraction, material processing and manufacturing. | Traceability rating system for data collection. Origin of raw materials to be declared in Step 3: Supply. | LCA: IPCC 2021 methodology Manufacturing loss rates based on the product category Benchmark origins considered for transportation Yarn and Material specifications Seamless and sewn tricot products manufacturing specifications |
| BCome 1.6 | 51 new processes 20 new packaging 6 new product categories Entire new SLCA database available | Retail packaging declaration in a separate sheet. Option to declare dye processes with or without pretreatments. Supplier’s complete address declaration. Declaration of costs for SLCA. Declaration of retail countries for SLCA. | PLM: Visualization of Unknown processes in platform LCA: More precision with dye pretreatments consideration. SLCA: New methodology available. New SLCA indicators: Child labor, Frequency of forced labor, Trade unionism, Fair wages, Safety measures, Gender pay gap, Weekly hours of work per employee, Women in the sectoral workforce, Social security expenditures, Biomass consumption, Unemployment, Drinking water coverage and Pollution. |
| BCome 1.5 | 145 new processes 48 new packaging 25 new product categories and reviewed product groups 293 reviewed impact datasets including all MSI datasets updated to MSI version 3.5 and ecoinvent 3.8 Review of all the metadata. | Online sales vs. offline sales share. Unitary packaging declaration for online and offline sales. Hazardous substances per article. Tanning is to be reported as a finishing. | Improvement of retail packaging impact & logistics impact calculation. Unitary print impact for articles. New inventory indicator: Water consumption. French AGEC law indicators: Traceability, Incorporation of recycled material, Recyclability, Presence of plastic microfibers, Possibility of re-employment, Presence of dangerous substances. |
| BCome 1.4.1 | No change | New suppliers must be declared in the form. Articles and materials can both have a dye, a print, and a treatment process. | Reviewed calculation of Eco-score: Supply chain traceability, GMO-free, animal welfare assured. The Eco-Score is now rated with an A to E score. New CE Indicators: Feedstock, life cycle waste, end-of-life, utility, and overview indicators. |
| BCome 1.4 | 63 new datasets including 14 new regionalized datasets 80 reviewed impact datasets including all MSI datasets updated to MSI version 3.3 78 datasets removed | 21 datasets nomenclatures changed (in the drop-down menus) 5 new material categories: Plastic (extruded), Metals (cold formed), Metals (extruded), Metals (forged), Composite (film stacking). 4 reviewed material categories nomenclatures 34 new product categories Introduction of the CEI parameters in the form. | The benchmark scenario redefined Uniformized allocation methodologies for recycled and second-hand materials. Default metal processes review. Default plastic processes review. |
| BCome 1.3 | 54 new datasets including 15 new regionalized datasets 51 reviewed impact datasets 19 datasets removed | 85 datasets nomenclatures changed (in the drop-down menus) 5 new material categories: Synthetic leather, Top grain leather, Corrected grain leather, Bicast leather, Patent leather 1 reviewed material category nomenclature 22 new product categories | New LCA indicator: Abiotic depletion Standalone indicator removal: Waste Material and manufacturing losses considered in the LCA. Default leather processes review Default laminated plastic processes review. Average ranges of distances based on the country area considered for national journeys All impact indicators are now considered for transportation and manufacturing. |
| BCome 1.1 BCome 1.2 | 16 new datasets including 3 new regionalized datasets 13 reviewed impact datasets + all MSI datasets updated to version 3.2 Metadata structure definition for all datasets | 74 datasets nomenclatures changed (in the drop-down menus) 3 types of packaging per life cycle step | Water indicator: AWARE methodology instead of Pfister et al. Default polymers processes review Default leather processes review Transport calculation review |
Indicators modifications
Traceability
Most of the Traceability indicators did not change in their methodology (Table 02). The number of life cycle stages calculation was optimized in BCome 1.4.1. In addition, two new indicators were welcomed in BCome 1.4.1: the number of stages and suppliers traced and the Traceability score.
Table 02. Summary of methodological evolution in BCome Traceability.
| Current name | Nº of processes | Nº of km | Nº of life cycle stages | Nº stages & suppliers traced | Traceability score |
| BCome 1.0 BCome 1.1 BCome 1.2 BCome 1.3 BCome 1.4 | Name: Nº of processes Unit: – Methodology: Based on BCome DB | Name: Nº of km Unit: km Methodology: Searate | Name: Nº of life cycle stages Unit: – Methodology: Internal methodology | – | – |
| BCome 1.4.1 BCome 1.5 BCome 1.6 BCome 1.7 | Name: Nº of processes Unit: – Methodology: Based on BCome DB | Name: Nº of km Unit: km Methodology: Searate | Name: Nº of life cycle stages Unit: – Methodology: Optimized Internal methodology | Name: Nº of life cycle stages Unit: – Methodology: Internal methodology | Name: Traceability score Unit: % or Low to High score Methodology: Internal methodology based on the supply chain knowledge. |
LCA & Stage Comparator
The LCA underwent several changes in terms of nomenclature, units, and methodologies (Table 03). The Water use indicator first changed its methodology to AWARE in BCome in 1.1. BCome 1.3 welcomed a new indicator based on fossil energy consumption: Resource use – Fossil fuels. Then, the nomenclature of Water use and Resource use – fossil fuels was changed to Water scarcity and Abiotic depletion, respectively, in BCome 1.4.1. The water scarcity and eutrophication units were also modified for a better understanding in BCome 1.4.1. In BCome 1.7 the global warming indicator was updated to IPCC 2021.
Table 03. Summary of methodological evolution in BCome LCA and Stage Comparator.
| Current name | Water scarcity | Global warming | Eutrophication | Abiotic depletion | Water consumption |
| BCome 1.0 | Name: Water use Unit: l H2O Methodology: Pfister et al. | Name: Global warming Unit: kg CO2 eq Methodology: IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method | Name: Eutrophication Unit: g PO43- eq Methodology: CML-IA baseline | – | – |
| BCome 1.1 BCome 1.2 BCome 1.3 BCome 1.4 | Name: Water use Unit: m3 eq Methodology: AWARE (Available WAter REmaining) | Name: Global warming Unit: kg CO2 eq Methodology: IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method | Name: Eutrophication Unit: g PO43- eq Methodology: CML-IA baseline | Name: Resource use – Fossil fuels Unit: MJ Methodology: CML-IA baseline | – |
| BCome 1.4.1 | Name: Water scarcity Unit: m3 water eq Methodology: AWARE (Available WAter REmaining) | Name: Global warming Unit: kg CO2 eq Methodology: IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method | Name: Eutrophication Unit: g phosphates eq Methodology: CML-IA baseline | Name: Abiotic depletion Unit: MJ Methodology: CML-IA baseline | – |
| BCome 1.5 BCome 1.6 | Name: Water scarcity Unit: m3 water eq Methodology: AWARE (Available WAter REmaining) | Name: Global warming Unit: kg CO2 eq Methodology: IPCC 2013 GWP 100a method | Name: Eutrophication Unit: g phosphates eq Methodology: CML-IA baseline | Name: Abiotic depletion Unit: MJ Methodology: CML-IA baseline | Name: Water consumption Unit: liters |
| BCome 1.7 | Name: Water scarcity Unit: m3 water eq Methodology: AWARE (Available WAter REmaining) | Name: Global warming Unit: kg CO2 eq Methodology: IPCC 2021 GWP 100a method | Name: Eutrophication Unit: g phosphates eq Methodology: CML v4.8 2016 | Name: Abiotic depletion Unit: MJ Methodology: CML v4.8 2016 | Name: Water consumption Unit: liters |
CEI
In the first versions of BCome, a waste indicator was calculated based on an internal methodology. It was removed from version 1.3. Finally, BCome 1.4.1 is released with 5 new groups of indicators for circularity and new methodologies based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and internal know-how (Table 04).
Table 04. Summary of methodological evolution in BCome CEI.
| Current name | Feedstock indicators | Life Cycle Waste indicators | End-of-life Indicators | Utility Indicators | Overview indicators |
| BCome 1.0 BCome 1.1 BCome 1.2 | – | Name: Waste Unit: kg Methodology: Internal methodology | – | – | – |
| BCome 1.3 BCome 1.4 | – | – | – | – | – |
| BCome 1.4.1 BCome 1.5 BCome 1.6 BCome 1.7 | Name: Article composition (recycled, reused, sustained, virgin) Unit: kg Methodology: Extrapolation from the brand declaration. | Name: Production waste (cradle-to-gate), Recycling waste (Article), Total unrecoverable waste Unit: kg Methodology: Internal methodology based on the MCI of Ellen MacArthur Foundation and estimated process loss rates. | Name: End-of-life collection (recycling, reuse, compost, sust. incineration, landfill) Unit: kg Methodology: Extrapolation from the brand declaration and Sandin, G. and Peters, G. M. (2018). | Name: Length of use, Intensity of use, and Utility. Unit: market average ratio Methodology: Internal methodology based on the MCI of Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WRAP (2006). | Name: MCI Unit: 0-1 score Methodology: MCI of Ellen MacArthur Foundation. |
Eco-Score
The nomenclature of the Eco-Score area did not change since the first version of the methodology. The only change is based on the visualization of the final score, which is now represented by an A-E score instead of 1-10 points (Table 05).
Table 05. Summary of methodological evolution in BCome Eco-Score.
| Current name | Planet | People | Transparency | Circularity |
| BCome 1.0 BCome 1.1 BCome 1.2 BCome 1.3 | Name: Planet Unit: 1 to 10 points Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology | Name: People Unit: 1 to 10 points Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology | Name: Transparency Unit: 1 to 10 points Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology | Name: Circularity Unit: 1 to 10 points Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology |
| BCome 1.4 BCome 1.4.1 BCome 1.5 BCome 1.6 BCome 1.7 | Name: Planet Unit: A-E score Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology | Name: People Unit: A-E score Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology | Name: Transparency Unit: A-E score Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology | Name: Circularity Unit: A-E score Methodology: Internal qualitative methodology |