Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product system throught its life cycle. As an environmental management tool, LCA is a process to analyse the materials, energy, emissions and wastes of a product or service system, over the whole life cycle ‘’from cradle to grave’’ (from raw material mining to final disposal). Life cycle assessment (LCA) of products or services is carried out by a development of Study whose principles and framework are defined in the ISO series of standards ISO 14040.
The ISO standards state the LCA can assist in the following:
-identifying opportunities to improve the environmental performance of products at various points in their life cycle
-informing decision-makers in industry, government or non-government organizations
-the selection of relevant indicators of environmental performance
-marketing (e.g. implementing an ecolabelling scheme)
LCA consists four phases:
-goal definition and scope
-life cycle inventory analysis
-life cycle impact assessment
-life cycle interpretation
EASD have experience related LCA, like 1 , 2, other references.