What is an impact reference?
An impact reference comes from the ecoinvent database, an Environmental Product Declaration, or a custom impact source. It is how Root converts product data, such as the materials used in a product, into impact data.
How do you match your product data to impact references?
Root suggests impact references to your product data in four simple steps:
First, in the products chapter, you will upload the bill of materials for each product to your portfolio.
Root then extracts the materials in your product portfolio and using artificial intelligence and algorithms recommends a match with an impact reference from the ecoinvent database, Environmental Product Declarations or custom impact sources.
You then confirm that the material's impact reference is correct. Need help with impact matching? No problem, click on the 'Request help' button to schedule a call with one of our LCA experts.
Once the material impact reference is confirmed, we then apply these impact values to all products that use the corresponding materials.
Where can I see the impact reference?
First, go to the materials chapter. In this view, you can see the impact reference for each material in the 'Impact Match' column. See below example.
Different types of impact references
ecoinvent
ecoinvent is a widely used LCA database for environmental impact data. It includes references for various materials, processes, and energy sources, helping companies calculate their products' life cycle impacts.
If the ecoinvent database does not find an exact match for a material, a similar material may need to be selected, or a custom impact reference may need to be created.
Custom impact reference
If you use a unique or non-standard material (e.g., a specific alloy or composite), there might not be an impact reference on the ecoinvent database. In these cases, you must create a custom impact reference based on similar known impacts of the material.
Follow the below steps to create a custom impact reference:
Click on the ‘Custom’ button.
Click on the ‘Add custom impact reference’ button.
Choose an existing impact reference from the ecoinvent datasets, and click the ‘Select’ button on the bottom right.
Customise the impact reference.
Click ‘Save’ and use it as an impact reference in your materials.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
An Environmental Product Declaration is a transparent, standardised document summarising a product's environmental impact over its life cycle, from raw materials to production, distribution, use, and end-of-life.
The data in an EPD is created by conducting an ISO-compliant life cycle assessment. It provides robust and third-party verified data on the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle.
Root can use data from the EPD as an impact reference. To do this, follow these steps:
Click on the ‘EPD’ button.
Click on the ‘Add EPD’ button.
Enter the values from your EPD.
Click ‘Save’ and use it as an impact reference in your materials.
FAQ
How does Root match the materials to impact data in the ecoinvent database?
We recently introduced a beta matching algorithm, which automatically suggests possible impact reference matches based on your uploaded material.
Why is my material status incomplete?
Your material status may be incomplete because it has yet to be matched to an impact reference from the ecoinvent database, an EPD, or a custom impact reference. If the status remains incomplete after you've matched it with an impact reference, it could be due to a missing unit conversion. For example, if you've entered a material in square meters (m²) in the BOM, we may need its conversion to grams.