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Documentation Index

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Environmental impact data provides consumers with quantified sustainability metrics. Avelero supports carbon footprint (CO₂e), water consumption, and other environmental indicators at both product and variant levels.

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Environmental metrics

Avelero tracks multiple environmental metrics for each product:
  • Carbon footprint: Total greenhouse gas emissions in kg CO₂e
  • Water usage: Total water consumption in liters
  • Custom metrics: Extensible system for additional environmental indicators
Environmental data is optional but highly valuable. Products with quantified impact data build greater consumer trust and support sustainability claims.

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Data structure

Environmental data is stored differently at product and variant levels:

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Product-level environment data

Product environment data uses a flexible metric-based system: 
{
  productId: "uuid",
  metric: "carbon_kg_co2e",  // Metric type
  value: 12.5,                // Numeric value
  unit: "kg CO2e",            // Unit of measurement
  createdAt: "timestamp",
  updatedAt: "timestamp"
}
Each metric is stored as a separate row:
  • One row for carbon data
  • One row for water data
  • Additional rows for custom metrics

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Variant-level environment data

Variant environment data uses a denormalized structure for common metrics: 
{
  variantId: "uuid",
  carbonKgCo2e: 11.2,          // Carbon in kg CO2e
  waterLiters: 1850.50,        // Water in liters
  sourceIntegration: "shopify",
  sourceExternalId: "external-id",
  createdAt: "timestamp",
  updatedAt: "timestamp"
}
Variant environment data overrides product-level data when present. If a variant has carbonKgCo2e populated, that value takes precedence over the product’s carbon metric.

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Carbon footprint (CO₂e)

Carbon footprint represents the total greenhouse gas emissions from production, expressed in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO₂e).

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What to include

A comprehensive carbon footprint calculation should include:
  • Agricultural emissions (for natural fibers)
  • Mining and extraction (for synthetic materials)
  • Land use changes
  • Transportation of raw materials
  • Energy consumption in spinning, weaving, dyeing
  • Chemical processing
  • Factory operations
  • Waste and wastewater treatment
  • Inter-facility transport
  • International shipping
  • Distribution to retail or consumer
  • Production of packaging materials
  • Packaging assembly
End-of-life emissions (consumer use, washing, disposal) are typically excluded from manufacturer-reported carbon footprints but can be included if data is available.

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Carbon calculation methodologies

Common approaches to calculating product carbon footprints:
1

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Full LCA following ISO 14040/14044 standards. Most comprehensive but requires extensive data and expertise.
2

Simplified LCA

Streamlined assessment using industry averages and material databases. Faster and less expensive than full LCA.
3

Carbon accounting tools

Use third-party calculators like Higg MSI, Worldly, or CLOMA that provide industry-specific databases.
4

Supplier-provided data

Aggregate carbon data from suppliers and manufacturers. Accuracy depends on supplier data quality.
Document your calculation methodology in product descriptions or on your website. Transparency about methods builds credibility.

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Water usage

Water consumption tracks the total water used in production, measured in liters.

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Water consumption vs. water footprint

  • Water consumption: Direct water used in manufacturing processes
  • Water footprint: Includes blue water (surface/groundwater), green water (rainwater), and grey water (pollution)
Avelero’s waterLiters field can represent either metric. Document which approach you use.

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What to include

  • Irrigation for cotton, linen, or other natural fibers
  • Livestock water consumption (for wool, leather)
  • Processing of agricultural materials
  • Dyeing and finishing processes
  • Washing and rinsing
  • Steam generation
  • Cooling systems
  • Energy generation (if tracked)
  • Chemical production
Textile production is water-intensive. Typical water usage ranges from 2,000-20,000 liters per garment depending on materials and processes.

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Adding environmental data

Environmental data is added through the product editor or programmatically via integrations.

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Manual data entry

Currently, environmental metrics are added via the product form:
1

Open product editor

Navigate to the product and access the Environment section
2

Enter carbon footprint

Input the carbon value in kg CO₂e
3

Enter water usage

Input the water consumption in liters
4

Save the product

Environmental data is saved and will appear in the digital passport

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Variant-level overrides

For products where variants have different environmental impacts: 
Product: "T-Shirt"
├─ Product carbon: 5.2 kg CO₂e
├─ Product water: 2,700 L
│
├─ Variant: "Organic Cotton - White"
│  └─ Inherits: 5.2 kg CO₂e, 2,700 L
│
└─ Variant: "Conventional Cotton - Black"
   └─ Override: 6.8 kg CO₂e, 3,200 L
Variant overrides allow you to account for differences in:
  • Material choices (organic vs. conventional)
  • Production methods (different facilities)
  • Dyeing processes (natural vs. synthetic dyes)

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Data precision and accuracy

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Numeric precision

Environmental values are stored with high precision: 
carbonKgCo2e: numeric({ precision: 12, scale: 4 })
// Supports values like: 12.3456 kg CO2e

waterLiters: numeric({ precision: 12, scale: 2 })
// Supports values like: 2847.50 L
This precision supports both small items (e.g., 0.5 kg CO₂e) and large items (e.g., 150.25 kg CO₂e).

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Significant figures

Report values with appropriate precision based on calculation accuracy:
  • LCA-derived: 2-3 significant figures (e.g., 12.5 kg CO₂e)
  • Estimated: 1-2 significant figures (e.g., 10 kg CO₂e)
  • Supplier-aggregated: Match supplier precision
Over-precise values (e.g., 12.3456 kg CO₂e) imply false accuracy. Round to reflect actual data quality.

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Data sources and methodologies

Transparency about data sources builds credibility. Common sources include:
Pros:
  • Most accurate
  • Accounts for specific materials, processes, locations
Cons:
  • Expensive (5,000−5,000-50,000 per product)
  • Time-consuming (weeks to months)
  • Requires specialized expertise
Best for: Flagship products, high-volume items, sustainability leaders
Examples:
  • Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI)
  • Ecoinvent database
  • GaBi databases
  • CLOMA Carbon Footprint Database
Pros:
  • Industry-validated data
  • Covers common materials and processes
  • Regularly updated
Cons:
  • May not match your specific supply chain
  • Averages may obscure facility-specific performance
Best for: Standard materials, typical production processes
Approach:
  • Request environmental data from each supply chain tier
  • Aggregate data across the journey
Pros:
  • Reflects actual supply chain
  • Builds supplier engagement
Cons:
  • Data quality varies by supplier
  • Some suppliers may lack data
  • Verification challenges
Best for: Brands with strong supplier relationships, multi-tier transparency goals
Examples:
  • Worldly (formerly Higg)
  • CLOMA
  • Carbon Trust Footprinting
  • Vaayu
Pros:
  • Streamlined calculation workflows
  • Industry-specific methodologies
  • Often include databases and tools
Cons:
  • Subscription costs
  • Learning curve
  • May require data standardization
Best for: Brands measuring multiple products, ongoing tracking

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Displaying environmental data

Environmental data appears in digital product passports when populated:
  • Carbon footprint shown with kg CO₂e unit
  • Water usage shown with liter unit
  • Visual indicators (icons, charts) enhance comprehension
  • Comparison to benchmarks (e.g., “30% lower than industry average”)
Consider adding explanatory text in product descriptions to help consumers understand what the numbers mean and how they were calculated.

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Data updates and versioning

Environmental data should be updated when:
  • Supply chain changes (new operators, different processes)
  • Material sourcing changes
  • More accurate data becomes available
  • Calculation methodologies improve
Avelero doesn’t currently version environmental data. When you update values, the previous data is overwritten. Track historical data externally if needed for trend analysis.

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Integration with external systems

Variant-level environmental data includes source tracking: 
{
  variantId: "abc-123",
  carbonKgCo2e: 8.5,
  waterLiters: 2100,
  sourceIntegration: "worldly",
  sourceExternalId: "worldly-assessment-456"
}
This enables:
  • Automatic syncing from carbon accounting platforms
  • Data lineage tracking
  • Validation against source systems

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Best practices

1

Start with key products

Calculate environmental data for your highest-volume or flagship products first. Expand coverage over time.
2

Document your methodology

Clearly explain calculation methods, data sources, and boundaries. Publish this on your website.
3

Use credible sources

Prioritize LCA data, validated databases, and certified tools over estimates or assumptions.
4

Be conservative with claims

When uncertain, round up emissions and round down benefits. Avoid greenwashing accusations.
5

Update regularly

Review environmental data annually or when supply chains change significantly.
6

Seek verification

Consider third-party verification for environmental claims, especially for marketing use.
7

Provide context

Help consumers understand the numbers with comparisons (e.g., “equivalent to driving X km”).

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Common workflows

  1. Map the supply chain: Document all journey steps and operators
  2. Identify emission sources: Raw materials, manufacturing, transport, packaging
  3. Gather data:
    • Request facility-specific data from suppliers
    • Use industry databases for gaps
    • Calculate transport emissions using distance and mode
  4. Aggregate emissions: Sum all sources to get total kg CO₂e
  5. Enter in Avelero: Add carbon value to product environment data
  6. Document: Record methodology and sources for future updates
  1. Identify products in the collection (use Season or Tag filters)
  2. Obtain updated water consumption data (from LCA update, new supplier data)
  3. Edit each product and update the water value
  4. Save changes
Future feature: Bulk editing will streamline this workflow.
For products where environmental impact varies significantly by variant:Option 1: Use average at product level
  • Calculate weighted average across all variants
  • Acceptable when variation is less than 20%
Option 2: Use variant-level overrides
  • Calculate impact for each variant
  • Enter specific values at variant level
  • More accurate but requires more data
Option 3: Create separate products
  • Split high-variation products into separate product entries
  • Each gets its own environmental data

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Regulatory considerations

Environmental claims are increasingly regulated:
  • EU Green Claims Directive: Requires substantiation of environmental claims
  • Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulation: May mandate carbon and environmental data
  • FTC Green Guides (US): Requires clear, substantiated environmental marketing
Consult legal counsel before making public environmental claims. Ensure your data and methodology meet applicable regulatory standards.

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Future enhancements

Planned features for environmental data:
  • Additional metrics (energy, waste, recyclability score)
  • Methodology documentation fields
  • Data source linking
  • Comparative benchmarks
  • Visual impact representations
  • Integration with carbon accounting platforms

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