What does a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) help evaluate about a product?

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive method used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with a product throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to production, distribution, use, and disposal. By assessing various environmental aspects such as resource consumption, emissions, and waste generation at each stage, an LCA provides valuable insights into how a product affects the environment.

This helps organizations identify areas for improvement, inform decisions about product design and materials, and develop strategies for reducing adverse environmental impacts. The focus on environmental impacts sets LCA apart from other assessments that might look at market potential, sales trends, or manufacturing efficiency. While these other aspects may be important for business strategy, they do not address the holistic environmental evaluation that an LCA provides.

Understanding the potential environmental impacts allows businesses and stakeholders to make more informed, sustainable choices that align with environmental goals, such as reducing carbon footprints or enhancing resource efficiency.