What is the objective of a life cycle assessment?

The objective of a life cycle assessment (LCA) is to assess environmental aspects throughout a product's life. This includes evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s life cycle, from raw material extraction through production, use, and disposal.

This comprehensive analysis helps identify opportunities to minimize negative environmental impacts and improve sustainability. By considering factors such as energy consumption, resource depletion, and emissions at each stage, LCA provides valuable insights into how products can be designed and managed to be more eco-friendly.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects that are not the primary purpose of LCA. For example, evaluating the cost of a product does not directly relate to assessing its environmental impacts; analyzing market demand pertains to commercial strategies rather than environmental considerations, and reducing production time is focused on efficiency rather than sustainability.