Benefits

LCA can assist in decision-making that results in the least impact on the environment. LCA data identifies the transfer of environmental impacts from one medium to another (e.g. eliminating air emissions by creating a wastewater effluent instead) and/or from one life cycle stage to another (e.g. from use and reuse of the product to the raw material acquisition phase).

If an LCA were not performed, the transfer might not be recognised and properly included in the analysis, because it is outside the typical scope of product selection processes.

By performing an LCA, analysts can:

  • Develop a systematic evaluation of the environmental consequences associated with a product.
  • Compare the health and ecological impacts of two or more products/processes.
  • Analyse the environmental trade-offs associated with products or processes to help gain stakeholder acceptance.
  • Quantify environmental releases to air, water and land in relation to each life cycle stage and/or major contributing process.
  • Assist in identifying significant shifts in environmental impacts between life cycle stages and environmental media.
  • Assess the human and ecological effects of material consumption and environmental releases to the local community, region and world.
  • Identify impacts to environmental areas of concern.

LCA allows decision makers to study an entire product system. For example, when comparing two rival products, it may appear Option 1 is better for the environment because it generates less solid waste than Option 2. However, an LCA might show the first option actually creates larger cradle-to-grave environmental impacts when measured across all three media (air, water, land).  Option 2, which produces solid waste, may produce less cradle-to-grave environmental harm or impact because of its lower chemical emissions.