Trelleborg’s journey to LCA Automation and sustainable product innovation

Challenges

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions partnered with Sphera to conduct a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) for its pitot products and implement advanced LCA tools and methodologies. This collaboration provided Trelleborg with deeper insights into the environmental performance of its product portfolio, supporting sustainability-driven decision-making and environmental claims.

To ensure the continued development and integration of life cycle thinking into business practices, Sphera’s consultants remain a trusted partner even after the initial pilots are completed. Their flexible expert support allows for quick adaptation to evolving requirements and helps maintain progress toward full LCA Automation.

Results

The collaboration with Sphera’s Sustainability Consulting services and the adoption of Sphera’s LCA software solutions enabled Trelleborg to make significant strides in sustainability and product optimization. Key outcomes include:

• Detailed environmental impact modeling: Conducted comprehensive LCAs for three pilot products. The data-driven results laid the foundation for continuous product improvement and informed decision-making.
• Hotspot identification and optimization: Leveraged LCA results for eco-deign to optimize product composition, electricity use and raw materials.
• Empowering data-driven collaboration: Enabled Trelleborg to engage more effectively with suppliers and customers by providing transparent, traceable data backed by ISO-compliant LCAs. This fostered stronger partnerships and alignment on sustainability goals.
• Cross-functional engagement: The Data Functionality Assessment (DFA) revealed strong cross-functional engagement and effective data ownership, ensuring readiness for the future implementation of LCA Automation.

These efforts not only helped Trelleborg reduce environmental impacts but also positioned the company as a leader in sustainable innovation. Integrating eco-design strategies with data-driven decision-making equips Trelleborg with the insights needed to achieve its ambitious 2030 goals, including a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions as well as a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions.