THE CONTRIBUTION OF LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA) TO MINIMIZING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PRODUCTIVE PROCESSES: A THEORETICAL APPROACH

Abstract

Due to the growing concern with the environmental issue, some techniques have been developed in order to assess the environmental aspects and impacts associated with the products. Among these techniques, a highlight is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which covers all stages of the product's life cycle, from the removal of raw material from nature to the disposal of the final product. Thus, this methodology has a great potential for application in the industry to monitor the product's life cycle. However, the application of this methodology in the industry is recent, and is still in the process of improvement. Thus, this study aims to discuss the application and use of LCA in the industrial environment. For this, a basic exploratory research
was carried out, where some concepts related to LCA were discussed, the steps for its application in the
industry and the benefits and limitations of LCA in the industrial sector. It was noticed in the study that,
despite the complexity that the application of LCA may have in the industrial sector, it is a good option for monitoring environmental issues related to products, and can contribute to sustainable development.