Life cycle analysis is the analysis of a product from conception to disposal. A product creates waste during all these stages and after use it is eventually thrown away. Its basically a technique for assesing the potentional and real environmental damage during all stages of a products life. Stages are listed above by chardie
Its is important for a number of reasons
- encourages a more informed and broader view of the enviornmental impact of a product
- avoiced generalisations about the environemntal preformance of a material in isolation to its total life cycle. It is supported by empirical evidence
- allow designers and consumers to compare the relative significance of different types of environmental imapcts with caution