Evaluates the environmental impacts of a product from raw materials to disposal.
Stages: goal definition, inventory, impact assessment and interpretation. Compares cradle-to-grave impacts of products such as plastic versus glass bottles. Results depend on assumptions.
LCA includes energy, water, emissions and waste. System boundaries influence results. It supports design for sustainability.
Key idea: look at the whole life of a product, not only use.
Evaluates the environmental impacts of a product from raw materials to disposal.
Life Cycle Assessment is one of the 54 topics in Marine & Environmental Biology. It is rated Advanced, so it suits learners who want specialist depth. Related topics in this area include Recycling and Waste, Circular Bioeconomy, Renewable Energy.
LCA showed reusable bags must be used multiple times to beat single-use ones.
Work through the Beginner topics in Marine & Environmental Biology first, such as Oceans, Ocean Zones, Plankton, then return to Life Cycle Assessment. Advanced topics assume the Intermediate vocabulary.
The closest topics to Life Cycle Assessment are Recycling and Waste, Circular Bioeconomy, Renewable Energy, Marine Genomics. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Life Cycle Assessment. To practise the whole of Marine & Environmental Biology, use the Marine & Environmental Biology quiz.
Life Cycle Assessment: Evaluates the environmental impacts of a product from raw materials to disposal. Recycling and Waste: Reusing materials lowers resource use and pollution. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Recycling and Waste and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Marine & Environmental Biology quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
Reusing materials lowers resource use and pollution.
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