1.47 Flashcards
State the environmental impacts at different stages of the product life cycle
- Raw Material Extraction
- Raw Material Processing
- Manufacture
- Distribution
- Use
- Disposal
Explain the environmental impacts at different stages of the product life cycle
- Raw Material Extraction- damage caused to the environment by extraction of raw materials, eg mining for metal, deforestation for wood
- Material Processing- Process of turning raw materials into usable materials, eg wood to paper- uses a huge amount of energy processing emissions/
- Manufacture- use huge amounts of energy when producing waste, scrap material, eg transforming material into parts using moulds
- Distribution- Packaging products uses large amounts of material while taking up excessive cargo space in distribution
- Use- Products are now being developed to waste less energy as part of legislation and consumer demand
- Disposure- Porudcts not made of recyclable materials are thrown away in landfill sites. Recyclable products are broken down and their parts are reused.
What can companies do to reduce their environmental impact in terms of RAW MATERIALS
-Use less materials
-use materials with less environmental impact
-consider using recyclable materials
What can companies do to reduce their environmental impact in terms of MANUFACTURE
-reduce energy use
-simplify manufacturing processes where appropriate
-reduce waste
-use natural resources efficiently
What can companies do to reduce their environmental impact in terms of DISTRIBUTION
-reduce or lighten packaging
-reduce mileage of transportation to consumer
What can companies do to reduce their environmental impact in terms of USE
-increase durability of product
-promote efficient use of the product
-use 2green2 credentials as a positive marketing strategy
What can companies do to reduce their environmental impact in terms of END OF LIFE
-make reuse and recycling easier
-reduce waste to landfill
What is a lifecycle assessment
LCA measures the environmental impact of a product during its lifespan.
Environmental impacts are assessed from raw material extraction, to processing the product (cradle), manufacture, distribution, use and recycling or final disposal of the product (grave). This is known as cradle to grave
