Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

What is LCA?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool used to evaluate the potential environmental impact of a product, process or activity throughout its entire life cycle by quantifying the use of resources ("inputs" such as energy, raw materials, water) and environmental emissions ("outputs" to air, water and soil) associated with the system that is being evaluated.
Two types of systems of particular interest to P&G are the life cycle of a product (such as a detergent) or an activity (such as washing clothes). LCA studies are conducted for the purpose of answering certain questions, and those questions drive the design of the LCA study. One such question could be: How does the potential environmental impact of a new product compare to that of products that are already on the market? (See our LCA case studies.)

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LCA is Not Risk Assessment
This is because LCA does not consider exposure, which is critical for assessing risk. LCA quantifies emissions, but the actual impacts of those emissions depend on when, where and how they are released into the environment.

LCA is one of the tools in our toolbox for assessing P&G products, packaging and processes. Other tools are discussed elsewhere and include:
  • Environmental Risk Assessment
  • Comparative Risk Analysis
  • Socio-Economic Impact Analysis

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    Why Conduct LCA?
    Life Cycle Assessment is used to answer specific, questions such as:
  • How do two different manufacturing processes for the same product compare in terms of resource use and emissions?
  • How do compact dish detergents  compare to regular dish detergents in terms of resource use and emissions?
  • What are the relative contributions of the different stages in the life cycle of this product to total emissions?
  • Socio-Economic Impact Analysis
    • To put it another way, Life Cycle Assessment seeks to increase efficiency. And because it takes into account every phase in the lifetime of a product, apparent improvements that only shift the problem around are recognized and can be avoided.

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    ISO 14040 Standardizes LCA
    Procter & Gamble complies with ISO 14040  standards for Life Cycle Assessment. The standards prescribe a critical review of the design and the results of the LCA study by independent experts. P&G provides the results of LCA studies, including the conclusions of the independent expert review, to the public upon request.

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    LCA at P&G
    Procter & Gamble has used Life Cycle Assessment to guide decision making since the late 1980s. In the last decade, Procter & Gamble has adopted ISO 14040 standards for LCA. Managers at P&G routinely use LCA approaches to:
  • Analyse products from a system-wide, functional unit point of view in a consistent, transparent and reproducible manner in order to: guide choices of raw materials, guide product innovation and design packaging with lower impact,
  • Analyse the energy and resource use in the detergent system,
  • Analyse various emissions, wastes, and resources using environmental themes,
  • Identify what parameters are most likely to be significant to monitor and control,
  • Identify opportunities for improving overall system performance, and
  • Benchmark the product over time and report progress.
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    Some Publications by P&G Scientists
  • De Smet, B., White, P.R., Owens, J.W. (1996). Integrating Life Cycle Assessment Within an Overall Framework for Environmental Management. In Curran, M.A., Ed., Environmental Life Cycle Assessment, McGraw-Hill Companies, New York.
  • Owens, J.W. (1996). LCA Impact Assessment: Case Study Using a Consumer Product. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 1, pp. 209-217.
  • Owens, J.W. (1996). LCA Impact Assessment Categories. Technical Feasibility and Accuracy. Int. J. LCA. 1, pp.151-158.
  • Owens, J.W. Water Resources in Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Considerations in Choosing Category Indicators. Journal of Industrial Ecology, Vol. 5 (2), pp. 37-54.
  • Owens, J.W. (1998). Why Life Cycle Impact Assessment Is Now Described as an Indicator System. Int. J. LCA. 4, pp. 81-86Pittinger, C.A., Sellers, J.S., Janzen, D.C., Koch, D.G., Rothgeb, T.M., Hunnicutt, M.L. (1993). Environmental Life Cycle Inventories of Detergent-grade Surfactant Sourcing and Production. Jaocs. 70, pp. 1-15.
  • Saouter, E., Feijtel, T.C.J. (2000). Use of Life Cycle Analysis and Environmental Risk Assessment in an Integrated Product Assessment. Environmental Strategies, Nordic Workshop, Vedbaek 1999. ISBN 92-893-0464-2. In Hauschild, M., Olsen, S., Poll, C.F., B-R, Eds., Risk Assessment and Life Cycle Assessment, Temanord 2000:545. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen 200, pp. 81-97.
  • Saouter, E., Van Hoof, G. (2002). A Database for the Life Cycle Evaluation of Procter & Gamble Laundry Detergent. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.
  • Saouter, E., Van Hoof, G., Feijtel, T.C.J., Owens, J.W. (2002). The Effects of Compact Formliations on the Environmental Profile of North European Granliar Laundry Detergents. Part I: Life Cycle Assessment. International Journal Of Life Cycle Assessment. 7, pp. 27-38.
  • Saouter, E., Van Hoof, G., Feijtel, T.C.J., Stalmans, M., Uhl, J.C., Vollebergt L.H.M., Westra, J. (1998). Life Cycle Inventory on Laundry detergents: An Analysis of the LCI Profiles of Liquid and Powder Detergents. In 38th WFK International Detergency Conference, Seidenweberhaus, Krefeld, Germany.
  • Saouter, E., Van Hoof, G., Pittinger, C.A., and Feijtel, T.C.J (2001). The Effect of Compact Formliations on the Environmental Profile of Northern European Granliar Laundry Detergents. Part I: Environmental Risk Assessment. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 6 (6), pp. 363-372.
  • Saouter, E., White, P. (2002). Laundry Detergents: Cleaner Clothes and Cleaner Environment. Corporate Environmental Strategy. 9, pp. 40-50.
  • Stalmans, M., Berenbold, H., Berna, J.L., Cavalli, L., Dillarstone, A., Franke, M., Hirshinger, F., Janzen, D., Kosswig, K., Postlethwaite, D., Rappert, T., Renta, C., Schrarer, D., Schick, K.P., Schli, W., Thomas, H., Van Sloten, R. (1995). European Life Cycle Inventory for Detergent Surfactants Production. Tenside Surfactant and Detergent. 32, pp. 84-109.
  • White, P.W., Franke, M., Hindle, P. (1995). Integrated Solid Waste Management: A Lifecycle Inventory. An Imprint of Chapman & Hall, Wester Cleddens Road, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow G64 2NZ.
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    Further Reading
  • Boguski, T.K., Hunt, R.G., Cholakis, J.M., Franklin, W.E. (1996). LCA Methodology. In Curran, M.A., Ed., Environmental Life Cycle Assessment, McGraw-Hill Companies, New York.
  • ISO 14040 (2000). Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework. ISO/FDIS/TC207SC514040/1997(E).
  • ISO 14041 (2000). Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Goal and Scope Definition and Inventory Analysis.
  • ISO/TC207/SC5/DIS 14041. ISO 14042 (2000). Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Life Cycle Impact Assessment.
  • ISO/TC207/SC 5N 97. ISO 14043 (2000). Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Life Cycle Interpretation. ISO/TC207/SC 5N 104.
  • SETAC (1993). Guidelines for Life Cycle Assessment: A Code of Practice. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Pensacola, FL, Sesimbra, Portugal
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