HC Deb 24 February 1992 vol 204 cc379-80W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice and assistance his Department offers companies to introduce life cycle analysis in product planning and development.

Mr. Leigh

Life cycle analysis—LCA—is a system for assessing the environmental impact of products at all stages of their life from the winning of raw materials through to the eventual disposal of the product. Although the methodology for assessing these impacts is still developing, many individual companies are turning to LCA to assist them in understanding where the main environmental impacts of their products occur. My officials actively encourage companies in this direction.

My Department has been involved in a number of presentations to business audiences to explain the relationship between LCA and the setting up of an EC-wide official ecolabelling scheme for consumer products. This official scheme will use a "cradle to grave" analysis as the underpinning requirement for assessing the environmental criteria to be applied to products which may attract a label.

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