{"id":829,"date":"2020-11-22T13:53:43","date_gmt":"2020-11-22T07:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.footwearexchange.com\/wp\/?p=829"},"modified":"2026-01-31T10:48:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T04:48:59","slug":"understanding-sustainability-tools-part-2-lca-life-cycle-analysis-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.footwearexchange.com\/wp\/understanding-sustainability-tools-part-2-lca-life-cycle-analysis-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Sustainability tools (part 2): LCA (Life Cycle Analysis\/Assessment)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is one of the most complete and rigorous scientific tools for measuring a product’s environmental impact. In other word, A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an analysis of the impact one object has on the world around it.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

In the footwear sector, the application of the LCA tool is not yet a common practice; however, it is a technique that is of increasing interest for both brands and manufacturers and also for final consumers. The final value is generally called the product’s environmental footprint (PEF).<\/p>\n

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The Product Life Cycle<\/b><\/h2>\n

In general, the product lifecycle consists of five phases:[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”833″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]5 steps of product life cycle<\/b><\/p>\n

1.Raw Material Extraction<\/p>\n

2.Manufacturing & Processing<\/p>\n

3.Transportation<\/p>\n

4.Usage & Retail<\/p>\n

5.Waste Disposal[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]There are also other concepts of the product lifecycle.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Cradle-to-gate<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cradle-to-gate only assesses a product until it leaves the factory gates, before it is transported to the consumer. This means cutting out the use anddisposal phase.<\/p>\n

Cradle-to-gate<\/i>\u00a0analysis can significantly reduce the complexity of an LCA and thus create insights faster, especially about internal processes. Cradle-to-gate assessments are often used for\u00a0environmental product declarations (EPD)<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Cradle-to-grave<\/b><\/p>\n

Cradle-to-grave” begins with the gathering of raw materials from the earth to create the product, and ends at the point when all materials are returned to the earth.<\/p>\n

Cradle-to-cradle<\/b><\/p>\n

Cradle-to-cradle<\/i>\u00a0is a concept often referred to within the\u00a0Circular Economy<\/i>.<\/p>\n

It is a variation of\u00a0cradle-to-grave<\/i>, exchanging the\u00a0waste<\/i>\u00a0stage with a recycling process that makes it reusable for another product, essentially \u201cclosing the loop\u201d. This is why it is also referred to as\u00a0closed loop recycling<\/i>.<\/p>\n

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The 4 Phases of a Life Cycle Assessment<\/b><\/h2>\n

The phases of a Life Cycle Assessment are defined in the\u00a0ISO standards 14040 and 14044<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”838″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text]A Life Cycle Assessment Consists Of 4 Steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Definition of\u00a0Goal and Scope<\/b><\/li>\n
  2. Inventory<\/b>Analysis<\/li>\n
  3. Impact<\/b>Assessment<\/li>\n
  4. Interpretation<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Phase 1: Definition of Goal and Scope<\/h3>\n

    In the first phase of our Life Cycle Assessment, we define what exactly we want to analyze \u2013 and\u00a0how deep<\/i>\u00a0we want to go with our analysis. Defining our goal and scope serves three very important functions:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What will we be assessing?<\/li>\n
    2. What system will we be assessing in?<\/li>\n
    3. What Will We Not Be Assessing?
      <\/div><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Phase 2: Life Cycle Inventory<\/h3>\n

      The goal is to quantify the environmental inputs and outputs \u2013 this means we measure\u00a0everything<\/b>\u00a0that flows in and out of the system we defined in phase 1.<\/p>\n

      What could these inputs and outputs be?<\/p>\n