Life cycle information can be a powerful tool for local and state legislative and regulatory agencies to utilize as part of their input to craft effective laws and regulations pertaining to products and the environment.

More often than not, LCI information is difficult to understand by local politicians, difficult to assimilate in the political process - and the absence of such information can often lead to poor public policy decisions with unintended consequences.

Using real life examples of LCI information for plastics foodservice products and the challenges in educating key opinion makers and local leaders in California in incorporating LCI thinking into their decisions, this paper will provide a basis for addressing key questions and challenges to the use of life cycle data and life cycle thinking into local (and state) laws and regulation:

• How does LCI data get incorporated into public policy on issues of the environment – for instance, reducing litter and marine debris – when the focus of legislators/regulators focus on specific products?
  
• When LCI data for specific products and their alternatives (for instance, polystyrene foam foodservice products and polyethylene plastic carry-out bags) provide environment and energy tradeoffs information that are counter to proposed local political bans and solutions for litter reduction, what is the mechanism for bringing a more scientific focus and decision to the political process?
  
• How can LCI and life cycle thinking be better understand and utilized in the legislative and regulatory process – particularly at the local level where cities grapple with environmental legislation?
  
• What is the role of perspective stakeholders (governments, industry, NGOs, universities, opinion-makers) to utilize life cycle data and life cycle thinking to achieve sound public policy and make measurable improvements to the environment and society?

This full paper and PowerPoint presentation will provide an overview of specific case studies in California – and seek to improve on the process to incorporate the concepts of sustainable development utilizing the life cycle approach and principles.