Finding the right dataset for every material in your Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can be challenging. You are not alone. This article gives you a step-by-step guidance. Start with Step 1 and work down. Stop as soon as you have a dataset that represents your material well enough. These steps work the same way in Ecochain Mobius and Helix.
Feel like you're missing information? This article connects to the following articles; check them out if you want to learn more:
Before you start: Document your choices as you go!
Whichever step you stop at, it’s a good practice or even essential to write down why you chose a certain dataset, and any assumptions you made. Clear documentation saves you time when you return to your model later and when you wish to verify your LCA model.
Dataset search decision tree
Dataset search decision tree
Step 1: Can your supplier give you primary data?
Primary data is always preferred over background data, such as ecoinvent datasets. It gives you the most representative result.
Ask your supplier for primary data on this specific material.
Use the data in your model if they have it. You can add it as a custom impact or upload the data of an EPD. (Important note: The supplier's data must align with your model's system boundaries and impact assessment method. Check your overarching standard or Product Category Rules to ensure the specific EPD is allowed. )
Whether or not your supplier has the data, asking is a great way to start a dialogue. Over time, it can convince them to make their own LCAs.
Got primary data? Stop here. Supplier doesn't have it? Continue to Step 2.
Step 2: Can you find the dataset by searching?
Most datasets are easier to find than they first seem. The database may have your material under a different name. Start with a good search.
Search with keywords for your material. Check your results as you go. If they don't match what you expect, change your search terms.
Check what each result represents. The dataset name tells you the product, the production process, and the region. Make sure the product and the unit match your material.
Try alternative names. Databases sometimes use specific or scientific terminology. Try scientific names, common names, and spelling variations. For example, "corrugated board box" is the ecoinvent name for cardboard.
Use PubChem for chemicals. PubChem lists many synonyms for the same chemical. Read Model chemicals to learn more.
Look up search words for transport. For example, search for "lorry" to find truck transport. Read Efficiently model transport in Mobius for more.
Need help with the search itself? In Mobius, read Add impact to your model using datasets. In Helix, read Enter material data in Helix.
Found a good match? Stop here. Still nothing? Continue to Step 3.
Step 3: Does the dataset have a significant contribution to your LCA?
Before you spend more time searching, estimate how much the material affects your results.
Pick a dataset that is similar enough to your material. For example, you need cinnamon, but the only spice in the database is black pepper.
Add it to your model and check its contribution to your results.
Not significant? You may not need to model the material more accurately. Every LCA standard sets its own rules for what counts as insignificant, including its own cut-off threshold. Check the standard you follow to find out which threshold applies to your LCA. If you keep the material in your model, a generic or group-level dataset is usually enough (Step 4).
This approach has a catch-22: you can't know the contribution unless you model it. Always run a rough approximation first.
Significant? Expect a higher impact when the material has a greater mass, or has a high impact even in small amounts. For example, gold can be a small amount, but its extraction is carbon intensive. Continue to Step 4.
Step 4: Does your material belong to a larger material group?
The database may not have your specific material, but it may have a dataset for its group.
Research which group your material belongs to.
Search the database for that group.
Choose the group dataset if it represents your material well enough. For example, model an unknown chemical as an organic or inorganic chemical.
Mobius users: Use the Category filters in the Database search page to browse datasets by economic activity. See Add impact to your model using datasets.
Found a good match? Stop here. Still nothing? Continue to Step 5.
Step 5: Is there a related dataset you can use as a proxy?
A proxy is a related dataset that stands in for your material.
Look for a reasonable related dataset. Choose a single dataset that is close to your material. For example, use rigid polyurethane foam as a proxy for Pellethane.
Add the proxy to your model.
Proxy is good enough? Stop here. Need something more representative? Continue to Step 6.
Step 6: Can you build a dataset from its ingredients?
If no single dataset works as a proxy, create your own from several datasets.
Identify the ingredients or components of your material.
Check whether each ingredient exists as a dataset in your database.
Combine them into a custom dataset that reflects the composition of your material (Figure 1). Read Model materials with multiple datasets or Model chemicals for a related approach.
Figure 1. Creating a custom dataset from several ingredient datasets
Can't build it from your database? Continue to Step 7.
Step 7: Is there other secondary data you can use?
Secondary data comes from existing LCA studies of your material.
Search the academic literature for LCAs of this specific material.
Use the reported results as an impact in your model:
In Mobius, follow Add custom impact to your model.
In Helix, you add custom impact data, such as an EPD, through an import account. Ecochain usually sets this up for you. Read Use
sub-account material data in your main account to learn how it works.
Note: Instead of only using the reported results, you can also use the data in the scientific paper to model the material yourself. However, this approach is uncommon.
Tip: Using the results of a scientific paper? Check if the study is not outdated, and check if the calculation method aligned with the calculation method of your LCA.
Found usable data? Stop here. Still nothing? See the next steps below.
If you still can't find a match, contact us or reach out to our team via the chat widget in the bottom-right corner.
Want to keep learning? Check out these articles:
Mobius - Explained: Properties (helpful if your material's unit doesn't match the dataset's unit)
This article was created in collaboration with Alissa Nicole Thompson.