Life-Cycle Assessment

• What is a lifecycle assessment?

  It measures a product's environmental impact
• What should you be able to discuss by the end of the video?

  Life cycle assessments for plastic and paper bags
• What is the first stage of a lifecycle assessment?

  Assessing raw materials' environmental impact
• What materials are commonly assessed in lifecycle assessments?

  Plastics and metals like copper
• What is the process of producing plastics from crude oil?

  Extraction, transportation, refining, and cracking
• What is a significant environmental concern when extracting metals?

  It produces large amounts of toxic waste
• What happens after raw materials are produced?

  Manufacturing, packaging, and transportation occur
• What is assessed during a product's lifetime?

  The environmental impact of its usage
• What is a major issue with battery usage in toys?

  It produces a large amount of toxic waste
• What must be assessed at the end of a product's life?

  The disposal of harmful chemicals
• What is a key difference between plastic and paper bags?

  Plastic bags are non-biodegradable, paper bags are biodegradable
• What is a renewable resource mentioned in the video?

  Trees used for paper bags
• What is a significant environmental impact of crude oil extraction?

  It can harm habitats through oil leaks
• What is a drawback of making paper bags?

  It requires huge amounts of water
• Why are plastic bags often reused?

  They are strong and durable
• What is a problem with paper shopping bags?

  They tend to tear easily
• What is a consequence of plastic bags being non-biodegradable?

  They remain in the environment for a long time
• What is a major issue with lifecycle assessments?

  They may require estimates or value judgments
• How can lifecycle assessments be biased?

  To support claims made by advertisers
• What are the four main stages of a lifecycle assessment?

  1. Assessing raw materials' environmental impact
  2. Manufacturing, packaging, and transportation
  3. Assessing the product's lifetime impact
  4. Assessing disposal at the end of life
• Compare the environmental impacts of plastic and paper shopping bags.

  • Plastic bags:
  • Non-biodegradable
  • Strong and reusable
  • Harmful to habitats if leaked
  • Paper bags:
  • Biodegradable
  • Weaker and often single-use
  • Requires large water amounts
• What are the problems associated with lifecycle assessments?

  • Difficulty in measuring environmental damage
  • Need for estimates or value judgments
  • Potential bias to support advertising claims