Unit_B_Intro_life_cycle.ppt

Did you know… Producing one ton of recycled steel saves the energy equivalent of 3.6 barrels of oil and 1.5 tons of iron ore, compared to the production of new steel? Learning objectives Recognize where products come from and where they go after use – life-cycle Think about a product’s impacts on the environment and economy throughout Qualify impacts Quantify impacts Structure Life-cycle stages Products can be evaluated through each stage of their life-cycle: Extraction or acquisition of raw materials Manufacturing and processing Distribution and transportation Use and reuse Recycling Disposal For each stage, identify inputs of materials and energy received; outputs of useful product and waste emissions Find optimal points for improvement – eco-efficiency A life-cycle approach Ensures companies identify the multiple environmental and resource issues across the entire life-cycle of the product Knowledge of these issues informs business activities: planning, procurement, design, marketing sales Rather than just looking at the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill or an incinerator, a life-cycle approach identifies energy use, material inputs and waste generated from the time raw materials are obtained to the final disposal of the product * Identifying issues at each life-cycle stage Life-cycle – identify the boundaries Life-cycle – helps avoid shifting the issues Looking at the entire life-cycle helps ensure reducing waste at one point does not simply create more waste at another point in the life-cycle Issues may be shifted – intentionally or inadvertently – among: Processes or manufacturing sites Geographic locale Different budgets and planning cycles first cost Environmental media – air, water, soil MTBE Sustainability dimension: economic, social, environmental burdens Depends on “boundaries” Be conscious of what is shifted and to where! For example, MTBE… Methyl tertiary butyl ether - MTBE Methyl tertiary butyl ether - MTBE Different products have