Implications Of Wider Issues Flashcards
Implications of wider issue
- every new product will have an impact on the environment
- encouraged to use environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of manufacture and materials
What is a life-cycle assessment (LCA)
It interprets and evaluates the environmental impact of a product from ‘cradle to grave’
- from extraction of raw materials to manufacturing the product to end of use/disposal
Analyse the energy needs in the life-cycle of a product: acquisition of raw materials
- energy needed for extraction e.g. oil
- environmental impacts of mining, deforestation etc
Analyse the energy needs in the life-cycle of a product: transportation of raw materials
- consider oil tank disasters, air pollution
- Electric cars are cleaner but generating the energy impacts environment
Analyse the energy needs in the life-cycle of a product: processing of raw materials
- E.g. smelting, making polymers from oil
- this pollutes and requires vast amounts of energy
Analyse the energy needs in the life-cycle of a product: manufacturing the product
- Industry requires energy for machine/lighting/heating and chemicals to dye fabrics which have an environmental impact
- manufacturing doesn’t take place in the same area as material processing so transportation is needed to and from the factory which involves considerable energy Usage and impacts on the environment
Analyse the energy needs in the life-cycle of a product: using the product
- some products require no further energy usage
- however cars and washing machines use a significant amounts of energy
- some products e.g. milk bottles are reused and so energy is used for cleaning them
Analyse the energy needs in the life-cycle of a product:
Disposal and recycling
- landfills impact
- The collection of waste requires energy
- incineration centres use energy to dispose of waste although many reclaim the energy created by incineration for useful purposes
- recycling uses a lot of energy but will use less raw materials and conserve valuable natural resources
facts about the recycling of polymers
- The UK uses 5 million tons of polymers a year
- only 29% are recovered/recycled
- A half of the polymer bottles collected in the UK are now processed there
Examples of a life-cycle: polymer bottle
- made from PET polymer (crude oil) so oil extraction releases greenhouse gases and harms habitats and environment, it also has to be transported to refinery
- shipped to manufacture to create polymer pellets, these are melted down taking up energy
- in bottling plants the pellets are blowmolded, sterilised and sealed before being kept, labelled and packed using a lot of electricity and then ship to shops
- consumers purchase bottles and then recycle them/end up in landfill. During recycling, they are shredded and washed, then melted down and formed into pellets
Improvements due to LCA’s
- cars are manufactured at production plants: materials into one end and completed cars exit the other
- improved recycling
- lighter cars which use less energy
- Electric cars mean no local emissions, however, creating that energy could have released CO2 so this can only be done if renewable energy sources are used, otherwise there are no ecological benefits
What are the two different footprints
We consume natural resources e.g. energy and materials and produce waste and pollution. These give us an ecological footprint
- The impact on environment and natural resources
and social footprint
- The impact we have on other people
What is a carbon footprint and what two types are there
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activity
1) primary footprint measures our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels, including domestic energy consumption and transportation
2) secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 missions from the products we use
What does the worldwide fund for nature estimate
They estimate that the average ecological footprint of the person is 5.6 hectors, three times what is considered to be sustainable.
- if everyone consumed like we did we would need three planets to sustain us
Natural materials
- comes from plants, animals or the ground
E.g. Wood, wool, leather, stone, glass, metal, clay, synthetic materials made from chemicals e.g. polymers, synthetic fabrics e.g. polyester, nylon and Kevlar
About metals
- found in ores that naturally occur in the earths crust which formed millions of years ago
- smelting of silver emits sulphur dioxide, leading to acid rain and acidification of waterways and soil
- Gold is found in rock that contains acid generating sulphides and its mining produces more unwonted rock that of the mining metals
- this means specific permission is needed to mine it and any pollution can result in criminal prosecution for environmental reasons
Issues with mining
- The mining process extract ores and has a harmful impact on environment; destroys habitats, creates waste, affects landscape and consumers lot of energy
- it also affects the lives of those who live and work near sites as dust and noise pollution is created; can also cause subsidence (caving/sinking of an area)
- produces carbon monoxide which is A social impact and carbon dioxide which is an environmental impact
LCA- Audi example
- Audi A6 has reduced its weight by 80 kg
- every part of the car can be recycled
about timber
- the use of timber without replacement of trees has led to deforestation , soil erosion and landslides
- hardwoods - deciduous, softwoods - coniferous
- 50% of mahogany species in Asia are endangered
- man made boards are environmentally beneficial since they can be made from waste wood
FSC info
- The Forest stewardship council
- ensures that harvesting of timber doesn’t have an impact on the biodiversity or ecological processes of the worlds forests
- FSC certified means the timber has been harvested in an environmentally responsible way
the development of bamboo
- it is becoming more common
- it grows rapidly, up to 60 cm each day and can be harvested every 4-5 years (compared to 25-70 years)
- as a grass, it creates new shoots and doesn’t need to be replanted
Cotton
- most of the worlds cotton is grown in the USA/China/India
- in 2017 only 12% of the worlds cotton was classed sustainable according to cotton connect
- it is farmed using large volumes of water, 10,000 L per kilogram of cotton
- there are social impacts on workers and producers
- there are environmental impacts as well but organic cotton production which uses non-genetically modified plants grown without chemicals can reduce this
CottonConnect
- an organisation that works with leading clothing manufacturers and retailers to promote and implement large-scale improvements in the environmental and sustainability of cotton production and processing
- steps:
1) identify risks and develop sustainability strategies
2) creating a traceability system from farmer to spinner
3) working towards UN sustainable development goals
4) educating farmers/companies on fair working conditions, gender equality and human rights
Leather
- China is leading producer
- it is a durable, long-lasting and biodegradable material used in fashion products and furnishings
- byproduct of meat industry but also cows are just slaughtered for their skin especially calves (produce the most soft/luxurious leather)
- PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) it’s an animal rights organisation who promotes non-leather alternatives
- 20% of the income from each cow is for the hide
Papers and boards
- made from wood pulp which comes from softwood trees e.g. spruce, pine and hardwood trees e.g. eucalyptus, birch
- 12 trees to make one ton of newspaper
- 24 trees to make one ton of white copier paper
- reducing the amount of paper and board used in the packaging of products reduces environmental impacts
- Paper can be recycled but virgin pulp must be used to maintain quality
synthetic materials
materials made from chemicals
polymers
- either synthetic or organic
- goes through processes before it is workable
- pellets, tubes or sheets
- made of oil, coal or natural gas / starch, cellulose, sugars or organic waste
- hydrocarbons made of methane, coal and biomass
Ray Hammond
- the world in 2030
- landfills may be mined and oceans sourced for polymers
- oil will be reserved for ‘high value processes’ e.g. polymers
biopolymers
- all carbon is derived from renewable feedstock e.g. corn, potatoes, rice ,palm and wood cellulose
- used for disposable items e.g. crockery, cutlery, packaging
- 3 main groups:
1) polymers that are bio-based and biodegradable
2) polymers that are partly bio-based and non-biodegradable
3) polymers that are based on fossil fuels and are biodegradable
material choice
- material choice can reduce your ecological footprint
you can ask yourself these questions: is it local? can it be replaced or replenished? was it recycled? is it durable? is there another material that would be better?
Discuss the possible constraints when using renewable energy sources to supply power for engineered products such as the automated air monitoring system
- Renewable energy sources are relatively expensive to buy, so this must be factored in to the design strategy. In use, however, they provide free energy which is a strong
selling point. - A battery is essential to act as an energy reservoir, adding to costs, and batteries have a limited life so will need to be replaced over time.
- solar power:
No energy is generated at night, so the system may need to go into standby at night to conserve energy. Less energy is generated on a cloudy day, they need to be kept clean for maximum efficiency, and a dusty urban environment may not help with this. - wind power:
Wind does not always blow so a backup energy source may be needed such as a solar panel. Wind turbines need to always face the wind so they need mounting on a free-turning bearing. They can be noisy in high winds, so
consideration of noise nuisance may need to be considered. Rotating blades can be dangerous so the turbine would need to be mounted out of reach.
planned obsolescence
It is planning or designing a product with a limited useful life, so it will become obsolete (either unfashionable or not functional)
- the price of a repair can often be more than the price of replacing the item because products are mass produced cheaply but replacement parts on their own are expensive
what happens to item usually that are obsolete
- landfill
- sent to foreign countries with low wage economies and are burnt to retrieve what is inside them but this releases poisonous/polluting gases into the atmosphere
examples of obsolete items
- light bulbs since 1920s
- fridges
- washing machines
- clothing (fast fashion)
- medical equipment e.g. needles have a planned life for reasons of health and hygiene
example of when panned obsolescence benefits customer
some products have a limited life to ensure safety factors can be incorporated into later versions of a product
what is the circular economy
it is a, manufacturing -> consumption/use -> recycling, circle that aims to eliminate waste and continue the use of resources
examples of buying trends
- use of smart and synchronised devices to save time/money e.g A TV that can wirelessly stream content from a phone
- checking reviews before we buy
- social media influences what we buy, we can now buy directly via social channels
Technologies that affect buying trends
- Virtual reality used in marketing: virtual brochures/cat walks
- robots used throughout the retail supply chain, drones/driverless courier vehicles are being explored
- IoT allows companies to sell connected products e.g. a fridge that orders milk for us
- artificial intelligence used to answer questions/turn on lights
- chat bots (virtual assistants) for customer service/ordering
Paris agreement
- 2016
- worlds government pledged to keep global temperatures from rising above 2 degrees from pre industrial levels
- preferably less that 1.5 degrees
RED
- renewable energy directive
- requires the UK to generate 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020
when will diesel cars/ vans be banned and by who
- 2040
- ministers
how must UK cuts its carbon emissions
- by 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels
wood from controlled sources
- the FSC (forest stewardship council)
- PEFC (programme for the endorsement of forest management) is made up of 38 national organisations around the globe
household waste stats
- recycle 50% of waste by 2020
European eco label scheme
- symbol: flower
- identifies products and services that are a genuinely better choice for the environment
- helps companies get recognition for good standards
RoHS
- restriction of hazardous substances
- e.g. lead, mercury and cadmium in the manufacture of electronic equipment
WEEE
- Waste of electrical and electronic equipment
- requires all manufactures to take responsibility for what happens to the products they sell at the end of their lives
steps for designing for manufacture
- easy to manufacture, low cost
1) minimise no. of parts
2) Standardised parts and materials used - make most of purchased parts
3) modular parts assemblies
4) avoid use of left and right handed parts
planning for accuracy and precision in DFM
- multifunctional parts
- symmetrical parts so they can fit either way around to reduce error
- standard fittings e.g. bolt sizes, spacing of holes
- fewer parts = less cost and less handling, processing time and assembly difficulty
Designing for repair/maintenance
- no permanent joints
- no coatings/coverings
- label different components
- use multi-functional parts
designing with consideration of product life
- reducing environmental impacts and hazardous waste
- making products that use less energy and require less maintenance
- to make products last longer: use better materials, design them so they can be maintained e.g. batteries
