Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
From TerGoPedia
Life cycle assessment is a cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle analysis technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, which is from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, and use.
Its purpose is to assess what potential environmental risks or harm a particular product or process carries.
A properly conducted life cycle assessment does not skip any stage of a product or service's existence, allows a full assessment of the environmental impact, and considers the most critical ecosystems. A detailed description of the method is included in the ISO standards.
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