Life cycle assessment of (engineering) products

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a rapidly developing environmental management technique used to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts of products or services from cradle to grave. The approach provides industry with a method to make environmental judgements and direct its efforts to achieve the maximum positive impact for both the company and the environment. This paper reviews issues likely to be observed by the electronic engineering community in light of forthcoming EU legislation and shows how LCA can be used to address some of these issues. The main purpose of the paper is to dispel the mystery surrounding LCA, to introduce the methodology behind LCA and to discuss an example assessment within the electronic sector. Further, the paper reviews the technique of streamlined life cycle assessment