LCAs: Why we need them, how to use them, and what to watch for

A life cycle assessment (sometimes referred to as a life cycle analysis) does just what its name suggests.

In essence, an LCA is a methodology for assessing the impacts associated with all stages of the life cycle of a product, system, or service. LCAs were not created for reuse systems, but they can be very useful when conducted well and interpreted correctly. 

What’s a well conducted LCA, and how do you interpret one? Important questions for any reuse advocate to dig into!