Environmental issues

Question 1

how can a compony reduce its energy use?

Answer 1

• identify energy hungry manufacturing processes and replace with ones that use less
• reduce the number of components in the product
• ensure good quality control on energy waste
• ensure production is set up so materials need as little movement as possible
• ensure machines run efficiently

Question 2

sustainability - the benefits of reducing packaging

Answer 2

• use as few materials as possible
• make components easy to separate
• label and mark polymers for sorting
• use recycled materials
• make all packaging recyclable
• make aspects of packaging recoverable for the future
• avoid non-recyclable materials

Question 3

advantages of using recycled materials

Answer 3

• reduces the demand on finite resources
• requires less energy
• less waste needs to be disposed of in landfill.
• reduces the need to incinerate waste
• reduction in scarring landscape

Question 4

Aim of the Kyoto principle

Answer 4

traduce greenhouse gas emissions / prevent climate change

Question 5

why was the Kyoto principle not effective?

Answer 5

• developing countries exempt, restricting their emissions buts burden on their development
• only a few countries initially signed it
• time was needed to negotiate
• countries needed to consider the implications

Question 6

Carbon offsetting

Answer 6

investing in developing clean technology / carbon reduction programs in order to counteract / reduce your emissions

Question 7

Carbon footprint

Answer 7

• the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted over the lifecycle of a product
• reducing fossil fuel consumption by not flying / sing energy /turning lights off
• impact on the environment caused by carbon emissions

Question 8

the 6 r’s of sustainability

Answer 8

Reduce -is it possible to reduce the amount of materials used? This will help to protect valuable resources.
Rethink - is there a better way to solve this problem that is less damaging to the environment?
Refuse - this means not accepting things that are not the best option for the environment. For example, is the packaging really needed?
Recycle - could recycled materials be used, or is the product made from materials that are easy to recycle?
Reuse - could the product have another use? Could its parts be used in other products? Is this information clearly communicated on the product? This will extend its life.
Repair - is the product easy to repair? This will extend its life.

Question 9

repair vs. replace: impact on a company’s profits

Answer 9

• product has an increased appeal and therefore sales due to having an extended life time
• increased sales of spares and repair service
• reputation of business improves
• not economically viable for some products

Question 10

negatives of ‘repair’ that reduce profits

Answer 10

• sell fewer new products
• increased demand on after sales support team
• product may need redesign to allow for interchangeable parts
• stocks of spare parts need to be available
• repair can be time consuming and expensive

Question 11

advantages to the compony and consumer of the reuse of products

Answer 11

-consumers feeling they are doing their part for the environment