To start with Pickler, you need to import product data to enable calculations. This is often a tough challenge, since you might not have all the data in place.

In this article, you will learn:

Pickler is designed to enable you to start small. Start with collecting data first that’s most important, often data from products that are sold most.

Now that you know what kind of data Pickler needs, it's time to collect.

What product data are we talking about to enable calculations?

You probably already have most of this data in your ERP, whether it’s in your product specifications or procurement records. For missing details, you may need to reach out to suppliers for more specific information.

If you don’t have all the data at first, don’t worry—Pickler uses placeholder values to fill in the gaps. These placeholders are based on worst-case scenarios, ensuring that your sustainability claims remain transparent and realistic. As you gather more detailed data, you can update these placeholders with more accurate values.

It’s important not to overwhelm yourself by trying to gather every piece of data at once. Start with your most critical products or those with the highest sales volumes. As you gain confidence in using Pickler, you can expand your data collection efforts to cover more products.

Pickler is built for packaging. So its easy to move data from your data sources to Pickler. This can be done via form, spreadsheet or API. Example why built for packaging: we adapt to data structure that is also used in GS1.

Data can be entered using our form, spreadsheet template and API.

Once your data is in Pickler, calculations cant be done yet. Thats why the data needs to be mapped.

In Pickler, you’ll provide product data (primary data). This data is improted to Pickler, where it needs to be mapped LCI data.

Before diving into Pickler, you’ll need to gather and organize your primary data—specific information about your products and their lifecycle. This data will be used to calculate your environmental impact. Some primary data is likely easy to collect, while other details may be more challenging or require outreach to suppliers.

Before diving into Pickler, you’ll need to prepare your data. This includes collecting essential details about your products, such as:

It’s important not to overwhelm yourself by trying to gather every piece of data at once. Start with your most critical products or those with the highest sales volumes. As you gain confidence in using Pickler, you can expand your data collection efforts to cover more products.

Once your data is prepared, it’s time to enter it into Pickler. You have several options for doing this, depending on the size of your dataset:

For most users, the CSV template is the best way to get started. It ensures that you’re entering all the necessary data in the right format and makes it easy to upload large datasets quickly.

Once your data is in Pickler, the next step is to map it to secondary data from trusted environmental databases, such as IDEMAT. This is where Pickler shines: by connecting your product data to scientifically validated environmental data, you get an accurate footprint score.

Explain that you get hotspot analysis that is great to start with.

Secondary data refers to data from established sources that provide average environmental impacts for materials and processes. In LCA terms, secondary data is part of your background system—it fills in the gaps when you don’t have specific, measured data for your products. Pickler uses IDEMAT, a highly trusted database, to provide this background information​(

Ecochain

).

Pickler makes the mapping process simple. After uploading your data, you’ll be guided through the process of linking your product information (like materials and production methods) to corresponding values in the IDEMAT database.

Pickler ensures that no data is left unmapped by using worst-case scenario values. If you’re missing information, Pickler will automatically map your product to these values, ensuring that you can’t make overly optimistic claims about your environmental impact. This approach prevents greenwashing while giving you a solid starting point for your reports.

Providing detailed product data allows you to move from using general secondary data to more accurate primary data, leading to more reliable and specific environmental impact reports. The more specific your data, the more accurately Pickler can calculate your product's real environmental footprint. By doing this, you’ll ensure your sustainability reports reflect actual operations and avoid any risk of overestimating your environmental impact.

There are two main approaches to improving your data in Pickler:

What’s Next?

To refine your reports, it’s crucial to start gathering more primary data. This process involves filling in any gaps where Pickler currently uses secondary data. Here’s how you can get started:

Look at the areas where you’re missing specific data and work to gather this information. Focus on key data points like:

Your suppliers can provide critical primary data for materials, production methods, or transportation. Here are some ways to get them involved:

If you’re still missing some data, don’t worry—Pickler can continue to map those missing data fields to secondary data from trusted sources like IDEMAT. Use Pickler’s “Toggle Not Mapped” feature to see which data fields haven’t been mapped yet, and ensure they are linked to either primary or secondary data.

As you collect more primary data, update Pickler with this information to improve your environmental impact score. By replacing secondary data with primary data, you’ll get a more accurate picture of your packaging’s lifecycle and its true impact on the environment. Focus on: