Why are life cycle assessments carried out on products?

Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are conducted to assess the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction through production, use, and eventual disposal or recycling. This comprehensive evaluation provides critical insights into how materials and processes affect the environment at each stage, helping businesses and consumers understand the sustainability of the product. By focusing on all stages, LCAs highlight areas for improvement, inform better choices, and guide developments in more sustainable practices.

While determining cost-effectiveness, evaluating user satisfaction, and increasing production efficiency are important considerations in product development, they do not encompass the broad environmental focus that life cycle assessments aim to provide.