Analytical laboratories function, traditionally, as reporting services providing analysis results to customers, who use these results as input into their decision processes. The customer’s focus is primarily on the output results and on the service delivery elements, such as price and turnaround time. Customers usually accept analysis results as being reliable, and suitable for their intended use. In turn, most laboratories focus on the input samples, and endeavour to ensure the quality of their results, while meeting cost and delivery requirements. The laboratory often assumes that the customer is able to interpret, reliably, the provided output results. However, in general, neither the laboratory, nor its customer, pays much attention to environmental performance. Indeed, even where the laboratory’s environmental performance is considered, the focus is usually only on energy use, and the quantity of wastes discharged. Equally importantly for environmentally related samples, is the role of experts within the system to interpret the results and provide professional advice on sample collection and the ultimate use of the analytical results. For example, poor project design for a contaminated site clean-up may result in unnecessary environmental impacts associated with inappropriate sampling, under- or over- treatment of a site, adverse economic, environmental and human health impacts, as well as higher than necessary costs and significant legal liability. An evaluation of the literature identifies a clear need to extend environmental performance considerations to include the selection, collection and treatment of laboratory samples. This research identifies that a product systems approach focused on the data and information outputs, rather than only on the input sample and costs, can support enhanced overall environmental performance. The ‘Laboratory Product Model (LPM)’ is conceptually developed within this research as a first step to measuring and improving overall environmental performance of analytical laboratories. This LPM invokes a ‘production line’ approach similar to that used by manufacturing industries, and promotes collaboration between the various organisations involved along this production line. Two types of products, the laboratory data product and the laboratory information product, are identified. Typically, the laboratory information product brings together a number of laboratory data products, relevant interpretative expertise, and input sample and other information, to provide an interpretation of the data product(s) within the overall context of the project from sampling to use of the collected data.