Life Cycle Assessment ~ MDH Evolution

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT is an Essential Tool, integral to Operational Cost Management

Daniel A. Huard, LEED Fellow the Godfather of Sustainability shares “Life Cycle Assessment is an Essential Tool for organizations seeking informed pathways to reduce their environmental impact, improve manufacturing effectiveness, ensure best in use considerations and manage waste including product end-of-life more efficiently, as well as providing compliance economy of scales.”

The ISO LCA Standard 14040:2006 – LCA Framework

The ISO LCA Standard 14040:2006 was reviewed and confirmed in 2022 so when we reference this work credit to must be given to the International Standards Organization for their diligent work maintaining the LCA Standard as well as ensuring its robust applicability. “ISO 14040:2006 describes the principles and framework for life cycle assessment (LCA) including: definition of the goal and scope of the LCA, the life cycle inventory analysis (LCI) phase, the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase, the life cycle interpretation phase, reporting and critical review of the LCA, limitations of the LCA, the relationship between the LCA phases, and conditions for use of value choices and optional elements.”

In our application for Clients, we utilize differing and different Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software and approved techniques to effectively gauge how a product (or assembly of products such as in a building) will impact the environment throughout its life stages from the initial sourcing of raw materials to eventual waste disposal or more effective end-of-life.

Incorporated Full-Life-Cycle-Thinking

We encourage our Clients to incorporate full-life-cycle-thinking into their Protocols, Procedures and Processes incorporating Life Cycle Stages into their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to more effectively track inputs, outputs, impacts and metrics. When effective Governance sees this adoption, organizations can reduce overall costs related to inventory acquisition, production/construction, transportation, use, waste generation and management, the off-site shipment of waste, and its treatment or disposal. In our experience creating policies and procedures that significantly consider to include purchasing departments, manufacturing units, and even if necessary hazardous waste management departments combines input and iteration produce dramatic inventory savings, reductions in waste generation and related spending, reduce negative environmental impacts for example: wastewater, air emissions, increased landfill, incineration, and other treatments.

Life Cycle Stages Optimizations

Our team at MDHEvo, LLC go beyond the typical Four Major Life-Cycle Stages phases in our evaluations to encourage the incorporation of the ‘BEYOND’ Fifth Stage as illustrated in this graphic at the left to acknowledge the Three Rs to encourage Circular Economy, Restorative and Regenerative development cycle implementations as a fundamental Governance need.

Huard adds “If you want credible ESG Reporting then your “E” efforts need the transparency from your materials and processes reporting included within your LCAs. Doing this ensures that you have effectively included governance “G” that supports the socially responsible “S” as well!” Marlyn Huard of MDH Evolution shares “As a Financial Professional we take the mindsets of Financial Grade Auditing, Accounting, and applied Scientific Methodology to fully account for and consider all aspects of LCA development”.

“We at MDH Evolution continue upon the have long been known for our more than quarter century of work where Humann Building Solutions has been very effective with global reach preparing robust LCA reporting for our Clients, Green Building Certification Standards globally as well as for various Governmental Agencies.”

In closing if you would like to discuss how LCA can be effective for your organization or Green Building Certification strategy do reach out, MDH Evolution LCA Consulting can help!