UCLA

The production and consumption of products and services is a major source of environmental impacts. With this in mind, the demand for environmental impact data on products and supply chains is increasing, and there is a need for companies to understand the best approaches to gathering reliable data for decision making. Life cycle assessment (LCA) a commonly used measurement tool used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product system. Businesses have an interest in understanding their environmental impacts but don’t often have the time or the resources to commit to the academic approach of LCA to thoroughly assess all of their products and services.

The purpose of this research is to provide examples of how the corporate sector can optimize their resources to use LCA to measure the key environmental impacts in a product’s life cycle. By identifying critical issues present in the life cycle of products and taking constructive response actions the environmental performance of products can improve. The apparel industry is the area of focus throughout this LCA research.

This dissertation a) uses a systematic review to examine the existing LCA research and data that is focused on the apparel industry, b) provides a case study of a collaborative approach to LCA using primary data from a supply chain vendor and a brand to develop a comprehensive product LCA, and c) examines the impacts of product packaging using LCA and an evaluation of product logistics to provide an example of how of LCA and logistics systems can be used together to minimize environmental impacts.

LCA is a growing area of research and there is a substantial amount of data that has already been collected and shared via peer-reviewed publications, databases and industry research. Industry professionals and academics can utilize existing data as a starting point for understanding the environmental impacts of their own products and processes. If there is a need for more specific product data, a collaborative LCA approach that engages supply chain partners to gather LCA data specific to the processes that they control proved to be an effective way to model a product system. In order to minimize data discrepancies it is essential for the participating companies to start with a consistent LCA methodology and commit to transparent data sharing.

Once the life cycle environmental impact data has been gathered, companies have an opportunity to evaluate the results and take action to reduce impacts. Packaging was used as an example of an opportunity to minimize the environmental impacts of a product system. The findings of the research highlighted that if the company does not have control over the manufacturing and processing in a product system, opportunities to minimize impacts can be found within logistics and operational systems.