Bridging the gap: streamlining life cycle assessment for practical application in product development

This study addresses the challenges of applying traditional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) during early-stage product development by proposing a Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) approach. Traditional LCA, while robust, is often inaccessible due to its complexity, time requirements, and cost, making it impractical for many industries. The developed SLCA approach offers a simplified alternative by leveraging tools like artificial intelligence, 3D modeling, and secondary databases. The SLCA methodology was validated through a case study on an electronic device, demonstrating a 69.77% reduction in input requirements, a 91% decrease in time spent, and an average accuracy of 90.05% compared to traditional LCA. These results highlight the potential of SLCA to enable designers to identify environmental hotspots early in the design process, fostering sustainable product development.