SEAMPL: environmental impact assessment software to design packaging reuse systems

Country: 
France
Summary: 

Socioeconomic stakeholders often see life cycle assessment (LCA) as expensive, complex, and hard to interpret, leading to its limited use during early innovation stages. It’s often applied only at project end, offering little influence on ecodesign. Generic environmental data is commonly used in marketing despite potential variability. In the FAIRCHAIN project, a case study developed a whey-based fermented drink in reused bottles. SEAMPL was developed to help to consider environmental impacts for the distribution of the drink, and then in the development of any new reuse bottle system in France. SEAMPL uses simplified parametric models and global sensitivity analysis (Sobol indices) to minimize required data, reducing key variables from around 90 to under 10 depending on the system. This enables robust, quick scenario testing. To expand applicability, models were tailored to reuse system archetypes, created with stakeholder inputs. An online interface lets users identify system types, input minimal data, and view LCA results. Tested with FAIRCHAIN participants, SEAMPL could aid reuse initiatives in regions like Burgundy–Franche-Comté. Future plans include broader packaging types, country-specific adaptations, and integrating economic and social metrics.

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Stakeholder: 
Consumer
Farmer & Cooperative
Industry & Retail
Policy Maker
Type: 
Technological
Project: 
FAIRCHAIN
GAIN: 
GAIN III
Involved People: 
Samuel Le Féon, Geneviève Gésan-Guiziou, Caroline Pénicaud, Gwenola Yannou-Le Bris, Joël Aubin (scientific development), Caroline Malnoë, Julien Hilaire (software development)
Contact person 1: 
Samuel Le Féon
Contact person 1 e-mail: 
Contact person 2: 
Genevieve Gésan-Guiziou
Contact person 2 e-mail: