EcoFlow LCA

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) web application for Amazon products. Analyzes environmental impact from cradle to grave using AI-powered material extraction and scientific emission factors.

Architecture

• Backend: FastAPI (Python 3.11) — LLM-powered product parsing, LCA calculations, Redis caching, Supabase persistence
• Frontend: Next.js 15 (TypeScript/Tailwind) — Interactive Sankey diagram with What-If disposal scenarios
• LLM: Claude API (Anthropic) for structured material extraction
• Cache: Upstash Redis (cache-aside pattern, 24h TTL)
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL) for persistent analysis storage

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+ and Node.js 22+ (for local dev), or Docker
• API keys for: Anthropic, Upstash Redis, Supabase

External Service Setup

Supabase

1. Create a project at supabase.com
2. Run this SQL in the SQL Editor to create the analyses table:

CREATE TABLE analyses (
  id UUID DEFAULT gen_random_uuid() PRIMARY KEY,
  asin TEXT NOT NULL,
  description TEXT,
  result JSONB NOT NULL,
  created_at TIMESTAMPTZ DEFAULT now()
);

CREATE INDEX idx_analyses_asin ON analyses (asin);

3. Copy your Project URL and anon key from Settings > API

Upstash Redis

1. Create a database at upstash.com
2. Copy the REST URL and REST Token from the database details

Anthropic API

1. Get an API key from console.anthropic.com

Configuration

Copy the example env file and fill in your credentials:

cp backend/.env.example backend/.env

Edit backend/.env:

SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
SUPABASE_KEY=your-anon-key
UPSTASH_REDIS_URL=https://your-db.upstash.io
UPSTASH_REDIS_TOKEN=your-token
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
RAINFOREST_API_KEY=your-anon-key

Running with Docker

docker-compose up --build

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:8000
• API docs: http://localhost:8000/docs

Local Development

Backend

cd backend
pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn main:app --reload --port 8000

Frontend

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000

API

GET /analyze/{asin}?description=...&eol_scenario=baseline

Analyzes a product and returns Sankey diagram data.

Parameters:

• asin (path) — Amazon product identifier
• description (query, required) — Product description text
• eol_scenario (query, optional) — baseline, best_case, or worst_case

Response: JSON with nodes, links, summary, per_material_weights, material_details

GET /health

Returns {"status": "ok"}.

LCA Methodology

Five lifecycle phases are assessed:

Phase	Formula
Raw Material Extraction	sum(material_weight * emission_factor)
Manufacturing	total_weight * category_factor
Transportation	total_weight * 0.1 * 5 (5000km default)
Use Phase	total_weight * use_factor * 5 (5yr lifetime)
End of Life	sum(material_weight * blended_disposal_factor)

Emission factors sourced from ecoinvent, EPA WARM, and peer-reviewed literature. 50 materials covered across plastics, metals, natural/organic, minerals, and paper categories.