Significance and Use
A schematic of the sequence of steps involved in development of a LCA is shown in Fig. 1. A life cycle assessment (LCA) consists of four independent elements (see Fig. 1), which have been standardized internationally (ISO 14040 series Standards, 1997-1999). These are:
5.1.1 Definition of goal and scope,
5.1.2 Life cycle inventory analysis (LCI),
5.1.3 Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and
5.1.4 Life cycle interpretation.
FIG. 1 Overview Process for Evaluating and Reporting Environmental Performance of Biobased Products
1. Scope
1.1 Environmental performance shall be measured using the life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach. LCA is a "cradle-to-grave" approach that evaluates all stages in the life of a product, including raw material acquisition, product manufacture, transportation, use and ultimately, recycling (that is, "cradle to cradle" and waste management).
1.2 LCAs for biobased products shall be conducted and communicated in a similar manner, including consistent boundary conditions, functional units, environmental indicators, and reporting formats.
1.3 This practice is limited to environmental performance metrics and excludes other metrics such as those related to economics and social equity.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) 
The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
ASTM Standards
D6852 Guide for Determination of Biobased Content, Resources Consumption, and Environmental Profile of Materials and Products
D6866 Test Methods to Determine the Biobased Content of Materials Using Radiocarbon and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
D7026 Guide for Sampling and Reporting Results for Determination of Biobased Content of Materials via Carbon Isotope Analysis
ISO Standards
ISO14049 Environmental Management--Life Cycle Assessment--Examples of Application of ISO 14041 to Goal and Scope Definition and Inventory Analysis
U.S. Federal Government Document
PublicLaw107-171 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, May 13, 2002
Keywords
biobased products; environmental performance; life-cycle assessment;
ICS Code
ICS Number Code 13.020.60 (Product life-cycles)
DOI: 10.1520/D7075-04
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.
Citing ASTM Standards
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