or service, by:- compiling an inventory of relevant energy and
material inputs and environmental releases; - evaluating the potential environmental impacts
associated with identified inputs and releases; - interpreting the results to help you make a more
informed decision.
Life cycle assessment has become routine in many
corporate sectors and is now a field of study at many
universities and research institutes, with concomitant
professional organizations and journals (see Ameri-
can Center for Life Cycle Assessment, International
Society for Industrial Ecology, International Journal of
Life Cycle Assessment, Journal of Industrial Ecology).
The concept of looking at a product or process
throughout its life cycle is not new to DOD, as life
cycle costing has been used since the 1960s (Guinee et
al. 2011). Durant (2007) offers a thorough discussion
of efforts (largely unsuccessful) to implement envi-
ronmental life cycle cost accounting in DOD. With
increased emphasis on sustainability, employing full
life cycle analyses is imperative as it offers a way to
better understand resource use, environmental im-
pact, cost, and even social impacts (social LCA) for
various products or processes. Thinking about prod-
ucts and processes in a more holistic way is core to the
idea of being sustainable. Lovins (2010), for example,
offers evidence for assessing energy needs throughout
the life cycle (end to end; tooth to tail) of any products
and/or technologies because adopting a technology
that is more efficient at the front end, but requires in-
creased logistical support will not be more effective
overall. Bogard et al. (1999) conducted an LCA on
the potential for replacing lead with tungsten or tin in
some ammunition and found favorable environmen-