Interpreting Life Cycle Assessment Data Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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What is life cycle assessment (LCA) data?

Information that shows the environmental impacts of a product at each life stage.

Name the four main stages often shown in LCA data.

Getting raw materials, making the product, using it, and its disposal.

Give three examples of impacts that LCA data might measure.

Energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas or other pollutant emissions.

In an LCA table, how do you spot which stage has the biggest impact?

Look for the stage with the largest value or highest score.

How can you use LCA data to judge which of two products is better for the environment?

Compare the impacts at each stage and the total impacts, then pick the lower overall one.

What is meant by a trade-off when interpreting LCA data?

One product is better in one impact, but worse in another.

Why must LCA data for two products be based on the same amount of use?

So the impacts are fair to compare, like per bottle or per wash.

Why can the use stage sometimes cause more impact than making the product?

Because it may use energy or water many times during the product’s life.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative LCA data?

Quantitative data uses numbers; qualitative data uses words like high, medium or low.

Why can life cycle assessments sometimes give misleading results?

They may use incomplete data or be written to favour one product.

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