ReCiPe is a method for the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). It was first developed in 2008 through cooperation between RIVM, Radboud University Nijmegen, Leiden University and PRé Sustainability.

The primary objective of the ReCiPe method is to transform the long list of life cycle inventory results into a limited number of indicator scores. These indicator scores express the relative severity on an environmental impact category. In ReCiPe we determine indicators at two levels:

• 18 midpoint indicators
• 3 endpoint indicators

Each method (midpoint, endpoint) contains factors according to the three cultural perspectives. These perspectives represent a set of choices on issues like time or expectations that proper management or future technology development can avoid future damages.

• Individualist: short term, optimism that technology can avoid many problems in future.
• Hierarchist: consensus model, as often encountered in scientific models, this is often considered to be the default model.
• Egalitarian: long term based on precautionary principle thinking.

Some of the advantages of the ReCiPe framework relative to other approaches include:

• The broadest set of midpoint impact categories.
• Where possible, it uses impact mechanisms that have global scope.
• Unlike other approaches (Eco-Indicator 99, EPS Method, LIME, and Impact 2002+) it does not include potential impacts from future extractions in the impact assessment but assumes such impacts have been included in the inventory analysis.

ReCiPe 2016 is an improvement on ReCiPe 2008, and its predecessors CML 2000 and Eco-indicator 99. The method is updated regularly, to incorporate new data and new research. The latest update is now led by the Radboud University.

ReCiPe 2016 was developed in collaboration between the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Radboud University Nijmegen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and PRé.

For more information please visit the ReCiPe website.