Customer testimonials
LCA study: CTCPA supports the Triballat Group in an LCA environmental assessment study of four leading product/packaging combinations
04
Feb
Published on: February 4, 2026
The CTCPA assisted the Triballat Group with an environmental assessment study using the Life Cycle Analysis method on four of their product/packaging combinations. We look back with Aurélie SIDAMBAROM, CSR Manager at "Laiterie Familiale Engagée."
"We were particularly impressed by the professionalism, technical expertise, and above all, the teaching skills of the CTCPA teams."
Tell us about the Triballat Group: structure, vision, values, products, etc.
Triballat is a family business chaired by Hugues Triballat, the fourth generation of the family. The company's history began in 1901 in Rians, in the Berry region, where his great-grandparents made artisanal cheeses. The company took shape in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to Hubert Triballat, who developed distribution to Parisian cheese shops.
Today, Triballat is a recognized player in the dairy industry, promoting gastronomic heritage and traditional expertise. The group offers a wide range of dairy products, including specialties such as faisselle, goat's milk crottin, crème brûlée, and several PDO cheeses. Triballat has 18 production sites (in France, Spain, and the United States) and 25 brands, the best known of which is Rians.
How did you come to contact the CTCPA? What were your needs? What were your objectives?
The study conducted with the CTCPA is part of a broader effort to strengthen our CSR approach, which we have named "Laiterie Familiale Engagée" (Committed Family Dairy). This approach is based on several areas of continuous improvement, one of the most important of which is reducing our environmental footprint, particularly through the eco-design of packaging.
For more than ten years, we have initiated numerous actions in this direction: reducing packaging, eliminating non-essential elements, integrating recycled materials, etc. However, we wanted to take a new step forward, going beyond the intuitive approach to adopt a more structured and quantified evaluation method. With this in mind, we decided to undertake a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
In 2024, an in-house eco-design training course led by the CTCPA and bringing together a multidisciplinary team laid the foundations for this approach and initiated a collective skills upgrade on the LCA methodology. This preparatory work was crucial in helping us to better understand the technical challenges and move forward with a larger-scale project.
Today, the main objective was to accurately assess the environmental footprint of four iconic products in our range, in order to inform our future choices and strengthen our eco-design strategy. The products concerned were:
These products are representative of our expertise, the diversity of our manufacturing processes, and the plurality of our distribution channels. LCA has therefore provided us with objective and comparable data, enabling us to identify concrete levers for action and strengthen our environmental commitment.
Why did you choose the CTCPA? How did you hear about the CTCPA?
We were already familiar with CTCPA through previous collaborations, particularly with our purchasing team, and more specifically on packaging-related issues. These initial experiences had been very positive: the purchasing teams were fully satisfied with the quality of the exchanges and the work carried out.
The eco-design training course, conducted in 2024, reinforced this impression. We were particularly impressed by the professionalism, technical expertise, and above all the teaching skills of the CTCPA teams. Their ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms and to engage a multidisciplinary team was a real asset.
When the idea of launching Life Cycle Assessments came up, we took the time to consult with other players who were also knowledgeable on the subject. But very quickly, it became clear to us that it was natural to pursue this approach with the CTCPA.
This choice was confirmed throughout the project: we found the same high-quality support, both rigorous and accessible, which was crucial to the success of the study.
How did the support go?
Support from the CTCPA began in spring 2024, following initial discussions between Pauline AUDOYE and myself. The project launch meeting took place in mid-July, marking the official start of the study.
We put together an internal multidisciplinary team to cover all aspects of the LCA. It included employees from R&D, packaging purchasing, upstream dairy, energy, sales, quality, marketing, and myself. Some people were heavily involved in data collection, while others, such as our marketing director and a product manager, participated mainly to gain a better understanding of the LCA methodology and integrate this approach into their strategic thinking.
The data collection phase was the longest stage of the project. It spanned several months, with an initial milestone in fall 2024, followed by data consolidation work until the final report was delivered in early 2025. This period, which was slightly longer than initially planned, can be explained by the complexity of the exercise, which was relatively new to us.
Even though it was a simplified LCA, we had to provide specific data on our recipes, packaging, and energy consumption. Some information was not readily available in our systems, which required significant internal research and coordination, particularly from the packaging and formulation teams.
Despite these challenges, the support process took place in a constructive and supportive atmosphere, and we learned a great deal from this first structured LCA experience. It provides a valuable foundation for the next steps in our environmental approach.
What is your assessment today? How do you see the benefits of this support?
The overall outcome of this initiative has been very positive. Our initial goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental footprint of our products, but this LCA also met other short- and medium-term objectives.
One of these was to gain a better understanding of a product's carbon footprint in relation to the company's overall carbon footprint (scope 1, 2, and 3), which we were conducting in parallel. Although the scope of analysis differed, we wanted to combine these approaches to inform a more comprehensive strategic reflection on climate issues.
In the medium to long term, this LCA was also part of a process of acculturation and preparation for environmental labeling, which could become mandatory in the future. It was important for us to test in practice what it meant, internally, to conduct such an analysis: what types of data are needed, what resources must be mobilized, what resources are available or need to be developed, etc.
All of these objectives were achieved. The support provided by CTCPA enabled us to answer our questions, better understand our areas for improvement, and gauge the effort required for this type of exercise. We also realized that certain data was not available in its current form and that we needed to further structure our data collection and organization for future projects.
This work has also been very educational for our internal teams. It has raised awareness of the concept of environmental footprints, including beyond carbon criteria, by highlighting issues such as pollution transfers between impact indicators (water, soil, air). Analyzing our own products using specific data made the exercise very concrete and impactful.
To date, we have not yet decided to equip ourselves with a tool such as SimaPro to carry out our LCAs internally, nor have we undertaken new studies on other products. However, we are currently considering this, particularly in the context of renovations or product launches. In addition, demand from our customers, particularly in the retail sector, for this type of data is growing, which encourages us to continue in this direction.
Finally, this initial LCA enabled us to compare our results with those from the Agribalyse database, now the national benchmark, and to identify discrepancies between generic and specific data. This reinforces our conviction to continue this approach, methodically and progressively, as part of our CSR strategy.
What are your next goals or announcements?
Our main objective is to fully integrate environmental considerations into our decision-making processes related to innovation and product renovation. To date, we have implemented eco-design initiatives, particularly in the area of packaging. We now want to go further by making environmental footprint a criterion in its own right, on a par with cost, technical feasibility, and meeting consumer expectations.
To move forward in this direction, we have structured our CSR governance around thematic committees. One of these is specifically dedicated to eco-design. It is currently considering the implementation of an internal tool or indicator—such as an environmental score—that could support our decision-making. The issue of LCA, as a methodology or as inspiration, is part of this reflection.
__
Aurélie SIDAMBAROM (CSR Manager, "Laiterie Familiale Engagée"): sidambarom.a@rians.com
LinkedIn: (1) TRIBALLAT: Presentation | LinkedIn
Site : Triballat Group – A century-old family-run dairy with a strong commitment
CONTACT CTCPA :
Pauline AUDOYE, Environment and CSR Project Manager: paudoye@ctcpa.org
Margaux COLOMBIN, Environmental Project Manager: mcolombin@ctcpa.org
For all other inquiries : contact@ctcpa.org
For more information: https://www.ctcpa.org/
"We were particularly impressed by the professionalism, technical expertise, and above all, the teaching skills of the CTCPA teams."
Tell us about the Triballat Group: structure, vision, values, products, etc.
Triballat is a family business chaired by Hugues Triballat, the fourth generation of the family. The company's history began in 1901 in Rians, in the Berry region, where his great-grandparents made artisanal cheeses. The company took shape in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to Hubert Triballat, who developed distribution to Parisian cheese shops.
Today, Triballat is a recognized player in the dairy industry, promoting gastronomic heritage and traditional expertise. The group offers a wide range of dairy products, including specialties such as faisselle, goat's milk crottin, crème brûlée, and several PDO cheeses. Triballat has 18 production sites (in France, Spain, and the United States) and 25 brands, the best known of which is Rians.
How did you come to contact the CTCPA? What were your needs? What were your objectives?
The study conducted with the CTCPA is part of a broader effort to strengthen our CSR approach, which we have named "Laiterie Familiale Engagée" (Committed Family Dairy). This approach is based on several areas of continuous improvement, one of the most important of which is reducing our environmental footprint, particularly through the eco-design of packaging.
For more than ten years, we have initiated numerous actions in this direction: reducing packaging, eliminating non-essential elements, integrating recycled materials, etc. However, we wanted to take a new step forward, going beyond the intuitive approach to adopt a more structured and quantified evaluation method. With this in mind, we decided to undertake a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
In 2024, an in-house eco-design training course led by the CTCPA and bringing together a multidisciplinary team laid the foundations for this approach and initiated a collective skills upgrade on the LCA methodology. This preparatory work was crucial in helping us to better understand the technical challenges and move forward with a larger-scale project.
Today, the main objective was to accurately assess the environmental footprint of four iconic products in our range, in order to inform our future choices and strengthen our eco-design strategy. The products concerned were:
- Faisselle cheese (Rians brand)
- Goat cheese (Rians brand)
- Crème brûlée (Rians brand)
- Époisses (Fromagerie Germain brand)
These products are representative of our expertise, the diversity of our manufacturing processes, and the plurality of our distribution channels. LCA has therefore provided us with objective and comparable data, enabling us to identify concrete levers for action and strengthen our environmental commitment.
Why did you choose the CTCPA? How did you hear about the CTCPA?
We were already familiar with CTCPA through previous collaborations, particularly with our purchasing team, and more specifically on packaging-related issues. These initial experiences had been very positive: the purchasing teams were fully satisfied with the quality of the exchanges and the work carried out.
The eco-design training course, conducted in 2024, reinforced this impression. We were particularly impressed by the professionalism, technical expertise, and above all the teaching skills of the CTCPA teams. Their ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms and to engage a multidisciplinary team was a real asset.
When the idea of launching Life Cycle Assessments came up, we took the time to consult with other players who were also knowledgeable on the subject. But very quickly, it became clear to us that it was natural to pursue this approach with the CTCPA.
This choice was confirmed throughout the project: we found the same high-quality support, both rigorous and accessible, which was crucial to the success of the study.
How did the support go?
Support from the CTCPA began in spring 2024, following initial discussions between Pauline AUDOYE and myself. The project launch meeting took place in mid-July, marking the official start of the study.
We put together an internal multidisciplinary team to cover all aspects of the LCA. It included employees from R&D, packaging purchasing, upstream dairy, energy, sales, quality, marketing, and myself. Some people were heavily involved in data collection, while others, such as our marketing director and a product manager, participated mainly to gain a better understanding of the LCA methodology and integrate this approach into their strategic thinking.
The data collection phase was the longest stage of the project. It spanned several months, with an initial milestone in fall 2024, followed by data consolidation work until the final report was delivered in early 2025. This period, which was slightly longer than initially planned, can be explained by the complexity of the exercise, which was relatively new to us.
Even though it was a simplified LCA, we had to provide specific data on our recipes, packaging, and energy consumption. Some information was not readily available in our systems, which required significant internal research and coordination, particularly from the packaging and formulation teams.
Despite these challenges, the support process took place in a constructive and supportive atmosphere, and we learned a great deal from this first structured LCA experience. It provides a valuable foundation for the next steps in our environmental approach.
What is your assessment today? How do you see the benefits of this support?
The overall outcome of this initiative has been very positive. Our initial goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental footprint of our products, but this LCA also met other short- and medium-term objectives.
One of these was to gain a better understanding of a product's carbon footprint in relation to the company's overall carbon footprint (scope 1, 2, and 3), which we were conducting in parallel. Although the scope of analysis differed, we wanted to combine these approaches to inform a more comprehensive strategic reflection on climate issues.
In the medium to long term, this LCA was also part of a process of acculturation and preparation for environmental labeling, which could become mandatory in the future. It was important for us to test in practice what it meant, internally, to conduct such an analysis: what types of data are needed, what resources must be mobilized, what resources are available or need to be developed, etc.
All of these objectives were achieved. The support provided by CTCPA enabled us to answer our questions, better understand our areas for improvement, and gauge the effort required for this type of exercise. We also realized that certain data was not available in its current form and that we needed to further structure our data collection and organization for future projects.
This work has also been very educational for our internal teams. It has raised awareness of the concept of environmental footprints, including beyond carbon criteria, by highlighting issues such as pollution transfers between impact indicators (water, soil, air). Analyzing our own products using specific data made the exercise very concrete and impactful.
To date, we have not yet decided to equip ourselves with a tool such as SimaPro to carry out our LCAs internally, nor have we undertaken new studies on other products. However, we are currently considering this, particularly in the context of renovations or product launches. In addition, demand from our customers, particularly in the retail sector, for this type of data is growing, which encourages us to continue in this direction.
Finally, this initial LCA enabled us to compare our results with those from the Agribalyse database, now the national benchmark, and to identify discrepancies between generic and specific data. This reinforces our conviction to continue this approach, methodically and progressively, as part of our CSR strategy.
What are your next goals or announcements?
Our main objective is to fully integrate environmental considerations into our decision-making processes related to innovation and product renovation. To date, we have implemented eco-design initiatives, particularly in the area of packaging. We now want to go further by making environmental footprint a criterion in its own right, on a par with cost, technical feasibility, and meeting consumer expectations.
To move forward in this direction, we have structured our CSR governance around thematic committees. One of these is specifically dedicated to eco-design. It is currently considering the implementation of an internal tool or indicator—such as an environmental score—that could support our decision-making. The issue of LCA, as a methodology or as inspiration, is part of this reflection.
__
CONTACT THE TRIBALLAT GROUP:
Aurélie SIDAMBAROM (CSR Manager, "Laiterie Familiale Engagée"): sidambarom.a@rians.com
LinkedIn: (1) TRIBALLAT: Presentation | LinkedIn
Site : Triballat Group – A century-old family-run dairy with a strong commitment
CONTACT CTCPA :
Pauline AUDOYE, Environment and CSR Project Manager: paudoye@ctcpa.org
Margaux COLOMBIN, Environmental Project Manager: mcolombin@ctcpa.org
For all other inquiries : contact@ctcpa.org
For more information: https://www.ctcpa.org/
