The need for a single standard for calculating the impact of packaging
Sustainability decisions are challenging because every company measures impact differently. Some use custom Excel models, others rely on existing software, and some build complex in-house systems.
This mix of methods leads to inconsistent, non-transparent data that’s impossible to compare, making it nearly impossible to get a true understanding of a product's impact. Without a way to fairly assess results, companies are left guessing, often struggling to make informed sustainability decisions.
Together with leading packaging industry companies, Pickler is on a mission to solve this by setting a single clear method for calculating packaging impact. With consistent, transparent LCA-based rules and up-to-date IDEMAT data, Pickler can deliver reliable, comparable results.
This empowers packaging companies to make informed, impactful decisions that favor sustainability and genuinely reduce their environmental footprint.
Pickler's calculation rules, are built on 5 rules:
1. Scalable LCA-based calculations, with a focus on what matters most
Pickler’s calculation rules are built on the Fast-Track Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), providing comprehensive lifecycle data (excluding the use phase) on your product’s environmental impact, measured in eco-costs and carbon footprint.
Instead of the extensive data collection required in traditional LCA, Pickler delivers accurate results quickly by using IDEMAT, an ISO-aligned database with more than 2,000 validated materials and processes.
This removes the need for companies to independently gather scientific background data — saving time and significantly reducing complexity.
Because IDEMAT is updated regularly, your calculations are always based on the latest insights. This is essential: outdated data, such as an energy mix from years ago, can lead to misleading outcomes.
Pickler focuses on the lifecycle hotspots — the factors with the greatest influence on a product’s footprint. Instead of spending time collecting thousands of low-impact variables (like exact truck load factors), Pickler concentrates on what truly matters: energy mixes, materials, and production processes.
For packaging companies handling hundreds or thousands of SKUs, this approach makes LCA scalable, fast, and actionable.
2. Fixed calculation rules, to ensure comparable results
Pickler’s fixed set of calculation rules creates a level playing field.
By using the same assumptions and scientific datasets, companies can finally compare the environmental impact of packaging in a fair, reliable way — even across different organizations, as long as they use Pickler.
This consistency eliminates selective data use, removes interpretation differences, and ensures buyers can make decisions based on both price and sustainability, using comparable outcomes.
3. Transparent data, to make results verifiable and anti-greenwash compliant
In an industry saturated with vague sustainability claims, transparency is not optional — it is essential.
Pickler discloses every data source, assumption, and calculation step.
You always know:
where the data comes from (IDEMAT)
which assumptions are applied
how every part of the footprint is calculated
This level of transparency ensures verifiability, builds trust, and aligns with anti-greenwashing regulations such as the EU Green Claims Directive.
With Pickler, you can confidently share reliable, consistent sustainability claims that meet regulatory standards.
4. Independent calculations, to eliminate bias
In-house environmental models can be unintentionally biased — influenced by preferred materials, historical choices, or selective assumptions.
Pickler provides unbiased, independent calculations.
As a neutral company with no ties to specific materials or industries, Pickler offers an objective view of environmental performance.
This independence strengthens credibility and helps companies avoid misleading or unverified sustainability claims.
5. Primary data for more accurate results
Pickler allows you to enrich calculations with primary data from your operations or suppliers, making results more accurate and reflective of your real processes.
By combining standardized rules with primary data, your results become more precise, more personalized, and often lower than generic assumptions when your operations are more efficient.
To ensure full transparency, Pickler also tracks the quality of the data behind every calculation—showing the percentage of primary, secondary, and default data, as well as any data gaps.
This gives you clear insight into where your data is strong and where improvements can be made, without losing scalability or comparability.bility.
Compliance of Pickler's calculation's rules
Pickler calculation's are in line with the strict IDEMAT user agreement.
Read more about the compliance of Pickler's calculation rules
Want to know what you can do with the data, read What Data Do You Get From Pickler's Calculations?