The aim of this study is to introduce and showcase the applicability of the ‘Green-by-Design method’, a tool created by the cooperative Cosun that integrates different indicators involving economic, environmental, inherent safety and health aspects for comparative analysis at an early design stage. Two case studies are presented to exemplify the evaluation principles and steps considered along the ‘Green-by-Design method’: ethylene glycol production and fava bean protein isolate extraction. The results indicate that the ‘Green-by-Design method’ provides a comprehensive comparison of different design concepts, by combining various indicators into a single score, enabling sustainability to be an integral aspect in the decision-making during an early design phase.