What is LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)?

What environmental impacts can a product or service have?

LCA essentially provides an answer to the question above in one sentence. When we directly translate it into English, it can be referred to as "life cycle assessment." In other words, LCA is a detailed analysis of all environmental impacts of a product's life, from the extraction of raw materials to waste disposal. This assessment starts from the raw material state of the product and presents all environmental impacts within defined frameworks up to the waste disposal process.

In this article, we will examine the concept of LCA under 4 main headings:

• The Life Cycle of a Product. The entire life of products consists of 5 main parts. Understanding these parts clearly is critical for the LCA process.

• How is LCA Prepared? LCA is prepared in 4 phases. These phases are defined by ISO standards and play a critical role in executing this complex process more reliably and consistently.

• LCA and Its Benefits. LCA analyses provide various advantages to companies, primarily in terms of prestige and compliance with regulations.

• Considerations in the LCA Process. Due to its complex structure, LCA should be well planned in terms of both process safety and avoiding unnecessary labor use.

The Life Cycle of a Product

To analyze the life cycle of a product, we first need to understand the meaning of “life cycle of the product.” The concept of the life cycle expresses all stages the product goes through from “cradle to grave.” These stages are examined under 5 main headings.

The 5 Stages of a Product's Life Cycle:

1. Raw Material Acquisition

2. Production & Processing

3. Transportation & Logistics

4. Usage

5. Waste Disposal & Recycling

Different Life Cycle Models

Companies can choose different life cycle models based on the resource data they have or the life cycle stage they want to declare. Although there are many models depending on goals and scopes, the most commonly used models for LCA are 3:

Cradle to Grave

When you analyze all 5 stages of a product's life cycle, you include all stages from the product's birth to its death. This model is referred to as “Cradle to Grave” in terms of understanding from start to finish.

Cradle to Gate

This model covers the first 2 stages of the product's life cycle. In short, it only refers to the production stage of the product. It is described as “Cradle to Gate” in the sense of raw material acquisition to factory exit.

Cradle to Cradle

This model, as its name suggests, expresses the circular economy. Normally, if we were to change the ‘waste disposal’ part found in the fifth stage of a product’s life to ‘recycling and return to resource’, we obtain the “Cradle to Cradle” life cycle model.

What is LCA? How is it Prepared?

LCA should actually be defined as a concept. However, to be able to declare it to stakeholders and authorities, compliance with international standards is required. The standards that need to be followed while preparing LCA are ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. In other words, it can also be referred to as the ‘LCA rulebook’ for ISO 14044.

ISO standards list 4 steps for a reliable and accurate LCA:

1. Goal and Scope Definition ( Goal & Scope )

2. Inventory Analysis ( LCI - Life Cycle Inventory )

3. Impact Assessment ( LCIA - Life Cycle Impact Assessment )

4. Interpretation ( Interpretation )

Normally, the process is given in order, but the ‘interpretation’ phase does not have to be at the end of the LCA process. As the scope of LCA expands and deepens, continually interpreting the resulting data and outcomes can be more reliable and efficient.

1. Goal and Scope Definition ( Goal & Scope )

As its name implies, this is the stage where the project's purpose and progression strategy are defined. At this stage, the analyzed product/service is identified. Afterwards, it is determined which part of the product to analyze and what stages of its life cycle will be analyzed. 

One of the critical points while doing this is to specify what will not be analyzed while deciding what will be analyzed. Due to the complex nature of LCA, the process can go deeper. If the limits of the prepared process are not set, the project can become much more complicated than necessary.

Another important aspect of this stage is defining the “Impact Category”.

LCA Environmental Impact Categories

This is based on where the analysis wants to list the environmental impacts of the product. For instance, if you want to analyze the impact of your product in the area of global warming, you can categorize your data as CO₂-e.

Although there are more than 10 impact categories, the most commonly used ones are 3 categories.

• Global Warming Potential ( Carbon Footprint )

• Toxicity for Human Health

• Ecotoxicity

2.   Inventory Analysis ( LCI )

This stage is for data collection and listing. After determining which data will be collected in the previous stage, data is collected and listed here.

This listing is done in a format called ‘resource flow’. Here, all stages the product goes through in its life are listed in a flow and detailed within themselves.

During this analysis; data entries such as raw materials, energy, and water usage can yield outputs like emissions or solid/liquid/gas waste data.

Since it is the most complicated and error-prone part of the entire process, companies may prefer to use a platform or work with a consultant at this stage.

3.   Impact Assessment ( LCIA )

In the 1st stage, what needs to be learned and how was determined. In the 2nd stage, data were collected and structured in a certain format. In this stage, this data is classified according to the predefined impact category, and metric values are converted according to the requirements of that category.

For instance, if we are conducting an analysis in the ‘global warming potential’ category as mentioned earlier, we need to convert our data to CO₂-e and classify it.

4.   Interpretation  ( Interpretation )

As we mentioned earlier, the interpretation process should actually be carried out parallel at each stage, not just at the very end. However, it would be very incorrect to define this stage simply as a ‘summary’. In this phase, all the methods used in all previous stages are re-checked, and all the data used are verified.

At this point, ISO 14044 standards require that the sources of all data used in stages 2 and 3 be incorporated into the study. Additionally, there should also be a section in this part of the work that assesses the work itself completely objectively.

LCA and Its Benefits

In today's world, where sustainability practices are crucial in every area of corporate life, LCA projects offer various advantages for companies in numerous fields. When evaluating all areas, we can say that it provides significant advantages to companies in 4 main areas.

Product Development

LCA studies are mandatory for certain product categories in some regions. Therefore, conducting LCA is important in terms of compliance with regulations. Additionally, working on reducing product emissions can decrease resource usage and thus reduce costs.

Supply Chain and Purchasing

In most industries, according to ISO 14064 standards, supply chain emissions account for more than 65% of total emissions within scope 3. Conducting an LCA can be a reason for preference for suppliers.

Sales and Marketing

Nowadays, both B2B and B2C, consumers pay attention to the environmental impacts of the products they purchase and use. Conducting LCA for a product or service will yield positive results in terms of marketing.

Management

LCA studies significantly contribute to companies' sustainability maturity. Although ‘C-Level’ positions for sustainability officers are not yet common, LCA can serve as a very effective dataset for sharing with stakeholders.

Considerations in the LCA Process

LCA studies are conducted by certified consultants. However, certification is not mandatory for conducting LCA. Many people working in various fields in many companies can perform these studies. However, if you are not a certified consultant, your knowledge may be insufficient to conduct an LCA study. In this case, you can use a platform to assist you.

Ultimately, whether using a platform or working with a consultant, the crucial factor to consider is impeccable compliance with all standards in the ISO 14000 family and ISO 50001 standards. If you work with a consultant or platform that does not comply with these standards, the international reliability of your LCA studies decreases and they may be deemed invalid.

CarbonSmart and LCA

Although it is not as popular as corporate carbon footprint or CBAM today, LCA studies are undoubtedly critical in the future of the sustainability world.

At this point, CarbonSmart is here to assist you in this challenging process with LCA consultancy. Carry out your LCA studies with our expert consultants. Increase your brand prestige and ensure compliance with future regulations in advance.

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