It is a process of evaluating the effects that a product has on the environment over the entire period of its life. It can be used to study the environmental impact of either a product or the function the product is designed to perform. LCA’s key elements are: (i) identify and quantify the environmental loads involved; e.g. the energy and raw materials consumed, the emissions and wastes generated; (ii) evaluate the potential environmental impacts of these loads; and (iii) assess the options available for reducing these environmental impacts.
