Cleaner production in the wood industry in Brazil can sometimes have unexpected environmental impacts. By combining cleaner production with life cycle assessment, researchers found that changes made to wooden chair production can lead to tradeoffs in environmental performance. The study used scientific tools to measure the environmental impacts of different chair models, revealing the need to consider these tradeoffs when implementing cleaner production programs. The results showed that certain changes in materials, energy sources, processes, or product lifespan can have both positive and negative effects on the environment, highlighting the importance of using complementary tools for environmental assessment.