Life Cycle Assessment of Paper-Based Products: Prisma Review of Process-Based, Input–Output, and Hybrid Methods

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely used method for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle. A critical component of LCA is life cycle inventory (LCI) - a phase that quantifies all inputs (materials, energy) and outputs (emissions, wastes) of a product or system - which requires selecting an appropriate data acquisition method aligned with the study’s goals and context. This systematic review analyses 26 studies from SCOPUS using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method on the LCA of paper-based products (office paper, corrugated boxes, carton board packaging, and tissue papers), categorizing them into three methods: Process-Based, Input-Output (IO), and Hybrid. Each method’s alignment with research objectives, data sources, and system boundaries is examined. The findings indicate that the hybrid method—combining detailed process data with broader secondary databases and/or economic models—offers greater adaptability and completeness. The hybrid method is particularly useful when balancing data availability with assessment scope. To support method selection, this review presents a flowchart that serves as a support for method selection for future researchers and practitioners in choosing appropriate methods for LCA.