Methodology

What should we do when footprint results are surprising?

Use surprising results as a signal to inspect the data, assumptions and lifecycle drivers. Sustainability is often less intuitive than it looks.

Full answer

Footprint results sometimes challenge assumptions. A product that looks sustainable may not always have the lowest impact, and a material switch can have trade-offs across lifecycle stages.

 

Instead of hiding surprising results, teams should use them to check the data and explain what drives the outcome. That often leads to better decisions and more credible communication.

 

  • Check whether product data is correct
  • Review material, production, transport and end-of-life assumptions
  • Explain the biggest impact drivers
  • Use comparisons to avoid oversimplified conclusions

Example

A recycled option performs worse than expected because of weight, processing or transport assumptions.

How Pickler helps

Pickler helps teams analyse product impact results and explain trade-offs more clearly.

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