What are LCI and LCA?
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is one of the phases of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a tool to assist with the quantification and evaluation of environmental burdens and impacts associated with product systems and activities, from the extraction of raw materials in the earth to end-of-life and waste disposal. The tool is increasingly used by industries, governments, and environmental groups to assist with decision-making for environment-related strategies and materials selection. The initial phase of LCA includes defining the goals and scope of a study, and the collection and calculation of Life Cycle Inventory data. LCI data quantify the material, energy and emissions associated with a functional system (for example, the manufacture of 1 kg of hot rolled coil). This phase precedes the Life Cycle Impact Assessment phase (LCIA) which involves the classification, characterisation and evaluation of these data in relation to ecological impacts. The fourth and last phase is the interpre
