Costs · 2026
What a drinks LCA costs, and how long it takes.
Last updated
The short answer
A consultant’s full life cycle assessment (LCA) of one product costs €10,000 to €25,000 excluding VAT, a streamlined one €5,000 to €10,000, and a screening from about €3,000, and takes a few months (Projet Celsius, 2026). A critical review adds €3,000 to €5,000 and 2 to 4 weeks. A drinks brand pays that per product, and each pack size is a product, so a range adds up fast. Software built for drinks brings the cost per footprint down: every alkatera plan, from £99 a month, includes product LCAs to ISO 14067 and ISO 14044, and you can build your first in the 30-day free trial. How long it takes depends mostly on how fast you can gather your data.
What a product LCA costs.
A life cycle assessment measures the impact of a product from its raw materials to the end of its life. Its cost depends on how deep it goes and whether someone independent has to check it.
| Type of study | Typical price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Screening (a quick first estimate) | From about €3,000 excl. VAT | Projet Celsius, 2026 |
| Streamlined LCA of one product | €5,000 to €10,000 excl. VAT | Projet Celsius, 2026 |
| Full LCA to ISO 14040/44, one product | €10,000 to €25,000 excl. VAT | Projet Celsius, 2026 |
| Critical review by one reviewer | €3,000 to €5,000 excl. VAT | Projet Celsius, 2026 |
| LCA and EPD preparation by a consultancy | Median £19,550 (range £15,350 to £26,500) | Circular Ecology, from studies of construction EPDs |
| Verification of an EPD | Median £2,330 | Circular Ecology |
| Product footprint as a platform add-on | From £500 per product | Zevero pricing |
| Product LCAs in a drinks platform | Included on every plan (10, 30 or 100 LCAs), from £99 a month | alkatera pricing |
An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is a verified, published LCA. alkatera does not issue verified EPDs; its LCA reports are ready for an independent review that you arrange.
How long it takes.
| What | How long | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A consultant’s product LCA | A few months | Projet Celsius, 2026 |
| LCA and EPD preparation, effort | 5 to 20 person days, median 15 | Circular Ecology |
| Critical review by one reviewer | 2 to 4 weeks | Projet Celsius, 2026 |
| A company footprint through a consultancy, then with software | Six months, then one week | Sweep customer story (Qwetch, 2024) |
| A footprint with Zevero | Typically 8 to 12 weeks | Zevero |
| A first product LCA in alkatera | You build it yourself, within the 30-day free trial | alkatera |
A company footprint (Scope 1, 2 and 3 for the whole business) and a product footprint (per bottle, can or keg) are different jobs. Quoted times often mix the two.
In every route, the slow part is the same: finding your data. A brand that already has its recipes, pack weights and energy bills to hand moves fast. One that has to chase a contract packer or a grower moves at their speed.
Why a drinks range costs more than one product.
- Each pack is a product. A gin in a 70cl bottle, a 5cl miniature and a can is three footprints, not one.
- Packaging often leads. The University of Leeds found beer in 20 litre steel kegs has a footprint seven times smaller than in 330 ml glass bottles: 205 against 1,483 grams of CO2 equivalent per litre.
- Ingredients change with the harvest. Malt, grapes, fruit and botanicals vary by year and by grower.
- Contract packers hold some of the data. Brands made by a third party need that partner’s energy and water figures.
- Seasonals and new launches keep coming. A one-off study goes out of date as the range changes.
This is why per-product pricing hurts drinks brands most, and why alkatera includes product footprints in every plan.
The data you need for each product.
| Data | Where it usually lives |
|---|---|
| Recipe and ingredient weights | Your recipe sheets or production software |
| Packaging weights and materials | Supplier specification sheets |
| Energy and water used at the site | Utility bills and meter readings |
| Production volumes | Production records or brewery software |
| Transport to customers | Distributor and haulier records |
| Waste and by-products | Waste contractor notes, for example where spent grain goes |
Consultant, software, or both?
You do not need a consultant to measure your drinks footprints. A drinks platform already models the ingredients, packaging, fermentation, water and waste, so your team enters what you buy, make and ship. alkatera is built for this, and the alkatera team helps you get set up and works through your first footprints with you.
A consultant or independent reviewer still earns their fee in some cases: when you need a verified EPD, or when you plan to publish a comparison with a competitor’s product, which ISO 14044 says needs a critical review. Many brands use software for every product and bring in a reviewer only for the claims they publish.
If you already work with a consultant, you do not have to choose. alkatera has an advisor role made for consultants. You invite them into your account and choose whether they can only view your data or also edit it, and one advisor login moves between all the brands they work with. They spend their time on advice, not on building spreadsheets.
For software prices side by side, see what carbon footprint software costs for a drinks brand.
Frequently asked questions.
How much does a product life cycle assessment cost for a drink?
With a consultant, a full ISO 14040/44 LCA of one product costs €10,000 to €25,000 excluding VAT, a streamlined one €5,000 to €10,000, and a screening from about €3,000 (Projet Celsius, 2026). Each pack size counts as a product. In alkatera, product LCAs are included in every plan, from £99 a month.
How long does it take to measure a drinks brand’s carbon footprint?
A consultant’s product LCA usually takes a few months. Platforms quote from about a week to 8 to 12 weeks for a footprint. With alkatera you build your first product footprint yourself, within the 30-day free trial. In every case, gathering your data is the slowest part.
Can I measure my drinks footprint without a consultant?
Yes. Self-serve software built for drinks, such as alkatera, already models ingredients, packaging, fermentation, water and waste, so your own team enters what you buy, make and ship. The alkatera team helps you get set up and works through your first footprints with you. If you already work with a consultant, alkatera has an advisor role for them: you invite them in and choose whether they can view or also edit your data.
What is the difference between a product footprint and a company footprint?
A company footprint adds up the emissions of the whole business across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 for a year. A product footprint gives the impact of one product, such as one bottle, can or keg. Retailers, B Corp and on-pack claims often ask for product footprints.
Do I need a critical review or a verified EPD?
Only for some uses. ISO 14044 asks for a critical review when you publish a comparison with another product, and an EPD must be independently verified. A single reviewer costs about €3,000 to €5,000 and takes 2 to 4 weeks (Projet Celsius, 2026). alkatera does not issue verified EPDs; its LCA reports are ready for a review you arrange.
Why does an LCA for a drinks range cost more than for one product?
Because each pack size is its own product, ingredients change with the harvest, and contract packers hold part of the data. Paying per product multiplies the cost across a range, so it pays to use a tool that includes product footprints in its price.
Sources.
Read on 8 November 2026, except Zevero, read on 7 November 2026. Euro prices are as published; they are not converted.
- Projet Celsius: how much does an LCA cost? (updated October 2026)
- Projet Celsius: how much does an LCA critical review cost? (October 2026)
- Circular Ecology: how much does it cost to produce an EPD?
- Sweep customer story: Qwetch (10 June 2024)
- University of Leeds: free carbon calculator for craft brewers (24 January 2024)
- Zevero pricing
- alkatera pricing
Build your first product LCA free.
Product LCAs to ISO 14067 and ISO 14044 are in every plan. Plans start at £99 a month, and there is a 30-day free trial.
See plans & pricing