Life Cycle Assessments Flashcards
what is a lifecycle assessment?
an analysis that looks at every stage of a product’s life to assess the impact it would have on the environment
what factors would a life cycle assessment consider?
-getting the raw materials for creation
-manafacturing and packaging
-using the product
-product disposal
why is getting the raw materials considered in a life cycle assessment?
-extracting raw material needed for a product can damage the local environment e.g. mining metals. —Extracting and processing raw metals can also result in pollution due to the amount of energy needed
why is manafacturing and packaging considered in a life cycle assessment?
-manafacturing products and their packaging can use alot of energy resources and can also cause alot of pollution e.g. harmful fumes such as carbon monoxide
-it is also important to consider any waste products and how to dispose of them. The chemical reactions used to make compounds from their raw materials can produce waste products. Some waste can be turned to other useful chemicals reducing pollution
why is the use of the product considered in a life cycle assessment?
-the use of a product can damage the environment e.g. burning fuels release greenhouse gases and fertilisers can leech into stream impacting wildlife
-how long a product can be used for is a also a factor as a product that needs lots of energy to produce bur can be used for ages means less waste in the long run
why is the disposal of a product taken into account in a life cycle assessment?
-products are often disposed of in landfill sites which takes up space and pollutes land and water e.g. paint can get into rivers
-energy is also used to transport waste to landfill which means pollutants are released into the atmosphere
-products might also be burnt causing air pollution
what are some disadvantages of using life cycle assessments?
-the effects of some pollutants are hard to give a numerical value to e.g. it is difficult to apply a value to the negative visual effect of plastic bags in the environment compared to paper ones
-selective life cycle assessments only show some of the impacts of the product on the environment as they are wrote to support the claims of a company so they can be biased
