Regulations
Environmental labeling: the three methodologies
Several methodologies are available to establish an environmental display. Through its missions and its clients' needs, Crystalchain mainly uses three of them for environmental display calculations. Depending on the products concerned and the objectives you pursue, one method will fit better than the others. Talk to our teams and make the best choice.
Ecobalyse
Ecobalyse is an environmental impact calculator carried by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and developed open-source within the Ecolab digital incubators of the ministry and ADEME.
This assessment tool quickly estimates a product's impacts from a list of 25 product/main-material pairs and a few simple criteria: weight, composition, assembly location, and so on. Its algorithm corresponds to the "Level 1" approach, enabling a first calculation of the "environmental cost" from a few easily accessible key parameters. The calculation can then be refined by manufacturers with access to more precise parameters and more complete tools (levels 2 and 3). Operators can select the calculation tool of their choice, public or private, to implement the environmental display method. Textile and food are the first two sectors concerned.
Crystalchain follows and takes part in the exchanges on this methodology as it is built. Our data collection platform uses the Ecobalyse methodology daily for the needs of several of our clients.
PEF: Product Environmental Footprint
Established in 2021, the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) is a methodology developed by the European Commission. The PEFCR are the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules, specifically for apparel and footwear. The initiative was created to unify environmental display and assess the impact of products on the European market.
Its application started in 2022. Judged incomplete for missing certain elements, the PEF methodology sparked debate; things settled when, in March 2023, within its Green Claims directive project, the European Commission clearly acknowledged the PEF's limits and opened the door to other methodologies.
The criticisms of the PEF methodology concern insufficient coverage of:
Biodiversity: the PEF indicators for biodiversity impact are insufficient; for example, deforestation is not captured by the "land use" indicator.
Microplastics: synthetic garment fibres produce microplastics that massively pollute the environment and the food chain. This major textile issue is ignored by the methodology, which effectively favours synthetic materials and fast fashion, against the spirit of the law.
Garment durability: product quality, renewal cycles, and the ability to be recycled, repaired or reused strongly influence environmental impact. These factors are not yet in the PEF LCA reference frameworks.
Production mode: the geographic origin of raw materials and agricultural practices are not considered by the PEF method, which prevents valuing organic cotton despite its lower impact versus conventional cotton.
As a reminder, the PEF is not an eco-score: it is a methodology whose results feed the calculation of a points score, easy for consumers to understand. Crystalchain monitors the methodology's evolution, and our data collection platform uses the PEF for the needs of several clients.
Footprint Target
Developed by Green Score Capital in 2020, Footprint Target is an impact calculation and product life-cycle analysis methodology. Its two fundamental differences with the methods above:
Footprint Target computes your articles' impacts from precise data rather than averages: the methodology uses external environmental data, including satellite data, and information from your collections (product composition, raw material origin, transformation method). Whether a garment's cotton comes from one region or another in India, China or Egypt, water and pesticide needs differ. Footprint Target values virtuous practices that other methods' algorithms do not capture.
Its algorithm is scientific, drawn from international scientific consensus for assessing a product's global impact, and the solution works with the support of the European Space Agency, the French government and CNES within the France Relance plan on space applications for the economy and environment.
Crystalchain is a partner of Green Score Capital, convinced that reliable, precise information is the essential resource to secure a medium and long-term business plan, as resource scarcity, natural disasters or reputational scandals can cut yields or break production chains and weaken a company over time.
Beyond these three methodologies, the European Commission is also working on another lever against fast fashion: the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
Why the choice of calculation method is not so definitive
The diversity of methodologies can understandably worry companies choosing which one to implement. But beyond the possibility that Europe one day imposes one of them, this choice is ultimately not a problem but an opportunity: choose a method according to your company's strategy, and change it after a few seasons once teams and supply chains are more seasoned.
Indeed, the environmental display results from two tools: the calculation methodology, and the means of collecting data from the actors of your supply chains. It is that data collection choice you must take the most care over.
