SEAMPL provides a simple yet scientifically robust way to estimate the environmental impacts of glass bottle reuse projects in their early stages. By doing so, it enables stakeholders to integrate environmental considerations into their design choices as early as possible. SEAMPL allows users to export results for further analysis outside the software. It is based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

SEAMPL does not provide LCA results suitable for public communication or marketing purposes. It is not a labeling or certification tool. While it helps integrate environmental considerations into system design, it does not replace the need for a full LCA with critical review if public communication is intended. SEAMPL does not allow project saving within the application, but it does enable users to export results for archiving and further analysis in third-party software.

SEAMPL is based on simplified and parameterized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) modelling. Originally developed for energy production by researchers at the OIE Center (Observatory, Impacts, Energy) of MINES ParisTech (Padey et al., 2013, Douziech et al, 2021), this approach reduces the number of input parameters users need to provide for an environmental assessment, while ensuring the robustness of results within a defined scope of applicability.

In SEAMPL, this principle is applied through several archetypes, structured within a typology designed to represent and analyze the various possible configurations of reuse systems. Users begin by completing a simple questionnaire about the system they wish to evaluate, which determines the relevant reuse system archetype. The software then guides the user to the corresponding simplified model and prompts them to input a minimal set of data. Once these data are provided, users obtain LCA results based on the simplified model for their selected system archetype. SEAMPL also allows users to model and compare additional systems (e.g., different organizational configurations or single-use scenarios).

The simplified models in SEAMPL were generated using background data from the BAFU database, developed by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment. This database is freely accessible and was designed for the Swiss context but also includes data suitable for the French context. SEAMPL may evolve in the future as new open-access data become available.

Using SEAMPL involves three steps:: (1) Describe the main features of the reuse scenario you wish to evaluate by answering closed-ended questions (Figure 1), (2) Complete the reduced dataset proposed by SEAMPL (Figure 2) and (3) Analyze the results obtained  (Figure 3).