Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool that examines the total environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal or recycling. LCA was first developed in the late 1960s to early 1970s during an oil crisis. The International Standards Organization defines LCA as compiling an inventory of inputs and outputs, evaluating potential environmental impacts, and interpreting the results to meet study objectives. LCA can be used for product improvement, decision making, environmental planning, and marketing claims.

1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• LCA also called as Life Cycle Analysis is a
tool for examining the total
environmental impact of a product
through every step of its life. – from
obtaining raw materials all the way
through making it in a factory, shipping
it, selling it in a store, using it and
disposing of it.
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2. Life Cycle Assessment
• LCA was first developed in the late 1960s/ early 1970s during oil crisis.
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3. LCA
• International Standards Organizations(ISO) provides a succinct definition of “Life
Cycle Assessment,” describing it as a technique for assessing the environmental
aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, by:
• Compiling an inventory of relative inputs and outputs of a product system;
• Evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and
outputs; and
• Interpreting the results of the Inventory Analysis and Impact Assessment phases
in relation to the study’s objectives.
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5. Objectives
• Product Improvement: Identifying opportunities to improve the environmental aspects
of products/services at various points in their life cycle.
• Decision Making: Decision making in industry, governmental or non-governmental
organizations (strategic planning, priority setting, product and process design or
redesign)
• Environmental Planning: Selection of relevant indicators of environmental performance,
including measurement techniques.
• Marketing: (ex: An environmental claim, eco-labelling scheme or environmental product
declarations.)
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6. Advantages of LCA
• LCA Allows analysis of all steps within the life cycle of a product
• LCAs offer valuable quantitative comparisons
• LCAs can serve as an effective marketing tool when used appropriately
• LCAs are currently becoming a hot button issue in industry and regulatory
organisations alike.
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7. Disadvantages of LCA
• Completing a full life cycle analysis on complicated products is much easier said
than done
• Requires complete data which sometimes are very daunting
• LCAs depending on the specific product or processes, can be very time intensive
• Lack of global standards.
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