How can you assess the life cycle of your products for maximum sustainability?

2 How to conduct an LCA?

To conduct an LCA, you need to follow four main steps: define the goal and scope, inventory the inputs and outputs, assess the impacts, and interpret the results. The goal and scope define the purpose, boundaries, and assumptions of your LCA. The inventory collects data on the materials, energy, water, and emissions involved in each stage of your product's life cycle. The impact assessment evaluates the potential effects of your product on various environmental categories, such as climate change, acidification, eutrophication, human health, and ecosystem quality. The interpretation summarizes the findings and recommendations of your LCA.

4 How to communicate your LCA results?

Once you have completed your LCA, you need to communicate your results to your stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, investors, or regulators. You can use different formats and channels to convey your message, depending on your audience and purpose. For example, you can use labels, certifications, or declarations to inform consumers about the environmental performance of your product, such as the Environmental Product Declaration, the Carbon Footprint Label, or the Ecolabel. You can also use reports, presentations, or infographics to showcase your LCA findings and recommendations to your business partners or policy makers.

6 How to keep track of your product's life cycle?

To ensure that your product's life cycle remains sustainable, you need to monitor and evaluate its performance and impact over time. You can use different indicators and metrics to measure and report on your product's life cycle, such as the Life Cycle Cost, the Life Cycle Carbon Footprint, the Life Cycle Water Footprint, or the Life Cycle Social Impact. You can also use feedback and review mechanisms to collect and analyze data from your customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, and to identify and address any issues or gaps in your product's life cycle.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?