Introduction

In the pursuit of sustainability, businesses are increasingly turning to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to understand and minimise their environmental impact. An LCA is a method used to evaluate the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service. By analysing a product's life cycle—from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair, maintenance, and disposal or recycling—businesses can identify areas for improvement and make more informed decisions. Let's go through each step one at a time.

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Step 1: Define the Goal and Scope

The first step in conducting an LCA is to clearly define the goal and scope of the assessment. This involves specifying the product or process to be assessed, the purpose of the LCA, and the intended audience. It's crucial to determine the boundaries of the study, such as which stages of the product's life cycle will be included and what types of impacts will be considered (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, water use, pollution).

Key Considerations:

• Be specific about what you want to achieve with the LCA.
• Ensure that the scope aligns with your business's sustainability goals.

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Step 2: Inventory Analysis

This phase involves collecting data on every input and output associated with the product’s life cycle stages outlined in the scope. Inputs can include raw materials, energy, water, while outputs might be emissions to air, water, and land, as well as waste products. Here you'll be speaking to suppliers, customer and wider stakeholders – as well as desk research and secondary data sources. The goal is to collect as much product information as you can.

Data Collection Tips:

• Use reliable sources for data collection, including internal records, supplier information, and industry databases.
• Ensure consistency in the data for accurate comparisons.

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Step 3: Impact Assessment

The next step is to interpret the data from the inventory analysis to assess the potential environmental impacts. This phase evaluates the significance of each input and output on specific environmental issues, such as climate change, ozone depletion, and water pollution. For each impact, ideally tying it back to a measure that you can reduce down from (ie the carbon it produces or water is generates).

Approaches:

• Select appropriate impact categories based on your business context.
• Use standardised methods, like the CML (Centre of Environmental Science) or TRACI (Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts), for impact assessment.

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Step 4: Interpretation

In this final step, analyse the results to identify the most significant environmental impacts and consider ways to reduce them. Interpretation should provide clear insights that support decision-making and strategy development in your business. It'll become obvious what's a high impact and what's not.

Effective Strategies:

• Focus on hotspots where changes can significantly reduce impacts.
• Consider trade-offs and the overall sustainability strategy of your business.

Communicating the Results

Effectively communicating the results of an LCA is crucial, particularly to stakeholders who may use this information to make informed choices about products or services. Transparency and clarity are key, as is aligning the communication style with the audience's level of expertise. Use clear reports, pages or presentations to communicate results.

Implementing Changes

Based on the LCA findings, businesses should plan and implement strategies to reduce environmental impacts. This may involve redesigning products, changing materials, improving energy efficiency, or altering supply chain practices.

Continuous Improvement:

It's crucial to remember that this is just the beginning. An LCA is not a one-time process; it should be part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability. Regularly updating LCAs can track progress and identify new opportunities for improvement.

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Conclusion

Conducting an LCA allows businesses to take a science-based approach to sustainability, providing a comprehensive view of their environmental impact. By integrating LCA into business practices, companies can make more sustainable choices, reduce their environmental footprint, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

At Futureproof, we help businesses of all sizes and industries to measure, reduce and report their carbon footprint (that includes your LCA!). Our platform and support helps guide businesses through their entire journey. Get started today by speaking to our team.

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