4 Oct 2024

What is the CO2 footprint of Advance 2.0?

We wanted to know, so we conducted a life cycle analysis.

If you’ve been reading our sustainability blog, you know we are a tech company that takes sustainability seriously. We are doing what we can to reduce our environmental impact and meet climate neutrality goals by 2050, as outlined in the Paris Agreement. That’s why we asked students from Linköping University to conduct a life cycle analysis (LCA) on one of our most popular products – the Mousetrapper Advance 2.0.

We hoped that this analysis would provide a foundation for a better understanding of where we stand and what challenges that lies ahead. We know that gathering accurate data, especially for electronics, can be tricky since supply chains are complex and challenging to track. The tool we used to systematically and transparently model and analyze life cycles is called SimaPro. It’s combined with the global Ecoinvent database, which contains data for performing life cycle assessments.

Uncertain? Choose the worst-case scenario.
Given the significant uncertainty, particularly concerning the circuit board components, we gave the students a general rule of thumb: if the origin is unknown, choose the worst-case scenario. In reality, we believe the situation is better, but we want to avoid taking anything for granted.

How long does a Mousetrapper last?
Another aspect we considered was the reasonable lifespan of the product. After speaking with various organizations that use Mousetrapper, it became clear that people often dispose their Mousetrapper when an employee leaves, which on average happens after five years.
However, when speaking with individual users, many reported using their Mousetrapper for much longer, indicating that its technical lifespan is significantly greater.
That’s why we are now encouraging more users to take advantage of our service to refresh their Mousetrapper, such as by replacing wrist supports for a new user rather than discarding the device. This would double the lifespan to 10 years and cut the annual emissions of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) in half. But this is an effort we need to push further to make more people aware of this option.
Still, we set the product’s lifespan at 5 years in our LCA.

What were the results?
The life cycle analysis of the Advance 2.0 shows that it emits approximately 30 kg CO2e. Electronics account for more than 80% of that, with the circuit board and its components being the most significant contributors. For the circuit board components, we essentially assumed the worst-case scenario. Looking at different impact categories, such as climate change, the electronics contribute 26 kg CO2e, while all other parts contribute 4 kg CO2e. This underscores the importance of obtaining more accurate data for the electronics.

But other factors also matter
Currently, the Advance 2.0 includes a steel part weighing 137 g, but we plan to replace it with a smaller, lighter part weighing only 23 g – while maintaining the same stability. This change will reduce emissions by 0.2 kg CO2e, bringing the non-electronic emissions down from 4 to 3.8 kg CO2e. Every improvement counts.

Summary
It’s clear that electronics significantly impact the overall results. Our next step is to examine the electronics more closely, specifically by “digging deeper” into the circuit boards. Our boards are relatively large but have relatively few electronic components, so we suspect the actual emissions are much lower. In the next phase, we will hire an external consultant to verify and possibly revise the students’ findings.
By conducting a life cycle analysis for the Advance 2.0, we have better understood how to approach sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint. This will affect all our products – from how we design them from the ground up, to the materials we choose, and how we can improve existing products and manufacturing processes.
Continuous development is the path and the only solution to becoming climate-neutral one day.

Do you want to know more about our sustainability work, or have questions? Do not hesitate to contact me. I can not answer everything, but I can answer as best I can. You can reach me at anders.ehnbom@mousetrapper.com, +46 76 949 70 44.