The objective of this report is to describe life cycle thinking and the suite of quantitative tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) that are rooted in that perspective, and to detail where and how these tools can be bene cially applied in the food waste space. As LCA and related tools have begun to enter common parlance, occasionally their strengths and limitations are misunderstood. Establishing realistic expectations and detailing what these tools can and cannot do is equally important.