A life cycle assessment, or LCA, is a method for measuring the environmental impact of a product across its whole life: raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport, use and end of life. It follows the international standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
An LCA reports impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and water use per unit of product, so that options can be compared on evidence instead of assumptions. For plastics, LCAs consistently show that recycled plastic has a much lower carbon footprint than virgin plastic, because recycling avoids the extraction and polymerisation of fossil raw materials. Brands use LCA results to set packaging targets, to report emissions and to substantiate claims without greenwashing.
