Life cycle assessment: From the beginning to the current state

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Industrial Ecology

Background:

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to evaluate environmental burdens associated with a product or service throughout its entire life cycle.
• LCA is crucial for avoiding burden shifting, ensuring comprehensive environmental impact analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the fundamental principles and evolution of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
• To compare the foundational SETAC framework with the international ISO 14040 standard for LCA.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical development of LCA, including SETAC workshops and the "Code of Practice" (1993).
• Analysis of the structural components of LCA as defined by SETAC and ISO 14040.
• Examination of recent standardization activities by ISO, SPOLD, and other organizations.

Main Results:

• The core principle of LCA is the comprehensive assessment of environmental burdens from cradle to grave.
• The SETAC triangle illustrates the foundational LCA structure: Goal definition and scoping, Inventory analysis, Impact assessment, and Improvement assessment.
• ISO 14040 standardizes LCA with a similar structure but defines "Interpretation" as a distinct phase, differentiating it from SETAC's "Improvement Assessment".

Conclusions:

• LCA is the definitive tool for holistic environmental impact assessment, preventing the mere displacement of environmental burdens.
• The evolution from SETAC's framework to ISO 14040 reflects ongoing standardization and refinement of LCA methodology.
• Understanding the structural differences between SETAC and ISO is key to applying LCA standards effectively.