Plastic footprint: a complementary tool to LCA to support your plastic transition

As plastic pollution continues to grow, a complementary approach to life cycle assessment (LCA) is gaining ground: the plastic footprint. Developed in collaboration with the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN), this approach helps organisations to identify, quantify, and reduce their plastic pollution impact.

From 5 to 14 August, Geneva will host the second part of the fifth and final round of negotiations for a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution. Delegates from 178 countries will meet to discuss key measures such as capping production and banning certain toxic chemicals. The outcomes could have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and human health.

At EVEA, this work resonates strongly with us. Since January 2023, we’ve been a member of the PFN. Alongside NGOs, researchers and committed businesses from around the world, we’re contributing to the development of a common method to assess the effects of plastic pollution on living beings and natural environments.

Troubling numbers

A few key figures:

• 69.5 million tonnes of plastic are mismanaged every year. That means they escape recycling, incineration, or safe landfill, and end up in the air, soil, or water (sources: Plastic Overshoot Day, Earth Action, OECD).
• By 2050, global plastic production could double if current trends continue, increasing pressure on ecosystems and communities (source: Marine Anthropogenic Litter).

Plastic, a pollutant with multiple effects

Plastic is everywhere—but its effects vary widely. According to Leistenshneider et al. (2023), three types of harm can combine:

• Physical: choking or blockage (e.g. turtles swallowing plastic bags);
• Chemical: release of toxic substances from additives used to give plastic specific properties;
• Biological: transport of bacteria and pathogens that cling to plastic surfaces.

This makes analysis more complex. Measuring quantities or weights alone isn’t enough—we need to understand and characterise the impacts. That’s where LCA comes in.

What LCA makes possible

Life cycle assessment evaluates the environmental impacts at each stage of a product’s life cycle, from production to end-of-life. It’s based on scientific data that are comparable and consistent from one study to another.

But standard LCA doesn’t yet fully capture the effects of plastic pollution. To address this, we’ve developed a dedicated plastic footprint method. Based on PFN guidance, it complements LCA and brings added clarity to impact assessments.

What we do at EVEA

With the plastic footprint method, our teams incorporate the effects of plastic pollution into LCA work. Robin Sales, LCA and eco-design project manager, explains more in this video.

In practice, we help you to:

• Identify and assess the main sources of plastic pollution within your organisation;
• Estimate the impacts of this pollution on ecosystems;
• Define clear, targeted reduction strategies in line with PFN recommendations.

The Geneva negotiations are a key moment in the fight against plastic pollution. In the meantime, we continue to research, advise and equip organisations that want to act with clarity, structure and precision.

Ines Boquillon, LCA & Eco-Design Consultant