Life Cycle Assessment in Support of Bio-based Materials and the Bioeconomy
A demanding regulatory and environmental context
In a context of climate change, resource pressures, and biodiversity loss, public policies are moving towards a profound transformation of production and consumption models.
In France, the National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC) sets the target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The Environmental Regulation 2020 (RE2020) incorporates the carbon impact of buildings across their entire life cycle, while encouraging the use of low-impact materials, such as bio-based materials, subject to environmental assessment for confirmation.
In 2018, the Commission published an updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, outlining ways to accelerate the development of a sustainable European bioeconomy. The Council adopted conclusions on this strategy on 29 November 2019. It forms part of the European Green Deal, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Bio-based materials are identified as both a driver of decarbonisation and a catalyst for local economic development.
Dans ce contexte, la bioéconomie représente une opportunité pour produire, transformer et valoriser des bioressources de manière durable, tout en réduisant la dépendance aux ressources fossiles. Toutefois, il est essentiel de vérifier la pertinence environnementale des différentes solutions mises en œuvre. L’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV) constitue précisément la méthodologie de référence pour évaluer ces impacts de manière rigoureuse, en prenant en compte l’ensemble du cycle de vie, depuis la production des matières premières jusqu’à la fin de vie des produits.
Bio-based materials and the bioeconomy: what does this actually mean?
A bio-based material is a material that is partially or entirely made from biomass (plant, animal, algal, or microbial). This can include agricultural or forestry raw materials, as well as valorised residues, co-products, or organic waste.
The bioeconomy, in turn, encompasses all economic activities that utilise bioresources for food, energy, chemical, industrial, or construction purposes. It includes the agriculture, building, and fishing sectors, as well as green chemistry and packaging.
It is important to note, however, that a bio-based product is not necessarily biodegradable, nor is it automatically more environmentally beneficial. A comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), using a multi-criteria approach (climate change, water use, land use, toxicity, etc.) and a multi-stage perspective (from cradle to grave), is necessary to objectively evaluate the environmental sustainability of bio-based materials.
Sectoral uses: materials with multiple applications
Bio-based materials cover a very wide range of uses. They can contribute to the ecological transition across numerous sectors:
| Sectors | Examples of Bio-based Materials | Examples of Applications |
| Construction | Hemp, flax, cellulose wadding, straw | Thermal insulation, panels, bricks, lightweight concrete |
| Packaging | PLA (polylactic acid), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), Cellulose acetate | Compostable films, food containers, flexible packaging |
| Textile | Flax, hemp, wool, cotton | Clothes, household linen, technical textiles |
| Automotive | Natural fibres, bio-based composites | Dashboards, body panels |
| Furniture | Mycomaterials, bio-based composites | Eco-designed furniture, panels, biodegradable objects |
| Green Chemistry | Solvents, adhesives, and surfactants of bio-based origin | Paints, solvents, lubricants |
| Humanitarian | Compostable polymers, materials derived from organic waste | Sanitary towels, mosqito nets, tents |
And what about Life Cycle Assessment?
Regulations require manufacturers to calculate and report the carbon footprint generated. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is now the reference method for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product, service, or process throughout its entire life cycle, from resource extraction to end of life. It is governed by the ISO 14040-44 standards.
For bio-based materials, LCA allows consideration of, in particular:
- Biogenic carbon, that is, the temporary storage of carbon in biomass and its release at end of life,
- The management of co-products, through allocation rules,
- The geographical variability of impacts, related to cultivation conditions or processing methods,
- End-of-life scenarios: composting, incineration with energy recovery, recycling, landfill…
- The extension of service life
In the building sector, bio-based materials represent a real opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint. To ensure their environmental benefits, it is essential to assess them over their entire life cycle. This method enables the production of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), known as FDES in France. These EPDs can also be published in other European databases (IBU EPD in Germany, B-EPD in Belgium). They facilitate product comparisons and support the development of bio-based sectors with reliable data.
LCA also makes it possible to identify environmental optimisation levers from the design phase, notably by:
- Selection of sustainable raw materials, local or sourced from the circular economy,
- Reduction of energy and water consumption throughout the life cycle,
- Optimisation of logistics flows and implementation,
- End-of-life planning, to promote second life, reuse, recycling, or biodegradability.
The goal is to build robust foundations to develop credible environmental commitments, prevent greenwashing, and structure the growth of these emerging sectors.
Projects related to bio-based laterials: lessons learned at WeLOOP
At WeLOOP, we support several European R&D projects on these topics, combining LCA approach, product innovation, and sustainability strategy.
BIO4HUMAN explores the valorisation of bio-based materials for waste management in humanitarian contexts.
BIOARC develops bio-based construction materials from agricultural co-products. LCA is used to test different formulations, optimise technical choices, and provide EPDs compliant with RE2020.
CALIMERO aims to improve sustainability assessment methods (environmental, social, and economic) for bio-based products.
Opportunities and caution
Bio-based materials represent a tangible way to reduce the carbon footprint of products, provided that the type of material, manufacturing processes, end-of-life scenarios, and reference benchmarks are taken into account. They also enable the valorisation of often overlooked organic resources, contribute to the circular economy—even though some materials remain difficult to recycle and are primarily suited for energy recovery—and support the local relocalisation of certain supply chains. In this way, they align with a trajectory consistent with ecological transition objectives.
Their development, however, cannot proceed without a rigorous assessment of their impacts, particularly through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The availability and quality of data on bio-based materials is, moreover, a major challenge.
LCA represents a key lever to guide design choices and ensure genuine environmental benefits, beyond carbon alone, by incorporating aspects such as eutrophication, biodiversity, and physical impacts on ecosystems. It is also a prerequisite for transparency and trust, essential for economic actors, policymakers, and end users.