A drinks company is deciding whether to switch from glass bottles to a lighter plastic alternative. Why is a life cycle assessment particularly useful for this decision?

Correct answer: D) It can reveal whether reducing impacts at one stage, such as transport, simply shifts greater impacts to another stage, such as disposal

Explanation

LCA looks at the whole life of a product, so it helps identify 'burden shifting', where an improvement at one stage creates larger problems elsewhere. Lighter packaging may cut transport emissions but increase waste or pollution at end of life. LCA does not guarantee cost savings and does not replace consideration of social impacts.