7. Glossary

LCA :Life Cycle Assessment ;

An environmental assessment method that quantifies a product's impact over its entire life cycle, from the extraction of its raw materials, through distribution and use, to end-of-life disposal. A standardized and recognized tool, LCA is the most advanced method in terms of global, multi-criteria assessment. It results from the interpretation of a quantified balance of material and energy flows linked to each stage of the product life cycle, expressed in terms of potential environmental impacts. (Definition taken from engineering techniques [TBA 1 420]...