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Concept information
Preferred term
life cycle assessment
Type
-
Topic
Definition
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A technique to assess the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service, by: compiling an inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases [outputs]; evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with identified inputs and releases [outputs]; interpreting the results to help you make a more informed decision.
Source: US Environmental Protection Agency
Type: Concept definition
Broader concept
Narrower concepts
- attributional life cycle assessment
- consequential life cycle assessment
- co-product allocation
- cradle-to-cradle
- cradle-to-gate
- cradle-to-grave
- cut-off criteria (life cycle assessment)
- elementary flow
- functional unit (life cycle assessment)
- gate-to-gate
- goal and scope (LCA)
- intermediate flow
- intermediate product
- LCA background system
- LCA foreground system
- life cycle impact assessment
- life cycle interpretation
- life cycle inventory
- marginal technology
- product flow
- product system
- quantitative reference (life cycle assessment)
- reference flow (life cycle assessment)
- reference product (life cycle assessment)
- system boundary
Synonyms
- ecobalance
- LCA (life cycle analysis)
- LCA (life cycle assessment)
- life-cycle assessment
In other languages
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Spanish
URI
https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/135257
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