> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.maalbar.dk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

> Learn what LCA is, how it measures environmental impact across every life cycle phase, and how Målbar applies it to product footprint calculations.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology for estimating the climate or total environmental impact of a product or service across every stage of its existence. Målbar uses LCA as the foundation for all product climate footprint calculations, giving you a structured, evidence-based view of where impact occurs — and where you can reduce it.

## How a product life cycle works

Every product starts as raw materials extracted from nature. Those materials are processed, assembled into a product, packaged, distributed, sold, used, possibly reused, and eventually disposed of. At each stage, the product interacts with the environment in different ways.

<Info>
  These interactions are measured across so-called **impact categories** — climate change, water resource use, soil fertility, human health effects, and more.
</Info>

An LCA that complies with the EU's **Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)** rules considers all 16 impact categories throughout the full life cycle, giving you a complete picture of a product's total environmental impact — not just its carbon footprint.

## System boundaries

A critical concept in any LCA is the **system boundary**: which life cycle stages are actually included in the calculation. Three terms are widely used:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Cradle to Cradle">
    Covers all life cycle stages, including end-of-life recycling back into a new product life cycle. This is the most comprehensive boundary and reflects true circular economy thinking.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cradle to Grave">
    Covers all stages from raw material extraction through to final disposal. It includes use and end-of-life, but does not credit recycling into a new cycle.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cradle to Gate">
    Covers only the stages up to the factory gate — raw material extraction and production. It excludes packaging, distribution, use, and end-of-life. This is a narrower boundary often used for business-to-business reporting.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Warning>
  When you see a climate impact number for a product, always ask: **"How did you get this result?"** Different system boundaries produce very different numbers — and comparing them directly is misleading.
</Warning>

## Why system boundaries matter

Two companies can publish very different CO₂eq figures for similar products simply because one uses Cradle to Gate and the other uses Cradle to Grave. Understanding the system boundary is the first step to interpreting — and trusting — any LCA result.

<Tip>
  In Målbar, your calculations follow PEF methodology with a full lifecycle approach by default, so you always know what is and is not included in your result.
</Tip>

## Download the illustration

The Målbar LCA illustration walks through each life cycle stage visually, including end-of-life scenarios.

<Card title="Life Cycle Assessment illustration (PDF)" icon="file-arrow-down" href="https://www.maalbar.dk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Life-Cycle-Assessment-EOL.pdf">
  Download the full LCA visual explainer from Målbar Academy.
</Card>