> ## 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.
# Waste Hierarchy and LCA System Boundaries
> Understand the waste hierarchy, how LCA system boundaries define what is measured, and why comparing footprint numbers requires caution.
Two concepts are essential for interpreting any product climate footprint: the **waste hierarchy** and **LCA system boundaries**. The waste hierarchy ranks approaches to managing materials at end-of-life. System boundaries define which stages of a product's life are actually included in an LCA calculation. Together, they determine what a climate impact figure really means — and whether two figures can legitimately be compared.
## The waste hierarchy
The waste hierarchy is an ordered list of preferred approaches to managing materials, from most to least environmentally desirable:
1. **Prevention** — avoid creating waste in the first place
2. **Reuse** — use the product or material again without reprocessing
3. **Recycling** — break down and reprocess material into new products
4. **Recovery** — extract energy from waste (e.g. incineration with energy recovery)
5. **Disposal** — landfill as a last resort
The waste hierarchy underpins EU waste legislation and influences how end-of-life scenarios are modelled in PEF-compliant LCAs. Choices made during product design — such as selecting mono-materials or designing for disassembly — directly affect where a product's end-of-life falls on this hierarchy.
## LCA system boundaries
System boundaries define how many life cycle stages are included in an LCA. Three terms are widely used in environmental communication:
Includes **all life cycle stages**, from raw material extraction through to end-of-life — including recycling back into a new product life cycle. This is the most comprehensive system boundary and reflects the logic of a circular economy.
Includes all stages from raw material extraction through to **final disposal** (landfill or incineration). It accounts for use and end-of-life but does not credit the material back into a new cycle.
Includes only the stages **up to the factory gate** — raw material extraction, processing, and production. It excludes packaging, transport to customer, use phase, and end-of-life. Commonly used in business-to-business supply chain reporting.
## Why this matters when comparing numbers
A Cradle to Gate result will always appear lower than a Cradle to Grave result for the same product — not because the product is more sustainable, but because fewer stages are counted.
When you encounter a climate impact figure for a product, always ask: **"How did you get this result?"**
Without knowing the system boundary, you cannot meaningfully compare two numbers — even for identical products from different suppliers.
## System boundaries in Målbar
Målbar follows PEF methodology, which requires a **full lifecycle approach**: from raw material extraction through production, distribution, use, and end-of-life. This means your calculations consistently use the same system boundary, making results comparable across products and suppliers who also use PEF.
When you are evaluating supplier-provided environmental data, check whether their figures use the same system boundary as your Målbar calculations. A Cradle to Gate figure from a supplier will need to be supplemented with use-phase and end-of-life data before it can be used in a full PEF assessment.
## Download the illustration
Download the Målbar Academy visual explainer for the waste hierarchy and LCA system boundaries.