ABSTRACT
Life-cycle inventory is a “snapshot” of inputs to and outputs from a system. Life-cycle inventory analysis had its beginnings in the 1960s. The inventory analysis component is a technical, data-based process of quantifying energy and raw material requirements, atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, solid wastes, and other releases for the entire life cycle of a product, package, process, material, or activity. Scoping is one of the first activities in any life-cycle assessment and is considered by some practitioners as a fourth component. Process and transportation energy requirements are determined for each stage of a product’s life cycle. To calculate the total results for the entire life cycle of a particular product, the energy and certain emission values for each stage of the product’s life cycle can be summed. Life-cycle inventories and impact analyses can be used to educate industry, government, and consumers on the tradeoffs of alternative processes, products, materials, and/or packages.
