Life Cycle Assessment
Life Cycle Assessment or LCA, is a process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, process or activity by identifying and quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment; to assess the impact of those energy and material uses and releases to the environment; and to identify and evaluate opportunities to effect environmental improvements.
An LCA measures the environmental impact of a product through every phase of its life – from production to waste (or recycling, etc.). It is an internationally standardized scientific methodology (ISO 14040/14044) used to evaluate the environmental impact of products or services across their entire life cycle. While originally a voluntary management tool, LCA is rapidly transitioning into mandatory legal compliance, especially in European policy [1].
