Laura holds a PhD in Toxic Impact Modelling and an MSc in Biomedical Sciences, both from the Radboud University of Nijmegen. She is involved in the development of sustainability metrics and LCA and impact assessment methodologies. Laura authored multiple scientific publications in the areas of toxicity and environmental impact.
As a consultant at PRé, Laura works on life-cycle-related projects for SMEs and the European Commission, among other things. She was involved in many types of LCA studies, from simple screening LCAs to full ISO-compliant assessments, resulting in publication of EPDs and several long-term monitoring studies. Additionally, Laura is one of the teachers of PRé’s LCA and SimaPro training.
Before joining PRé, Laura did a PhD, investigating how to enhance toxic impact modelling in life cycle assessment and researching the suitability of methods that can predict values for missing data in LCA. She also focussed on commonly neglected impact pathways in LCA that are potentially relevant, such as: terrestrial toxicity and indoor exposure to chemicals.
Her areas of expertise include environmental product performance, sustainability metrics, product environmental footprinting, LCA and life cycle thinking, impact assessment methodology (particularly assessing the toxic impact of chemicals on people and ecosystems), modelling fate and exposure of chemicals in multimedia, chemical risk assessment, and uncertainty analysis.
Articles by Laura Golsteijn
SimaPro Circular economy Life cycle assessment (LCA)
For Procter & Gamble, PRé did a cradle-to-grave study of their Mr. Clean Magic Eraser product, including how it holds up against other products in a variety of usage scenarios.
The science of LCA is continuously progressing. In the final part of a 4-part series, we share with you the highlights of new LCA methodology of 2019. Today’s topic: other developments.
The science of LCA is continuously progressing. In part 3 of a 4-part series, we share with you the highlights of new LCA methodology of 2019. Today’s topic: agricultural modelling.
The science of LCA is continuously progressing. In part 2 of a 4-part series, we share with you the highlights of new impact assessment methodology of 2019. Today’s topic: impact pathways.
The science of LCA is continuously progressing. In part 1 of a 4-part series, we share with you the highlights of new impact assessment methodology of 2019. Today’s topic: spatial differentiation.
The Life Cycle Management conference is a leading LCA technology event. PRé’s Laura Golsteijn recounts the themes, issues and solutions discussed at the recent LCM 2019, which was held in Poznań.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA) Product environmental footprint (PEF)
The EU’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method may also have benefits for non-EU countries. For UNIDO, PRé helped build PEF capacity in countries in the Southern Mediterranean region.
Interested in our training courses? Our SimaPro trainer Laura Golsteijn talks about the people who participate, their choices and their origins, to make you feel like home and help you decide.
Researchers around the world are constantly working on new methodologies for LCA. In this first article of our bi-annual update series, you can read more about the most exciting projects of 2018.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the factual analysis of a product’s entire life cycle in terms of sustainability. With it, you can reliably evaluate the environmental impacts of your product or service from cradle to grave.
Electronic waste has a high potential for recycling. A large Dutch organisation has specialised in its collection and recycling for years. PRé, a long-standing partner, calculated their 2017 results.
Review and verification Portfolio sustainability assessment
For global manufacturer Corbion, PRé reviewed a portfolio LCA approach that allows Corbion to efficiently assess every product in their large portfolio without having to start from scratch.
Electronics waste, or e-waste, is growing fast. For WEEE Forum, PRé completed databases and did an expert review of their e-waste recycling assessment tool, comparing various recycling scenarios.
Among the strategies for creating a circular economy, the recycling of electronic waste or e-waste has an important role to play. Laura Golsteijn and Elsa Valencia present a brief outline of their extended publication on the topic.
LCM 2017 had a strong focus on the implementation and assessment of circular economy trough Life Cycle Management: From science to innovation. In this piece, Laura Golsteijn talks about innovation and what that has to do with LCM and CE.
Naturally occurring droughts are made more severe by climate change and human action. If we're not careful, desertification will result. Read on to find out how LCA and PRé's work help forward-looking companies combat desertification.
Applying circular economy and life cycle assessment principles, PRé and the University of Wageningen collaborated in the Infinity Foods program, building the value business case for food waste streams.
For AgroFair, a large banana importer looking to differentiate its products, PRé developed the easy-to-use Pesticide Footprint tool to quantify the toxic impacts of pesticides on human health and freshwater ecosystems.
The updated method enhances accuracy in quantifying life cycle impacts on human health, ecosystem services and natural resources. Laura Golsteijn explains the applications and shares experiences.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA)
For AgroFair, a large banana importer looking to differentiate its products, PRé developed the easy-to-use Pesticide Footprint tool to quantify the toxic impacts of pesticides on human health and freshwater ecosystems.
SimaPro Circular economy Life cycle assessment (LCA)
For Infinity Foods, PRé and the Wageningen University assessed the environmental impacts of 3 production methods of dietary fibres and beta-carotene. The assessment uncovers the business case for using residual carrots from vegetable food waste streams.
INTERVIEW | In 2015, a study uncovered that Volkswagen Group had been cheating with their emissions test. In this interview with Rik Oldenkamp, we talk about how robust metrics contributed to explain the impacts of the fraud on human health damage.
PEF SERIES | The use stage of products is a challenge for LCA: the impact can be high, and the underlying assumptions uncertain. PEF provides guidance to PEFCR developers on how to deal with use-stage modelling and reporting. Read on to learn more.
Standardisation of LCIA methods was the focus of this year's SETAC Pellston Workshop. The results: big steps towards consensus on recommended indicators, which will make doing, interpreting and communicating LCA results easier and more efficient.
PEF SERIES | The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) approach is game-changing when it comes to comparing products. This time, we talk about the state of the art of carbon modelling in the PEF approach.
Crops used for biofuels can also be used for food or animal feed. And even if other crops are more interesting as food, biofuels take up agricultural land. Does that mean that biofuels cause food shortages? This month's Sustainability Mythbusters.
The circular economy aims to produce no waste - by reusing, repairing and recycling materials in the highest possible quality In this miniseries, we discuss five circular models and how lca helps to reach that goal. Today: product life extension.
The adage of “reduce, reuse, recycle” can contribute to a safe use of chemicals, and this is one of the key elements of a successful circular economy.
For a group of Croatian businesses and scientific institutes, PRé did an LCA to determine the environmental performance of innovative ECO-SANDWICH® wall panels, developed for fast construction of energy-efficient buildings on a large scale.
SimaPro Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Life cycle assessment (LCA)
For a group of Croatian businesses and scientific institutes, PRé did an LCA to determine the environmental performance of innovative ECO-SANDWICH® wall panels, developed for fast construction of energy-efficient buildings on a large scale.
One reason to care about environmental impacts is that environmental pollution damages our health. But how do you quantify human health, or the lack of it, at different ages, and how do you apply that knowledge in your assessments?
Packaging materials are often discarded the moment a product comes into your house, only to end up in incinerators or landfills. That makes packaging seem like the bad guy. But is it, really? Find out in this month's Sustainability Mythbusters.
Toxicity is often viewed from a risk management perspective (is it safe?) or from a best estimate perspective (which is safer?). Although experts mostly use only one of these methods, combining the two can lead to better sustainability decisions.
Each month, one of PRé's people talks about his or her favourite sustainability initiative. This month, Laura Golsteijn talks about Dress for Success, an initiative that helps low-income people prepare to make a good impression at job interviews.
The Monte Carlo simulation is a well-known way of dealing with the fact that most environmental data isn't confined to a single value but falls in a range of values with some sort of probability attached. But how does it actually work?
Laura Golsteijn, Technical Analyst for PRé, contributed to the development of the new study: “Bad Labor Footprint”. In this article, she explains how the study offers a new perspective on how to account for the social impacts of globalization.
Interesting news for users of ecoinvent: the pedigree matrix approach of deriving uncertainty factors has been refined. The method developed by Andreas Ciroth and colleagues replaces expert judgement with empirical values.
USEtox is a well-known model for characterising the toxic impact of chemical emissions in life cycle assessments. This article explains how to use USEtox in SimaPro, and how to choose between the two sets of characterization factors.
This series of articles discusses the steps in an LCA, each explained by an expert consultant. Today, Laura Golsteijn tackles the characterisation step and showcases some of the new ecotoxicity modelling developments from her PhD research.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA) Portfolio sustainability assessment
For UNETO-VNI, PRé conducted an LCA on the environmental performance of seven LED sign lighting systems. This helps them understand which performance indicators are important, and communicate to their member companies how to compare and improve products.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA) Harmonizing LCA rules
For a global footwear and apparel producer, PRé conducted a life cycle assessment on their waste disposal methods. The 138 individual life cycle models in this analysis help determine the best options and improve company approach.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA)
As one of the largest suppliers of the plastics methylmethacrylate (MMA) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), Lucite wanted to understand their environmental impacts. Life cycle analysis gave them this, and helped suggest improvements.
SimaPro Review and verification
For a large Dutch beverage company, PRé did an independent verification of their carbon footprint metrics system. This helped discover opportunities for improvement, and provided guidance to drive additional business value.
SimaPro Carbon footprint
Dutch recycling company Wecycle wanted to understand the environmental benefits of their recycling activities. PRé measured the total environmental and climate change performance of recycling of electronics and energy efficient lighting.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Viva Healthcare asked PRé to quantify the environmental benefits of its injection moulding process compared to the industry average. To do so, we did life cycle assessments of Viva's products and of a range of competing products.
SimaPro Carbon footprint Life cycle assessment (LCA)
PRé reviewed supply chains for NIKA, a bottled water producer, to update its carbon footprint analyses and maintain a CarbonFree certification. This resulted in a benchmark for comparison, and successful application for the certificate.
ReCiPe is a method for the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). The primary objective of the method is to transform the long list of life cycle inventory results into a limited number of indicator scores.
SimaPro Life cycle assessment (LCA) Harmonizing LCA rules
For the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E), PRé helped develop a method to determine the hotspots in a product's life cycle. This helps determine key performance indicators.
