System boundaries define exactly what is and isn’t included in a Life Cycle Assessment. They determine which life cycle stages, processes, and flows are covered by your footprint calculation — and which are excluded.
Setting clear system boundaries is one of the most important steps in any LCA because it directly affects what your results mean and how they can be compared with other products or companies.
Common life cycle stages
A product's full life cycle typically includes the following stages:
Stage | Description | Also known as |
Raw material extraction | Mining, farming, or harvesting of input materials | Upstream / Cradle |
Material processing | Refining, converting, or manufacturing input materials | Upstream |
Product manufacturing | Assembly or production of the final product | Gate |
Transport | Movement of materials and products at every stage | Throughout |
Product use | Energy and resources consumed while using the product | Use phase |
End of life | Disposal, recycling, or composting | Downstream / Grave |
System boundary types
Cradle-to-gate
Covers raw material extraction through to the point the product leaves the factory gate. This is the most common boundary for B2B products and for supply chain reporting.
Cradle-to-grave
Covers the full life cycle, including product use and disposal. Required for consumer-facing products and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Cradle-to-cradle
Like cradle-to-grave but includes recycling loops, crediting the product for materials recovered at end of life.
Gate-to-gate
Covers only a single processing step, useful for specific process assessments.
Root’s system boundaries
Root's core scope is cradle-to-gate, covering:
Materials — the upstream environmental impact of raw materials and components in your BOM
Production — the facility impacts from manufacturing (electricity, heat, water)
Transport — inbound and outbound logistics
Root also supports optional chapters that extend the boundary further:
Product usage — energy or resources consumed during product use
End of life — disposal, recycling or waste treatment of the product
FAQ
Does it matter which system boundary I use?
Yes, significantly. A cradle-to-gate footprint will always be lower than a cradle-to-grave footprint for the same product. When comparing products or reporting externally, it’s important to ensure you are comparing like-for-like boundaries.
What is cut-off criteria?
In practice, LCAs apply cut-off rules to exclude flows that contribute less than a small percentage (e.g. 1%) of total impact and for which data is unavailable. Root follows standard ecoinvent cut-off conventions.
Should I include the use phase in my Root footprint?
This depends on your product and your reporting requirements. For products with a significant use-phase impact (e.g. electronics, appliances), including usage data gives a more complete picture. For packaging or raw materials, cradle-to-gate is typically sufficient.