LCSA and analysis of circular economy strategies

These approaches from a life-cycle perspective enable a comprehensive understanding of environmental, economic, and social implications across the entire life cycle of products, processes, and systems.

LCA is used to quantify environmental impacts associated with material extraction, production, use, and end-of-life options, allowing comparison of circular strategies such as recycling, reuse, remanufacturing, and lifetime extension. LCC and TEA complement this by assessing economic feasibility, including capital and operational costs, market competitiveness, and scalability of circular solutions. CBA further supports decision-making by comparing overall societal costs and benefits, integrating externalities where relevant. SLCA expands the analysis to social dimensions, addressing impacts on workers, local communities, and broader value chains, including employment, working conditions, and social acceptance. The combined application of these methodologies enables the identification of trade-offs and synergies between sustainability dimensions.

Their integration into coherent frameworks supports robust, evidence-based decision-making, helping stakeholders design, optimise, and implement circular economy strategies aligned with sustainability goals and policy priorities.