Product and service

Kamrul Islam and Masaharu Motoshita

Chapter 127 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, 2026, pp 480-481 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The distinction between products and services lies in factors such as tangibility and the type of consumer interaction, yet both fulfill consumer needs. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates both, but product LCAs dominate due to their prevalence in the social system. However, foreground and background system boundaries distinguish product and service LCAs. In sustainable development, environmental assessments increasingly inform product development, particularly in the conceptual design phase, where decisions overwhelmingly impact environmental performance. Challenges in early stage environmental assessments include limited information and the need for swift decisions. Various qualitative and quantitative methods simplify LCA modeling, catering to different perspectives such as marketing, organizational, and environmentally conscious design. Integrating value-added services with traditional products, known as servitization, emphasizes the importance of early-stage design activities.

Keywords: Products; Services; Life cycle assessment; Sustainable development; Foreground system; Background system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035309887
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