In most cases, you do not need a completely new IDEMAT material. Professional LCA databases are designed to work with representative datasets and suitable proxies.
However, this can become relevant when:
you use a truly unique material or production process;
no realistic proxy exists in IDEMAT;
or you already have a high-quality EPD or LCA study for the material.
In those cases, Pickler can ask IDEMAT to review whether the material can be added to the database and converted into eco-cost data for use in Pickler.
How it works
Reach out to us via [email protected] or chat first and let us know what material you're missing. If it's truly not in IDEMAT and there is not a fitting proxy, it might be useful to request the data from your supplier.
Reach out to your supplier for a full Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) or the underlying EPD data. This is the minimum needed to create a new, accurate material dataset.
Pickler will submit the EPD to Sustainability Impact Metrics, who run IDEMAT. They will review whether the material is broadly relevant enough to include in their database. IDEMAT only adds materials that many users are likely to need.
If IDEMAT accepts the request, they will convert the EPD into their eco-costs format (cost: €1.000,-) and the material will then become available for you to use in Pickler.