Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy

The current global interest in circular economy (CE) opens an opportunity to make society's consumption and production patterns more resource efficient and sustainable. However, such growing interest calls for precaution as well, as there is yet no harmonised method to assess whether a specific CE strategy contributes towards sustainable consumption and production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is very well suited to assess the sustainability impacts of CE strategies. This position paper of the Life Cycle Initiative (hosted by UNEP) provides an LCA perspective on the development, adoption, and implementation of CE, while pointing out strengths and challenges in LCA as an assessment methodology for CE strategies.

Automated summary

The current global interest in circular economy presents an opportunity to improve society's resource efficiency and sustainability in consumption and production. However, there is a lack of harmonized methods to assess the sustainability impacts of specific CE strategies. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a well-suited method for evaluating the sustainability impacts of CE strategies, but there are still challenges to be addressed in using LCA as an assessment methodology for CE.