With life cycle analysis (LCA) or material and energy flow analyses, the influences on the environment that are evoked through products (life-cycle assessment of products), methods, services, production locations or economic areas are documented as fully as possible. The environmental influences are accounted for and evaluated in various environment areas (emissions into air and water, waste, exhausting resources etc.) for the various systems. The series of standards ISO 14040 et seqq. stipulate the scope of conducting LCA. Resulting from this are, for example, requirements for cultivation and traceability and transparency of life-cycle assessments.

Life-cycle assessment is an instrument of environmental management and can support operational, communal or political decisions. LCA is created for individual systems or for comparing the environmental impact of various options with the same function or purpose, depending on objectives. An analysis of the results, for example, sheds light on which processes made the essential contributions to the entire result.

Life-cycle assessment can be used, for example,

• to identify weak points and opportunities for improvement, e.g. for optimising operational processes or developing environmentally compatible products, methods etc.,
• in company marketing, e.g. preparation of consumer information or advertising products,
• in political discussion, e.g. in relation to environmental political measures.

Next to environmental aspects, LCA parameters can be determined and analysed for the systems to be examined.

In a comparison of ecology and economy, cost-benefit analyses can be made and coherences recognised between material/energy flow and costs.

Müller-BBM offers competent and proper creation of life-cycle assessments and of economical analyses on behalf of the customer. We support you with our experience and knowledge, starting from setting objectives, determining the process structures and necessary data to evaluation/interpretation and creation of a meaningful report.