We measure what we produce and communicate it clearly.

R5 Living has conducted an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) study on two products from its range: the Single-Dose Washing Machine Care and the Solid Laundry Detergent Sheet, with the aim of examining the system in its entirety, including energy consumption, emissions, resource use, and waste management at every stage. On this page you will find the data, the methodologies adopted, and the results achieved.

What does LCA mean?

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a scientific method that quantifies the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire existence: from raw material extraction, through production and use, to final disposal. This approach is known as cradle-to-grave — from the cradle to the grave - and its key objective is to provide objective data on which to base environmental decisions.

The 4 stages of an LCA study

  1. Goal and scope definition: the purpose of the study, the system boundaries, and the functional unit are established.
  2. Life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis: all system input and output flows are collected and quantified: raw materials, energy, emissions, waste.
  3. Impact assessment (LCIA): the inventory data are translated into measurable environmental impact categories, such as climate change, acidification, ecotoxicity, and resource use.
  4. Interpretation: the results are analyzed to identify life cycle hotspots, verify data consistency, and support decision-making.

The methodology is regulated internationally by the ISO 14040:2006 standards (principles and framework) and ISO 14044:2021 (requirements and guidelines), which ensure transparency, consistency, and comparability between studies conducted by different entities.The study was developed in line with the shared product category rules PCR 2011:10 v4.0.0 (2023) — Detergents and washing preparations.

What have we done?

We commissioned Green Future Project to conduct two independent LCA studies on its products. The results are based on primary data collected directly from suppliers in 2025 and secondary datasets taken from the Ecoinvent 3.11 database using SimaPro 10.3.03 software. Comparisons with equivalent conventional products are based on scientific literature (JRC, A.I.S.E., Saouter & White) and not on self-generated baseline data.

The products analyzed

We started with two products and will continue the analysis. The first products to undergo LCA analysis were:

  • R5 Laundry Detergent Sheets with Enzymes
  • R5 Washing Machine Care with Probiotics

R5 Laundry Detergent Sheets with Enzymes

  • 0.171 kg CO₂eq per wash

    The carbon footprint of a single wash using a Laundry Sheet is significantly lower than that of conventional liquid detergents on average

  • Zero solid waste for washing

    The sheet dissolves completely in water. No bottle, no solid residue

  • Zero water transported

    One sachet weighs 2.55 g. The solid format eliminates water as an ingredient, reducing weight and logistical impact throughout the supply chain

  • Formulated for 30°C

    Effective at the lowest temperature, less energy for every wash cycle**

R5 Washing Machine Care Single-Dose with Probiotics

  • 0.191 kg CO₂eq per cycle

    The carbon footprint of a single use, significantly lower than the average of conventional liquid products***

  • Zero solid plastic waste

    No plastic primary packaging to dispose of: the water-soluble sachet

  • Zero water transported

    One dose weighs 50 g. No water is transported throughout the supply chain

  • Zero product water footprint

    The solid concentrate format eliminates water as a product ingredient

Methodological note
 *Comparison based on scientific literature data (JRC 2014; A.I.S.E. 2022) for conventional liquid detergents. Reference range: 0.48–1.10 kg CO₂eq/cycle.
**The low temperature of 30°C contributes to the excellent result: savings of 0.1932 kWh/cycle compared to 40°C (−30% energy per cycle).
Methodological details available in the full report.
*** Comparison based on scientific literature data (JRC 2014; A.I.S.E. 2022). Conservative reference average for conventional liquid products: 0.55 kg CO₂eq/cycle.
Details available in the full report.