What does Life Cycle Analysis primarily assess?

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a systematic approach used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product from its inception to its disposal, encompassing every stage of its life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life treatment. By focusing on the entire life cycle, LCA provides comprehensive insights into how various processes affect the environment, enabling manufacturers and designers to identify areas for improvement and reduction of ecological footprints.

Assessing the environmental impact involves looking at factors like resource consumption, emissions, energy usage, and waste generation associated with each phase of the product's life. This information can be pivotal for making informed decisions that align with sustainability goals. In contrast, evaluating economic factors, market demand, or aesthetic aspects relates to different types of assessments that do not prioritize the environmental implications integral to LCA.