Process of comparing the environmental performance of products or services, to enable an informed choice.

The term 'life cycle' refers to the notion that a fair assessment must consider all steps from cradle to grave: raw material production, processing, use and disposal, and transportation.

The present Life Cycle Assessment compares two ways of treating industrial waste: either in the Belgian cement clinker production where the wastes are used as fuel, or in specialised waste incinerators.

Two different assessment methods were used: CML and Eco-indicator 99.