Ways of reducing the use of resources

• What does LCA stand for?

  Life-cycle assessment
• What is the main purpose of a life-cycle assessment?

  To analyze environmental impact of a product
• What are the main stages of a life-cycle assessment?

  • Extracting and processing raw materials
  • Manufacturing the product and packaging
  • Using the product during its lifetime
  • Disposing of the product at the end of its life
• What information is likely included in an LCA?

  Energy use, material transport, waste release
• Where do all raw materials come from?

  Earth's crust, atmosphere, oceans, living organisms
• What is one environmental impact of obtaining raw materials?

  Using up limited resources like ores and oil
• What is one impact of manufacturing products?

  Using up land for factories
• What is one environmental impact of product disposal?

  Using up land for landfill sites
• How does the impact of a product during its use vary?

  It depends on the type of product
• How can energy use during the lifetime of a pillowcase be reduced?

  By improving cleaning methods or materials
• What is a comparative LCA used for?

  • To evaluate two alternative products
  • To determine which has a lower environmental impact
• What is a key raw material for plastic carrier bags?

  Crude oil
• What is a key raw material for paper carrier bags?

  Recycled paper or trees
• Why are plastic bags cheaper to manufacture than paper bags?

  They can be made in large quantities
• What is a disadvantage of plastic bags during use?

  They have a relatively short lifetime
• What happens to plastic bags if disposed of as litter?

  They do not biodegrade
• How do paper bags compare to plastic bags in terms of disposal?

  They biodegrade quickly in landfill
• What is a challenge in completing an LCA?

  Some parts require subjective judgments
• Why is it important to consider who completes an LCA?

  They may have biases affecting results
• What might a biased LCA include?

  Only parts of the environmental impact
• What materials are made from limited natural resources?

  Metals, glass, building materials, plastics
• How does reusing items impact energy consumption?

  It saves energy and reduces environmental impact
• What is a simple method to prepare glass bottles for reuse?

  Wash and sterilize them
• What are the advantages of recycling compared to using natural resources?

  Reduces need for quarries, crude oil, and energy
• What is one environmental benefit of recycling?

  Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• What is the effect of recycling on landfill waste?

  It reduces the amount of waste
• What percentage of energy is saved by recycling iron?

  70%
• What percentage of energy is saved by recycling aluminium?

  92%
• Why is there a difference in energy saved between recycling iron and aluminium?

  Aluminium recycling is more energy-efficient
• What is a disadvantage of the recycling process?

  It requires organization and transport
• What is a challenge in recycling metals?

  Sorting different metals can be difficult
• Why might sorted metal need to be transported?

  To turn it into ingots for reuse
• How does the purity requirement affect recycling processes?

  Higher purity requires more processing steps
• What purity level is required for copper used in wiring?

  Very high purity is required
• How does the purity requirement for steel differ from copper?

  Steel requires lower purity than copper
• What is a simple method to separate aluminium from iron?

  Use a magnet to attract iron
• How does adding scrap iron to steel production affect costs?

  It reduces the cost of making steel
• What is the Earth's supply of metal ores described as?

  Limited
• Why are high-grade copper ores becoming harder to find?

  Due to depletion of accessible resources
• What is phytomining also known as?

  Phytoextraction