C6.2

• What is the purpose of a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

  To assess the environmental impact of a product
• What stages does an LCA evaluate?

  Every stage of a product's life
• Why is mining metals considered environmentally harmful?

  It requires a lot of energy and causes pollution
• What is a major source of raw materials for chemical manufacture?

  Crude oil
• Why is crude oil considered a non-renewable resource?

  Supplies are decreasing and cannot be replenished
• What does manufacturing products consume a lot of?

  Energy and other resources
• What types of pollution can manufacturing cause?

  Harmful gases like CO and HCl
• Why is waste disposal an important consideration in product life cycles?

  It can lead to pollution and requires management
• How can some waste products be beneficial?

  They can be recycled into useful chemicals
• What does transporting products consume?

  Energy
• What should companies consider for product transportation?

  The most energy-efficient way
• How can using paint damage the environment?

  It releases toxic fumes
• What harmful substances are released by burning fuels?

  Greenhouse gases and other pollutants
• How can fertilizers negatively impact ecosystems?

  They can leach into streams and rivers
• Where are products often disposed of at the end of their life?

  Landfill sites
• What are the consequences of using landfill sites?

  They take up space and can pollute
• What happens when products are incinerated?

  It causes air pollution
• Why is recycling important?

  To conserve raw materials and reduce waste
• What is a significant benefit of recycling materials?

  It uses less energy than extraction
• How does recycling help with fossil fuel conservation?

  It reduces the energy needed for extraction
• What percentage of energy is saved by recycling aluminium?

  About 95%
• What is the environmental impact of mining aluminium ore?

  It damages the landscape and ecosystems
• Why is recycling not always straightforward?

  It requires energy and sorting of materials
• What must be compared when deciding to recycle or dispose of a material?

  The energy used for both processes
• How many times can materials typically be recycled?

  A finite number of times
• What happens to the quality of recycled materials?

  It is often lower than the original
• What is a common use for recycled paper?

  To make toilet paper or cardboard
• Why might recycling material X still be better despite high energy costs?

  It conserves resources and reduces landfill waste