What is LCA (life cycle assessment) in fashion?
LCA (life cycle assessment) is a method for measuring the environmental impacts of a product across its whole life, from raw materials to disposal.
In short
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a standardised method for quantifying the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle. For a garment, it covers fibre production, spinning, weaving or knitting, dyeing and finishing, sewing, transport, use, and end of life, across impact categories such as climate change, water use and pollution.
How does it work in practice?
An LCA follows four steps: defining goal and scope, building an inventory of inputs and outputs, assessing impacts, and interpreting results. The functional unit, for example one t-shirt worn a defined number of times, makes comparisons meaningful.
- Cradle-to-gate: impacts up to the point the product leaves the factory.
- Cradle-to-grave: includes use and disposal.
- Primary data: measured data from suppliers.
- Secondary data: database values used where primary data is missing.
Why does it matter for fashion businesses?
LCA shows where in the life cycle impacts actually occur, which often differs from intuition. It helps design and sourcing teams compare materials and suppliers, supports climate targets and provides evidence for environmental claims. Wholesale customers and marketplaces increasingly request product-level footprint data.
How does AI use it?
Full LCAs for every style are expensive. AI enables streamlined or automated LCAs by extracting material and process data from tech packs and bills of materials, matching them to database entries and estimating missing values. Designers can then see an indicative footprint while choosing materials, long before production.
Common pitfalls
Comparing LCAs with different boundaries or methods, presenting modelled estimates as precise facts, and focusing only on carbon while ignoring water or chemistry are common errors. Assumptions about durability and use can change results substantially and should be stated clearly. A useful practice is to start with streamlined assessments for the highest volume styles and materials, then commission detailed studies where results will be used for public claims or major sourcing decisions, documenting all assumptions for later review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between LCA and PEF?
LCA is the general method for assessing life cycle impacts. PEF is the EU's specific, harmonised LCA method, with category rules that define how products such as apparel and footwear should be assessed.
How long does a fashion LCA take?
A detailed study for one product can take weeks, depending on data availability. Streamlined and automated approaches can produce indicative results for whole collections much faster, with lower precision.