Life cycle assessment in circular design process: A systematic literature review

Abstract

This study systematically examines the role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in supporting and validating Circular Design (CD) strategies across industries. Using the PRISMA framework, 99 studies were analyzed to assess how LCA has been applied to evaluate the effectiveness of circular strategies. The findings reveal that Resource Efficiency and Waste Minimization (32.5 %) and End-of-Life Planning (27.8 %) are the most frequently assessed strategies. In contrast, Product Longevity (10.8 %), Circular Business Models (14.2 %), and Sustainable Materials (14.6 %) receive comparatively less attention. The construction sector (38 %) demonstrates the highest implementation of multiple circular strategies, followed by the automotive industry (32 %), where LCA has been instrumental in validating material efficiency and lightweighting approaches. While packaging and wind energy sectors show targeted applications of LCA in closed-loop systems and material recovery, industries such as textiles (8 %), chemicals (12 %), and marine applications (6 %) remain underrepresented. LCA plays a critical role in quantifying the environmental benefits and trade-offs of circular strategies, offering valuable insights into resource optimization, emissions reduction, and waste minimization. By assessing hotspots and performance metrics, LCA helps designers, manufacturers, and policymakers make informed decisions on circular interventions. However, methodological inconsistencies, data limitations, and the lack of standardized metrics for evaluating multi-strategy synergies hinder broader implementation. Additionally, certain strategies, such as Water Efficiency and Additive Manufacturing (2 % each), remain largely unexplored despite their relevance to circular economy objectives. To address these gaps, future research should prioritize standardizing LCA methodologies, expanding its application in underrepresented sectors, and developing a more structured approach to evaluating synergies between circular strategies. By offering a unified CDS classification and cross-sectoral synthesis, this review supports the effective integration of LCA in circular design practices and provides actionable insights for future research, industry application, and policy development.