CARBON TRANSPARENCY
Understand the impact behind the product
Carbon information should help you make better choices — not create more confusion.
At Ecosource, we aim to make available carbon information easier to understand and more useful when comparing promotional products.
Where carbon data is available, we display product-level carbon information using data supplied with the product by our manufacturing and supply partners.
Start with the product
Carbon information displayed on Ecosource product pages is based on the product data and carbon information available from the relevant supplier.
Depending on the product and supplier, this may consider factors such as materials, manufacturing, packaging and other lifecycle stages included within that supplier's methodology.
The purpose is to give resellers greater visibility and help compare products using the best information currently available to us.
How a product estimate is built
- Materials
- Manufacturing
- Packaging
- Supplier carbon estimate
Different suppliers may use different methodologies
Ecosource displays product-level carbon information supplied by participating product manufacturers and suppliers, where that information is available.
Product carbon figures displayed by Ecosource are supplier-provided. Methodologies, lifecycle boundaries, databases and included stages may therefore differ between suppliers.
Ecosource does not combine or alter these supplier figures to make them appear directly comparable.
Where methodology information is available, we explain the relevant calculation boundary alongside the product information.
Your final order footprint may be different
Supplier product footprints may not include branding or decoration, onward freight to the final destination, order-specific packaging, use or end-of-life impacts.
The final footprint of a branded merchandise order can therefore differ from the product-level figure displayed.
Your final footprint can be different
The carbon information shown against a product should not automatically be treated as the complete carbon footprint of your finished order delivered to your customer.
The journey from the supplier to the final destination can significantly influence the overall carbon impact. Factors such as destination, distance, freight method, order quantity, packaging and local transport can all affect the final footprint — wherever in the world the order is being delivered.
We believe it is important to make this distinction clear rather than presenting a product-level estimate as though it represents every possible order or delivery scenario.
Your actual order may involve additional variables including:
- Order quantity
- Destination country
- International freight
- Air versus sea freight
- Local transport
- Additional packaging
- Branding or decoration
- Distribution to the final destination
Two levels of carbon information
Product carbon information
Available on selected Ecosource products. Based on carbon information available from the product supplier.
Useful for:
- Initial product comparison
- Sourcing decisions
- Understanding product impact
- Identifying lower-impact alternatives
Fuller carbon analysis
For resellers who need to investigate a particular product or order in more detail, a more comprehensive carbon assessment can take additional lifecycle and logistics information into account.
Useful for:
- Tenders
- Sustainability proposals
- Client presentations
- Procurement reporting
- Comparing freight scenarios
- Evaluating larger orders
Powered further by URLCarbon
Need to go deeper?
For projects requiring more detailed carbon intelligence, resellers can use URLCarbon to analyse a product and build a more comprehensive carbon report.
URLCarbon uses an ISO 14067-aligned methodology and considers lifecycle stages including raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transport and distribution, use where relevant, and end-of-life.
Reports also disclose assumptions and provide confidence information so estimated data can be distinguished from stronger source data.
Ecosource product carbon data and URLCarbon analysis serve different purposes. URLCarbon can be used when a reseller requires additional analysis beyond the carbon information displayed by Ecosource.
A note about carbon estimates
Carbon footprint figures are estimates based on available product data, lifecycle assumptions, emission factors and the methodology used by the relevant data provider.
Actual emissions may vary according to manufacturing conditions, order quantities, transport routes, freight methods, packaging, branding and final destination.
Ecosource presents supplier-provided carbon information to improve transparency and product comparison. Unless specifically stated otherwise, figures displayed on Ecosource should not be interpreted as an independently verified Product Carbon Footprint, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), or complete delivered-order footprint.