What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
• A: LCA is a process of evaluating the effects that a product has on the environment throughout its life cycle. The objective of completing a full life cycle analysis is to improve resource efficiency while reducing the environmental impact of all activities required to manufacture, distribute, use and dispose of a product. Cradle-to-grave life cycle assessments, for instance, begin with the extraction of raw materials from the earth, their transformation into finished materials, the manufacturing of materials into parts and products, transportation to end users, the energy consumed during use, and ultimately recycling. During each of these phases, activities occur that use materials and energy, generating waste and emissions. Life cycle assessment is the process used to accurately measure the emissions associated with each of phase of these activities. LCA results are often categorised in several ways, including global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, tropospheric oz
