> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.salvidia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is an LCA?

> A practical overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), what it measures, and how it connects to product footprints in Salvidia.

A **Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)** is a method for quantifying the **environmental impacts of a product or service** across its life cycle.

In the context of carbon, that usually means:

> Measuring **greenhouse gas emissions** from raw materials through to end-of-life, for a clearly defined **product and use case**.

LCAs are the backbone of credible **product carbon footprints** and many eco-labels and claims.

***

## The basic idea

Rather than just asking:

> “What are our emissions as a company?”

LCA asks:

> “What is the impact of **this product or service**, per unit, across its life cycle?”

That means:

* Defining a **functional unit** (e.g. “1 bottle of drink”, “1 t-shirt”, “1 use of the service”)
* Setting **system boundaries** (which life cycle stages are included)
* Quantifying emissions at each stage
* Summing everything into a **per-unit footprint** (e.g. kg CO₂e per unit)

In Salvidia, this thinking underpins **Product assessments**.

***

## Key LCA building blocks

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Functional unit">
      The “one unit” you’re measuring, like 1 product, 1 kg, or 1 use.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="System boundary">
      Which life cycle stages are included (e.g. cradle-to-gate or cradle-to-grave).
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Life cycle stages">
      Raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, end-of-life.
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

We’ll walk through each.

***

## Functional unit

The **functional unit** answers:

> “What exactly are we measuring the impact of?”

Examples:

* `1 x 500 ml bottled drink, delivered to customer`
* `1 t-shirt, washed 30 times, then disposed of`
* `1 kg of product sold at factory gate`
* `1 use of an online service`

Why it matters:

* It makes results **comparable** (e.g. Product A vs Product B).
* It forces clarity about **how the product is used**.
* It prevents misleading per-company or per-factory comparisons.

In Salvidia Product assessments, we encourage you to define the functional unit in the assessment description or methodology.

***

## System boundaries

System boundaries define **which parts of the life cycle** you include.

Common options:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Cradle-to-gate">
    Covers emissions from:

    <ul>
      <li>Raw material extraction</li>
      <li>Manufacturing and assembly</li>
      <li>Packaging</li>
      <li>Distribution up to the “factory gate” or point of sale</li>
    </ul>

    It <b>excludes</b>:

    <ul>
      <li>Use phase (how customers use and maintain the product)</li>
      <li>End-of-life (recycling, landfill, etc.)</li>
    </ul>

    Useful when:

    <ul>
      <li>You have good control over upstream activities</li>
      <li>Use-phase and end-of-life are highly variable</li>
      <li>You want a simpler starting point</li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Cradle-to-grave">
    Covers emissions from:

    <ul>
      <li>Raw materials and production</li>
      <li>Packaging and distribution</li>
      <li>Use phase (energy, consumables, maintenance)</li>
      <li>End-of-life (recycling, landfill, other treatment)</li>
    </ul>

    This is the <b>full life cycle</b> and is more complete, but requires more assumptions.

    Useful when:

    <ul>
      <li>You want a full story for customers or regulators</li>
      <li>Use-phase is a major driver (e.g. appliances, vehicles)</li>
      <li>You need robust comparability between product options</li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Gate-to-gate / partial">
    Focuses on a specific segment, such as:

    <ul>
      <li>A single factory</li>
      <li>A particular process stage</li>
      <li>Contract manufacturing for a client</li>
    </ul>

    Useful when:

    <ul>
      <li>You’re analysing or optimising just one part of a larger chain</li>
      <li>You don’t have data for the full life cycle yet</li>
    </ul>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

In Salvidia, you can document your system boundary in the Product assessment details and methodology.

***

## Typical life cycle stages

Most LCAs consider some or all of these stages:

1. **Raw materials and extraction**
   * Mining, agriculture, chemical feedstocks
   * Transport of raw materials to processing

2. **Manufacturing and assembly**
   * Energy use in factories
   * Processing, forming, assembly steps
   * Process emissions and waste

3. **Packaging and distribution**
   * Primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging
   * Transport to warehouses and customers
   * Storage and handling

4. **Use phase**
   * Energy and consumables during use
   * Maintenance, cleaning, replacement parts
   * User behaviour assumptions

5. **End-of-life**
   * Recycling, reuse, recovery
   * Landfill and incineration
   * Transport to end-of-life facilities

In Salvidia Product assessments, these stages are reflected in **data tables** like:

* Materials and components
* Manufacturing and assembly
* Packaging and distribution
* Use phase and lifetime
* End-of-life

***

## LCA and carbon footprints

LCA can cover many impact categories (e.g. water use, toxicity, land use), but in Salvidia we focus on **climate impact (CO₂e)**.

So when we say:

> “Product A has a footprint of 3.4 kg CO₂e per unit.”

We’re essentially giving you the **climate part** of an LCA for that product, based on your chosen:

* Functional unit
* System boundary
* Life cycle stages
* Data and emission factors

***

## Data used in product LCAs

For product footprints, you’ll typically work with:

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Materials">
      <ul>
        <li>Types of materials (e.g. steel, aluminium, plastics, fabrics)</li>
        <li>Weights or volumes per unit</li>
        <li>Recycled vs virgin content (if known)</li>
      </ul>
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Manufacturing">
      <ul>
        <li>Energy use per process or per batch</li>
        <li>Location of production (grid factors differ)</li>
        <li>Process yields and scrap rates</li>
      </ul>
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Packaging & distribution">
      <ul>
        <li>Packaging types and weights</li>
        <li>Transport modes and distances</li>
        <li>Warehousing and storage where material</li>
      </ul>
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Use & end-of-life">
      <ul>
        <li>Expected lifetime and usage patterns</li>
        <li>Energy or consumables in use</li>
        <li>Recycling, reuse, and disposal assumptions</li>
      </ul>
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

In Salvidia, these data points are entered into **structured tables** so the platform can apply relevant emission factors and aggregate everything.

***

## Why LCA thinking matters (even if you don’t need a full ISO study)

You might not need a full, ISO-compliant LCA study for every product, but **thinking like an LCA** helps you:

* Avoid tunnel vision on just manufacturing or shipping
* Spot where the **real hotspots** are (materials vs use-phase vs packaging)
* Make better design, procurement, and marketing decisions
* Answer customer questions with **credible, structured logic**

Salvidia’s Product assessments aim for a **practical, decision-focused** LCA-style approach rather than a heavy academic exercise.

***

## How Salvidia uses LCA concepts

When you create a **Product assessment** in Salvidia, you’re effectively setting up a mini LCA:

<Steps>
  <Step title="1. Define the product and functional unit">
    Name the product and specify what “one unit” means (e.g. 1 bottle, 1 garment, 1 service use).
  </Step>

  <Step title="2. Choose your system boundary">
    Decide whether you’re modelling cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave, or a specific segment. Document this in your assessment notes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="3. Add data by life cycle stage">
    Enter or import data into the tables for materials, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, and end-of-life, as relevant.
  </Step>

  <Step title="4. Review the per-unit footprint">
    Salvidia calculates the total impact per functional unit, and breaks it down by stage and category.
  </Step>

  <Step title="5. Compare scenarios">
    Duplicate assessments or use variants to compare design options (e.g. different materials, packaging, or suppliers).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Common uses of product LCAs

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="Product design and R&D">
      Use LCA-style results to guide material choices, manufacturing locations, packaging design, and durability.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Customer and buyer communication">
      Provide credible per-unit footprints in sales materials, RFPs, and sustainability claims.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="Standards and labels">
      Support eco-labels, certifications, and framework requirements that expect product-level impact data.
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

***

## If you only remember three things

<Columns>
  <Column>
    <Card title="1. LCA is per-product, per-unit">
      It’s about the impact of a specific product or service, per defined functional unit.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="2. Boundaries and assumptions matter">
      Be clear on what stages you include and how you assume the product is used and disposed of.
    </Card>
  </Column>

  <Column>
    <Card title="3. Salvidia gives you LCA-style structure">
      Product assessments in Salvidia are built around life cycle thinking, without requiring you to build everything from scratch.
    </Card>
  </Column>
</Columns>

***

## Where to go next

* See how system boundaries work in detail in **[Cradle-to-gate vs cradle-to-grave](/guides/cradle-to-gate-vs-cradle-to-grave)** (if enabled)
* Learn **[Product data you’ll need](/platform/product-data-youll-need)** for Salvidia Product assessments
* Or start a **Product assessment** and begin modelling your first product footprint.