Which statement about life-cycle assessment is accurate?

• A. It evaluates environmental impact from cradle to grave.
• B. It focuses only on initial material costs.
• C. It evaluates only maintenance requirements.
• D. It excludes end-of-life disposal considerations.

Answer: (A)

Life-cycle assessment looks at environmental impact across the entire life of a product—from resource extraction (cradle) through manufacturing, use, maintenance, and finally end-of-life disposal or recycling (grave). That comprehensive scope is why the statement describing cradle to grave is the best fit: it recognizes environmental effects at every stage, not just upfront costs or ongoing maintenance. It also includes end-of-life considerations, which many analyses omit. In contrast, focusing only on initial material costs or only on maintenance, or excluding disposal, fails to capture the full environmental picture that LCA aims to measure.