In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, we’re talking all things LCA — life cycle analysis. It’s a phrase that’s becoming more common in sustainability conversations, but what does it actually mean? And why does it matter for packaging?
To help us unpack it all, we invited someone who lives and breathes this stuff: sustainability consultant Neil Shackleton. With decades of experience across packaging, supply chains, and brand strategy, Neil knows how to separate hype from reality when it comes to sustainability.
You can listen to this episode of Crazy About Packaging on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or right on our website. Read on for a few highlights from our conversation with Neil!
Neil Shackleton is the founder of Medoola, a purpose-led sustainable packaging and supply chain consultancy. With over 30 years of experience in the industry — including time spent at converters, manufacturers, and a global design agency — Neil brings a rare mix of technical knowledge and real-world perspective.
Medoola was born out of Neil’s desire to scale his work beyond solo consulting. Today, the Medoola team supports clients across the globe with LCA (life cycle analysis), sustainability strategy, and communication. They’re also one of the only consultancies working to a formal PAS (Publicly Available Specification) standard, which ensures their work is grounded in integrity and transparency.
Neil describes himself as a sustainability change maker and LCA mentor, and after talking with him, we totally get why.
Life cycle analysis is about measuring the environmental footprint of a product or material — from raw materials through manufacturing, use, and end-of-life. It's not just about recyclability. It's about energy use, water use, emissions, land impact, and more.
Why? Because, as Neil puts it, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” That’s the value of life cycle analysis (LCA). It helps manufacturers make informed, data-driven decisions — not emotional ones.
In today’s packaging world, companies are under pressure to “go green” fast. Brand owners, marketers, and procurement teams are often expected to make major material changes to satisfy sustainability goals, consumer expectations, or incoming regulations. The problem? Many of those decisions are being made based on assumptions and emotion — not data.
There’s an assumption that one material is always better than another. That aluminum is always more sustainable than plastic. That paper is automatically the more eco-friendly option. That moving away from plastic, regardless of context, is the responsible thing to do. But when you look at the full picture, it’s rarely that simple.
Neil shared a great example: a beverage company planned to replace PET plastic bottles with aluminum. But after running the LCA, the data showed PET was the more sustainable option in that specific region and supply chain.
The takeaway? There’s no universal “best” material. Every decision needs to be evaluated within the context of your product, your process, and your location.
A lot of conversations about sustainability zero in on greenhouse gases. But Neil urges us to look broader.
“There are five levers we analyze in an LCA — and GHGs are just one of them,” he explains. “If you focus only on carbon, you risk missing bigger opportunities elsewhere.”
Hotspots — areas in the supply chain with the greatest environmental impact — often aren't where people expect. Sometimes the biggest gains can be made upstream, during sourcing or manufacturing, instead of at the end-of-life stage.
The best part of life cycle analysis? It doesn’t just help the planet. It can help your bottom line. Neil’s team combines LCA data with commercial modeling to create a full business case for change — including cost, supply chain feasibility, and impact.
He shares one case study where switching to a cocoa shell-based material lowered environmental impact by 40% and reduced costs. That’s the kind of sustainable change companies can feel confident investing in.
We loved this conversation with Neil. There is untold value in a true LCA. These assessments can help brand owners and manufacturers avoid costly missteps, communicate with more credibility, and build packaging strategies that actually make a difference — for both the environment and the business.
Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website. Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up with the latest. You can also email us at icpg@impactgroup.co with questions or ideas for future episodes.
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