Life Cycle Costing as a New Tool Matching Economical and Environmental Evaluations: The Experience on a Real Case Study

In the last few years the cost analysis methodologies have progressively become indispensable tools for the administrative management of a firm. In parallel, the need to integrate them to the quantification of the environmental impacts is getting stronger and stronger. One of the most innovative approaches of integration is “Life Cycle Costing” (LCC), which determines the costs associated to the life cycle of products and processes, including also the ones deriving from their environmental impacts. An example is shown here, with reference to the economical and environmental costs related to the life cycle of a metallic vehicle component.