Lifecycles: LCA and EPD services at a glance

Who Lifecycles is

Lifecycles is a Melbourne‑based LCA consultancy founded in 2003 that works across product LCAs, EPDs, training and tools. Their site positions the team as long‑time practitioners serving businesses and government, with work in Australia and abroad, and an affiliation with ALCAS noted on their About page. See About and credentials on the site for context: About.

Core services for manufacturers

Lifecycles lists LCA studies, EPD support and Climate Active carbon work under sustainability consulting. The EPD description notes delivery of an LCA report suitable for EPD publication and help through submission to a program operator, and the LCA section references ISO‑style critical review options when required. Explore: Sustainability consulting.

What “EPD support” typically covers

Based on their service pages and project writeups, manufacturers can expect help with scoping the declared unit and system boundaries, alignment to a relevant PCR, LCA modelling, and facilitation of third‑party verification prior to program operator registration. Their projects page features recent EPD work across concrete and steel, which signals routine navigation of EN 15804+A2 rules and Australasian program workflows. See examples: Projects.

Data collection approach you should plan for

Traditional consulting usually relies on structured kickoff workshops, questionnaires, plant data requests, invoices and utility pulls, plus supplier outreach. Expect spreadsheet templates, iterative QA and several review cycles that pull on production, procurement and finance. Timelines often reflect that internal effort, so planning a clean reference year and a named data owner per site pays off fast. Many teams now expect low‑friction intake and faster turnaround, yet the underlying evidence still comes from your meters and ERP.

Tools, software and databases

Lifecycles is the distributor and support point for SimaPro in Australia and New Zealand, and they market in‑house or partnered tools for packaging assessments. They also curate LCI datasets relevant to the region, including AusLCI and other options for SimaPro users. Details here: Sustainability software, Databases, and packaging training using PIQET on the Packaging LCA course. If your team needs a SimaPro license quote or support, they publish a local price page: SimaPro in Australia.

Typical industries and project themes

Public materials point to construction materials, packaging, and agrifood among their focus areas. The projects page includes multi‑site concrete EPDs and reinforcing steel, alongside agricultural LCAs and waste or energy topics. That span is common for mid‑sized LCA consultancies in Australasia and matches buyer demand where EPDs and product carbon footprints are now routine asks.

What this means for your EPD timeline

Most construction product EPDs in Australasia publish through EPD Australasia or the International EPD System, with five‑year validity common for construction categories. Program guidance confirms typical validity of three or five years depending on category, with mandatory updates when results change significantly, usually around 10 percent on indicators (EPD Australasia, 2025) (EPD Australasia, 2025). PCR updates also shape timing. For EN 15804 construction products, PCR 2019:14 moved to new versions in 2025 with a transition window that ended on June 20, 2025, so new or revised EPDs align to the updated rules set thereafter (EPD International PCR 2019:14, 2025).

Client experience to expect with traditional consultants

Budget for structured discovery, plant tours or remote sessions, a defined reference year, supplier emails, and back‑and‑forth on missing bills, allocation questions, and transport datasets. Expect spreadsheet intake, periodic findings reviews, and a separate verifier engagement before submission to the program operator. Internal lift is often highest at the start for data gathering and again near verification. Some teams now want click‑simple data pipelines and faster sprints, but if data is scattered the calendar will still reflect the cleanup. Dont underestimate the scheduling value of line‑level utility and purchasing exports.

Where Lifecycles fits in the market

For manufacturers seeking an Australasian partner that can both model in SimaPro and guide EPD publication, Lifecycles is a familiar name. Their training calendar and software role suggest ongoing capacity in methods and tools. If you need packaging‑specific screening or to stand up in‑house modelling, their course lineup can be a bridge: LCA training.

Market signals worth noting

EPD activity is expanding rapidly in the region. The program reported its 2,000th EPD in May 2025, signaling broad adoption across construction categories (EPD Australasia, 2025) (EPD Australasia, 2025). Between May and November 2025 alone, 27 new businesses joined and 1,153 new EPDs were published, mostly for building and construction products, which mirrors spec requirements in public and private tenders (EPD Australasia, 2025) (EPD Australasia, 2025). Globally, buildings and construction account for roughly one‑third of energy‑related CO₂, which explains why EN 15804‑aligned EPDs show up in rating tools and procurement screens (UNEP GlobalABC, 2024).

Competitors you are likely to see in RFPs

In the same size segment and region, common competitors include Edge Impact, thinkstep‑anz, Energetics, Start2See and The Footprint Company. Shortlists vary by category and by whether you want a consulting engagement, an internal modelling setup, or a mix of both.

Smart checkpoints before you engage

Ask for a brief plan that covers the declared unit and functional equivalence, the PCR they recommend and why, regionally appropriate background datasets, the verification route, the program operator they expect to publish with, the number of sites in scope, and who will chase supplier data. Request a calendar that shows internal effort by week. If you have a sales deadline tied to a bid or LEED v5 pathway, anchor the verification date early and work back from there (USGBC LEED v5 ratified March 28, 2025) (USGBC, 2025) (USGBC, 2025).

Bottom line for manufacturers

Lifecycles offers the expected mix for a traditional LCA consultancy in Australia, with EPD delivery, verification support, regional datasets and SimaPro know‑how. Success still hinges on crisp scoping, disciplined data collection, and early verifier alignment. If you get those three right, the rest moves quicker and your published EPD will serve both compliance and sales.