Offering knowledge to help consumers make the most sustainable choices is one of the objectives of this joint volunteer effort by companies and entities

A joint initiative of nine major companies in partnership with the Akatu Institute and the Brazilian Life Cycle Association (ABCV), the Brazilian Life Cycle Analysis Business Network will hold its inaugural event in Brazil at the Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) in São Paulo on this Wednesday (30). Specialists and researchers will gather to discuss the importance of disseminating throughout the business community the concept of product life cycles.

During the event, the companies forming the network plan to establish joint actions to promote and popularize the practice of life cycle analysis (LCA). "Providing knowledge so that consumers can make sustainable choices is one of the objectives of this joint effort," explained Luiz Gustavo Ortega, the network's coordinator, stressing that LCA concepts are critical to assessing the social and environmental impacts of products and services.

A tool that allows you to quantify environmental loads and to weigh the positive and negative impacts that a product, system or process has on the environment, life cycle analysis, as the name says, analyzes all phases of a production process, from the raw materials to its post-consumer phase or final destination once it become useless, which can potentially involve its disposal as solid waste.

Braskem, Danone, Embraer, GE, Grupo Boticário, Natura, Odebrecht, Oxiteno and Tetra Pak are some of the companies that have joined the initiative, which is open to all companies interested in debating this theme of such importance to consumers' buying decisions and to determining the business strategies of the companies themselves.

Importance to consumers
To go beyond mere common sense and truly make a difference in their buying decisions, consumers must know the social and environmental impacts of all phases of the life cycle of each product they consume. This allows them to opt for products that have more positive than negative impacts on society and the planet.

The network's objective is to discuss and research ways to learn about the life cycle of products, services and systems so that they are incorporated into companies' production processes. Moreover, the network plans to inform consumers of the importance of considering this type of analysis when taking decisions involving the purchase, use and disposal of a product. The network's efforts are aligned with the Brazilian Life Cycle Analysis Program (PBACV) developed by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

About the Brazilian Life Cycle Analysis Business Network
The Brazilian Life Cycle Analysis Business Network is an organization of companies and entities created in 2012. Officially launched on October 30, 2013, the network plans to carry out joint actions to promote and popularize the practice of assessing the life cycle of products and services in the Brazilian market. The network's mission is to disseminate the concept of LCA as a critical factor in the social and environmental assessments of products and services, to mobilize companies, to educate consumers and to influence public policy.