The initials “LCA” stand for many things, but in the world of the environment, LCA stands for “Life Cycle Assessment.” Often referred to as cradle-to-grave analysis, LCA examines all the impacts of a product on the environment, from the raw materials used to how it is ultimately disposed of (or recycled).
Recently, the National Wood Flooring Association announced the results of an LCA study it commissioned with the University of Wisconsin. The study compared the LCA of solid wood flooring in four categories: 1. harmful emissions to air, 2. water consumption, 3. total primary energy consumed and 4. product life expectancy with those of four competing floor coverings: 1. generic VCT, 2. generic linoleum flooring, 3. generic nylon carpet tile and 4. generic wool carpet tile. The results of the study were consistent with previous European studies concluding that wood flooring has environmental advantages over other floor coverings, including less air emissions, less primary energy use and its renewable nature, among others.