Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 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 a life cycle assessment (LCA)?

A life cycle assessment is a study of a product’s total impact on the environment from making it to disposing of it.

What are the four main stages in a product’s life cycle that an LCA looks at?

Raw material extraction, manufacture and packaging, use, and disposal.

In an LCA, what is checked at the raw material extraction stage?

How the materials are obtained, how much energy is used, and the damage done to land and habitats.

In an LCA, what is checked at the manufacture and packaging stage?

How much energy and water are used, what wastes are made, and how much pollution is given off.

In an LCA, what is checked during the use of the product?

How long it lasts, how much energy or water it needs, and any pollutants it releases while in use.

In an LCA, what is checked at the disposal stage?

What happens at the end, such as landfill, incineration, or recycling, and the pollution and energy involved.

What types of environmental impact are usually included in an LCA?

Use of energy and water, use of raw materials, and pollution to air, water and land.

What does “cradle to grave” mean in life cycle assessment?

It means the LCA follows the product from raw materials (cradle) to disposal (grave).

Why is a life cycle assessment useful when choosing between two products?

It lets you compare their total environmental impacts, not just how they work when you use them.

Why can life cycle assessments sometimes be hard to trust completely?

They can use incomplete data and value judgements, and companies may choose data that makes them look better.