Life cycle assessment (LCA)
A standardized method that quantifies the resources a product consumes and the emissions it generates at every stage, from raw materials to end of life, and estimates its impact.
What it’s for
It helps you know what really does the most harm: sometimes the biggest impact isn't in the material, but in use or transport.
Key elements
A functional unit
You compare what the product does, for example serving a thousand coffees, not the object itself.
Every stage
From extraction to end of life, so no impact is hidden outside the study.
Several impacts, not one
Climate, water, toxicity…; improving one can worsen another.
How it’s done
Define the goal, the boundaries of the study and the functional unit.
Take inventory of what goes in and out at each stage.
Assess the impact and interpret it to decide what to change in the design.
Applications in design
When to use it
At the start, to learn which stage of the product weighs most, or to compare two design alternatives.
Avoid
Comparing studies done with different boundaries or functional units.
Don’t fall for it
Say what you left out of the study: the results depend on those boundaries.
Connections
Authors and works
- 2006
ISO 14040
Sets out the method's principles and its four phases: goal and scope, inventory, impact assessment and interpretation.
- 2011
Jeroen Guinée et al.
Reviewed its history: it began in the 1970s as energy analysis, broadened to all environmental burdens and is now extending to social and economic aspects.
Sources
Original sources
- International Organization for Standardization (1997). ISO 14040:1997. Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework. ISO. View source: International Organization for Standardization (1997)
- International Organization for Standardization (2006). ISO 14040:2006. Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework. ISO.
Academic reviews
- Guinée, J. B., Heijungs, R., Huppes, G., Zamagni, A., Masoni, P., Buonamici, R., Ekvall, T., & Rydberg, T. (2011). Life cycle assessment: Past, present, and future. Environmental Science & Technology, 45(1), 90–96. View source: Guinée, J. B., Heijungs, R., Huppes, G., Zamagni, A., Masoni, P., Buonamici, R., Ekvall, T., & Rydberg, T. (2011)
Last reviewed: