Life-cycle assessment (LCA) breaks down a product’s environmental impacts across distinct stages, from upstream material production through end-of-life. Variable follows the EN 15804+A2 standard, which defines a comprehensive framework for these stages.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.variable.global/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
EN 15804 calls each A1–D stage an information module. We use life-cycle stage throughout Variable - the two terms mean the same thing.
Stage overview
EN 15804+A2 organizes the product life-cycle into four main phases:Detailed stage reference
| Stage | Name | Phase | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Materials | Upstream | The materials and components that go into your product, including their upstream production from cradle to the supplier’s gate |
| A2 | Transport to manufacturing | Upstream | Transportation of materials and components to the manufacturing facility |
| A3 | Manufacturing | Direct | All manufacturing and assembly processes, including energy consumption, waste, and packaging |
| A4 | Transport to customer | Downstream | Distribution of the finished product to the customer or construction site |
| A5 | Installation/assembly | Downstream | On-site installation, assembly, or construction activities |
| B1 | Use | Downstream | Emissions during normal product use (e.g., off-gassing, refrigerant leakage) |
| B2 | Maintenance | Downstream | Regular maintenance activities throughout the product’s service life |
| B3 | Repair | Downstream | Repair activities to restore product functionality |
| B4 | Replacement | Downstream | Replacement of components that have a shorter lifespan than the product |
| B5 | Refurbishment | Downstream | Major refurbishment or renovation activities |
| B6 | Operational energy use | Downstream | Energy consumed during product operation |
| B7 | Operational water use | Downstream | Water consumed during product operation |
| C1 | Deconstruction/demolition | End of life | Dismantling or demolition of the product at end of service life |
| C2 | Transport to processing | End of life | Transportation of waste materials to processing facilities |
| C3 | Waste processing | End of life | Recycling, recovery, or other waste treatment processes |
| C4 | Final disposal | End of life | Landfilling or other final disposal methods |
| D | Benefits beyond boundary | Optional | Potential benefits from reuse, recycling, and energy recovery outside the system boundary |
Module D (benefits beyond the system boundary) is reported separately and does not count toward a product’s total footprint. It captures potential benefits - reuse, recycling, energy recovery - that happen outside your system boundary.
What to include in each stage
These are non-exhaustive examples to get you started. Your product’s PCR (Product Category Rules) is authoritative - always follow it where it differs from the guidance below.
A1: Materials
The materials in your model. Each input is a quantity of a Material - whether unprocessed (ore, timber), processed (steel sheet, plastic pellets), or pre-formed (a steel pipe, a molded housing). The Dataset behind each Material covers its upstream production from cradle to the supplier’s gate, including mining or harvesting, refining, and any supplier processing. It does not include transport to your factory - that’s A2. Packaging can fall into different stages depending on what it is: packaging on incoming supplier materials commonly sits in A1, manufacturing or product packaging in A3, and distribution packaging in A4. When in doubt, default to A1 - but always follow your PCR, which is authoritative on where each kind of packaging belongs.A2: Transport to manufacturing
- All transport modes from suppliers to your factory
- Consider supplier location and transport distances
A3: Manufacturing
- Electricity and fuel consumption
- Direct emissions from a process (e.g., welding, curing, calcination, clinkering)
- On-site waste generation and treatment
- Water consumption and wastewater treatment
A4-A5: Distribution and installation
- Transport to distribution centers and final customers
- Installation energy and consumables
- Construction site waste
- Temporary works and scaffolding
B stages: Use phase
- Energy consumed during operation (B6) - typically the largest use-phase contribution
- Maintenance schedules and replacement cycles
C stages: End of life
- Demolition and dismantling energy
- Transport to waste facilities
- Recycling processes
- Landfill or incineration
Examples by product type
Electronics (laptop)
| Stage | Example inputs |
|---|---|
| A1 | Semiconductors, metals, plastics, battery cells |
| A2 | Component shipping from Asia |
| A3 | Assembly, testing, packaging |
| A4 | Air freight to retailers |
| B6 | Electricity during 5-year use phase |
| C3-C4 | E-waste recycling, circuit board processing |
Construction materials (steel beam)
| Stage | Example inputs |
|---|---|
| A1 | Iron ore mining, coking coal |
| A2 | Rail transport to steel mill |
| A3 | Electric arc furnace, rolling |
| A4 | Truck delivery to site |
| A5 | Crane operation, welding |
| C1 | Cutting for demolition |
| C3-C4 | Steel recycling |
Consumer goods (furniture)
| Stage | Example inputs |
|---|---|
| A1 | Wood harvesting, foam production |
| A2 | Truck from suppliers |
| A3 | Cutting, assembly, finishing |
| A4 | Delivery to customer |
| B2 | Cleaning products, reupholstery |
| C3-C4 | Wood recycling or landfill |