From Cradle to Gate vs. From Cradle to Grave: Choosing the Right Boundaries for Your LCA

Choosing the correct boundaries for a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) determines the reliability of the study, its strategic usefulness, and its regulatory validity.

In real-world sustainability projects, more than 80 % of methodological errors are not due to incorrect emission factors, but to poorly defined or insufficiently justified system boundaries.

In this article, we take an in-depth look at the two most commonly used LCA approaches—cradle to gate and cradle to grave—from a technical, strategic, and regulatory perspective. The goal is to help you select the right approach based on the purpose of the study, the type of product, the sector, and current reporting requirements (carbon footprint, CSRD, eco-design, and environmental declarations).

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What Does Defining System Boundaries in an LCA Mean?

Defining system boundaries in an LCA involves determining which stages of the life cycle are included in the environmental analysis and which are excluded. This decision establishes the technical perimeter of the study and directly influences the results obtained.

A poorly defined boundary leads to incomplete impacts, non-comparable results, and strategically flawed conclusions.

Conversely, a properly justified boundary allows for sound decision-making, supports the study during audits, and connects the LCA with ESG metrics and regulatory reporting.

In practical terms, system boundaries determine:

• The volume and quality of data required
• The level of uncertainty in the results
• The cost and duration of the study
• The ability to compare with other LCAs
• The validity of the analysis for external communication

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What Is a Cradle-to-Gate LCA?

A cradle-to-gate LCA analyzes environmental impacts from raw material extraction up to the point where the product leaves the manufacturing process. The analysis stops at the “gate” of the factory or production facility.

This approach includes all upstream activities necessary to manufacture the product, such as material extraction and processing, intermediate transportation, and internal industrial processes. However, it excludes distribution to the final customer, the use phase, and end-of-life.

From a methodological standpoint, cradle to gate focuses on what the manufacturer directly controls, reducing uncertainty and increasing data traceability.

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When Is a Cradle-to-Gate LCA Appropriate?

A cradle-to-gate LCA is the right option when the product being analyzed is not a final consumer good, but rather a component, material, or ingredient integrated into a broader system.

It is also the most commonly used approach when the objective of the study is to:

• Compare production processes
• Optimize industrial efficiency
• Develop internal eco-design strategies
• Prepare an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)‍
• Provide environmental data to B2B clients

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Key Advantages of the Cradle-to-Gate Approach

Cradle-to-gate LCAs stand out for their methodological robustness. By focusing exclusively on processes controlled by the organization, they reduce reliance on external assumptions and speculative scenarios.

Main advantages include:

• Lower complexity in data collection
• Greater study reproducibility
• Lower uncertainty in results
• Lower implementation cost
• Easier auditability

In real environmental measurement projects, cradle-to-gate LCAs reduce methodological errors by around 30 % compared to overly broad studies that lack reliable data for later life cycle stages.

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Structural Limitations of Cradle-to-Gate LCA

Despite its technical strength, this approach has clear limitations. A cradle-to-gate LCA does not allow for assessment of a product’s total environmental impact, since it excludes stages that, in many cases, account for the majority of emissions or impacts.

This approach is insufficient when:

• The main impact occurs during the product’s use phase
• Energy consumption during use is significant
• End-of-life determines the environmental balance (recycling or reuse)
• The study is used to compare final products

A cradle-to-gate assessment does not allow you to claim that a product is “more sustainable” in absolute terms—only that its production process is more efficient.

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What Is a Cradle-to-Grave LCA?

A cradle-to-grave LCA analyzes the product’s full life cycle, from raw material extraction to final disposal.

In addition to production, this approach includes distribution, the use phase, maintenance, and end-of-life scenarios. It is the most comprehensive environmental analysis and provides a truly systemic view of the product.

From a technical standpoint, cradle to grave requires modeling user behavior, logistics scenarios, and end-of-life options, which increases both complexity and methodological demands.

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When Is a Cradle-to-Grave LCA Essential?

A cradle-to-grave LCA is necessary when:

• The product is a final consumer good
• The use phase represents more than 50 % of the total impact
• Design alternatives or product substitution are being evaluated
• The study supports eco-labeling or environmental claims
• ‍Circular economy strategies are being analyzed

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Advantages of the Cradle-to-Grave Approach

The main strength of cradle to grave lies in its ability to identify hidden impacts that do not appear in production-limited analyses. This approach helps uncover real opportunities for impact reduction in design, durability, energy efficiency, and end-of-life.

Moreover, it is the only valid approach when the LCA is used as the basis for:

• Strategic product decisions
• Comparisons between alternative solutions
• External environmental communication
• Circularity analysis

A well-executed cradle-to-grave LCA can identify up to three times more environmental improvement levers than an analysis limited to the production phase.

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Common Risks of Cradle-to-Grave LCA

The main risk of this approach is excessive reliance on assumptions. Unrepresentative usage data, unrealistic end-of-life scenarios, or undocumented hypotheses can compromise the validity of the study.

Technical audits frequently reveal cradle-to-grave LCAs with:

• Unjustified generic usage patterns
• Unrealistic recycling rates
• Overly optimistic transport scenarios
• Lack of traceability in assumptions

For this reason, a broad LCA without solid data is worse than a more limited but methodologically robust one.

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How to Choose the Right LCA Boundaries

Choosing the correct boundary should always start with the objective of the study. There is no universally better approach—there is only the approach that best fits the decision at hand.

A practical rule validated in industrial projects is clear: if more than 60 % of the impact occurs outside the factory, a cradle-to-gate LCA is insufficient.

It is also essential to assess the organization’s real capacity to collect reliable data. At this point, specialized platforms such as Manglai allow companies to structure progressive LCAs, model use and end-of-life scenarios with traceability, and connect the analysis with carbon footprint accounting and CSRD reporting, as explained in several articles on the Manglai blog.

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Relationship Between LCA Boundaries and CSRD Reporting

The CSRD requires consistency between strategy, risks, metrics, and targets. A poorly defined LCA boundary generates inconsistent indicators and weakens the organization’s ESG narrative.

Conversely, a properly scoped and documented LCA allows you to:

• Build defensible KPIs
• Reduce greenwashing risk
• Connect environmental impact to decision-making

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The Best LCA Is Not the Broadest—It Is the Best Defined

Choosing between cradle to gate and cradle to grave is a strategic decision, not a methodological formality.

Organizations that truly master LCA first define the objective, rigorously set boundaries, document assumptions, and scale the analysis progressively.

A well-defined LCA reduces risk, improves decision-making, and strengthens ESG credibility. Above all, it turns environmental data into a real management tool rather than a mere compliance exercise.

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Frequently Asked Questions About LCA Boundaries

Is cradle-to-grave always better?

No. The best LCA is the one that precisely answers the defined objective.

Can you start with cradle to gate and expand later?

Yes. This is the most efficient strategy and the one most commonly used by mature organizations.

Do ISO standards require a specific boundary?

No. ISO 14040 and 14044 require justification of the boundary, not the imposition of a specific one.

How do boundaries affect greenwashing risk?

The broader the scope, the greater the need for transparency and methodological rigor.