Life-cycle thinking in the semiconductor industry

The modern sensibility on environmental topics makes a responsible handling of environmental and social issues imperative for any enterprise. To go in this direction, a life cycle perspective is necessary and it's already exploited in eco-design, product development, corporate communication, risk management. The present work aims to clarify if LCA can be a valid instrument for strategic decisions in the semiconductor industry, as it is in other branches. After giving an overview on the life cycle approach and its adoption in the industry in general, the specifics of the semiconductor industry are illustrated. Finally, the potentials of the use of life cycle thinking in this field are analyzed and supported through practical case studies, which give also a rough overview on the steps necessary for an implementation of this method in a company.