Part of a two-volume work, this edition aims to present a decision-making tool which enables manufacturers and scientists to undertake life cycle assessment (LCA) of products from the design and development stages. The methodology presented seeks to allow the environmental consequences of a product to be assessed in the same way as traditional commercial parameters, such as price and strength. It is in accordance with international consensus as defined by SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization).