Life cycle consideration

I am wondering to what extent we are expected to control/influence these outsourced processes. We ensure any relevant products are CE complaint etc, are transported correctly, and do not contain any banned substances. But what we don't do is control/monitor the processes within their factories to ensure they are environmentally friendly.
I am worried when we get audited the auditor will find some non-conformances because of this. Do you have any advice as to what is expected by this clause for a small business like ourselves? In this scenario would a simple statement be sufficient to explain this and state that we have asked the supplier to consider all environmental impacts it is causing? I would much appreciate any advice?”

Answer:
The life cycle perspective implies consideration of the material life cycle associated with the products and services and does not require a detailed evaluation. Check this ISO text - Life cycle perspective - what ISO 14001 includes - https://committee.iso.org/sites/tc207sc1/home/projects/published/iso-14001---environmental-manage/life-cycle.html

According to your organization’s particular context, you should determine which stages of the lifecycle you can control or influence. Remember that the word used by ISO 14001:2015 is “consideration” not a very strong requirement. Therefore, it is necessary to realistically assess what is actually controllable and what can be influenced and act accordingly.

The following material will provide you with information about the life cycle perspective:

- ISO 14001 – Lifecycle perspective in ISO 14001:2015 – What does it mean? - https://advisera.com/14001academy/blog/2017/02/20/lifecycle-perspective-in-iso-140012015-what-does-it-mean/
- How does product life cycle influence environmental aspects according to ISO 14001:2015? - https://advisera.com/14001academy/blog/2016/03/21/how-does-product-life-cycle-influence-environmental-aspects-according-to-iso-140012015/
- free online training ISO 14001:2015 Foundations Course - https://advisera.com/training/iso-14001-internal-auditor-course/
- book - THE ISO 14001:2015 COMPANION – A A Straightforward Guide to Implementing an EMS in a Small Business - https://advisera.com/books/the-iso-14001-2015-companion/