1. Product life cycle and the three R’s

2. The manufacturer wants the toy to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Describe how the manufacturer can make the toy environmentally friendly. Name a product that may have this symbol shown on it. Explain the meaning and why it is used on the named product. Typical exam questions

3. Life cycle assessment (LCA) We should predict the effect of the product upon the environment, from manufacture to disposal. Typical short term product- newspaper Longer term product, road vehicle, container ship etc

4. LCA-motor vehicle Volvo XC60 DRIV e series 65% steel. vehicle is 85% recyclable/reusable

5. Assessment stages:- Raw materials extraction and processing What types and range of materials are required? Manufacturing stages and assembly Does manufacture rely heavily upon energy/automation etc.? Product distribution - Is the product locally made to it’s target market? In use energy consumption and pollution How energy efficient is the product? End of life disposal What scope is there for recycling/re-tasking its use etc.? What are the meanings of Planned and perceived obsolescence ? Focus group discuss- newspapers, fridges, mobile phones, glass bottles, washing machines, kettles, irons LCA Breakdown analysis

6. The ‘Three R’s’ Recycle Reduce Re-use But also:- Repair Refuse Re-think

7. Recycle Why? From a business and also a consumer viewpoint (discuss/note with partner)

8. We generate about 177 million tonnes of waste every year in England alone. This is a poor use of resources and costs businesses and households money. It also causes environmental damage - for example, waste sent to landfill produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. We want to move towards a ‘zero waste economy’. This doesn’t mean that no waste exists - it’s a society where resources are fully valued, financially and environmentally. It means we reduce, reuse and recycle all we can, and throw things away only as a last resort. …….WHY?

9. The EU Waste Framework Directive provides the legislative framework for the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, and includes a common definition of waste The EU Waste Framework Directivedefinition of waste The directive also requires member states to take appropriate measures to encourage firstly, the prevention or reduction of waste production and its harmfulness and secondly the recovery of waste by means of recycling, re-use or reclamation or any other process with a view to extracting secondary raw materials, or the use of waste as a source of energy.

10. Common sense! To reduce consumption of raw materials To make products more accessible to consumers by lowering price To make the product ethically attractive To respond to government and EU legislation Others? What is closed-loop recycling?

11. Closed loop recycling PET / PETE is 100% recyclable, making it ideal for closed loop recycling. In this way, PET / PETE is a sustainable material. Most households use plastic recycling bins and help in the sorting process. PET / PETE is lightweight and can be crushed, so that it is easy to collect and transport to recycling plants. PET / PETE can be recycled back, either to its original elements or into other products. It can be used to manufacture a range of useful products, from containers to clothes and carpets. Can you think of others?

12. Example directives Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) directives aim to reduce he quantity of waste from electrical and electronic and increase its re-use, recovery and recycling. The RoHS directive aims to limit the environmental impact of electrical and electronic equipment when it reached the end of its life.

13. In 2013, supermarkets gave out over 8 billion single-use carrier bags across the UK. That is nearly 130 bags per person. This equates to about 57,000 tonnes of single-use carrier bags in total over the year. Discarded plastic bags are a very visible form of littering and can cause injury to marine wildlife. The effect of plastic bags on the environment goes beyond littering. They consume resources, including oil, in their creation. Even when disposed of responsibly, plastic bags can last for long periods of time in landfill sites. We expect that this targeted, proportionate charge will reduce the number of plastic bags used in England, increase their re-use and reduce littering. We have introduced a 5p charge on single-use plastic carrier bags in England from 5 October 2015. There is already a similar 5p charge on single-use bags in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

14. Example- The car industry Vehicle design? How have designers made vehicles more ‘recyclable’? Vehicle end of life? What are manufacturers now required to ensure?

15. Reduce This means using less non-renewable resources. Reducing the amount of raw materials we use to manufacture products. Reduce wastage of raw materials used in the manufacture of products. Reduce the amount of energy used to transport products. Perhaps, by manufacturing products locally. Reducing the packaging we use to ‘contain’ products. Use less supermarket carrier bags.

16. Re-use Where possible, we should reuse products or their components / parts when they are disassembled, at the end of their life cycles. Products should be designed, so that they can be used again or at least their parts, with minimal reprocessing. This is usually cheaper and more environmentally friendly, than using new raw materials. A good example of reuse is glass bottles, which are washed and refilled. Also applies to some plastic bottles.

17. Non-R’s Up-cycling- Adding value to discarded products and materials Upcycling is a form of recycling. When a product reaches the end of its lifecycle, it is converted into a new high quality product, or is dismantled and it’s parts are recycled into several high quality products. When upcycling, the new product is of a higher quality than the original product. These quality drinking glasses have been upcycled from glass wine bottles. The top of the bottle has been removed and sent for recycling into new glass. The bottom part of the bottle becomes the drinking glass.

18. Down-cycling Down cycling is a form of recycling. When a product reaches the end of it’s lifecycle, it is converted into a lower quality product, or is dismantled and it’s parts are recycled into several low quality products. Using down-cycled materials and components, means that less new raw materials are needed. This saves on energy consumption and reduces pollution, helping to protect the environment.

19. Example of down-cycling When paper is recycled and processed, it loses some of its original quality. Recycled writing paper often ends up as lower quality card board and manila folders. Quality writing paper can be down cycled only four / five times.

20. Dragon’s den task Group task:- Consider the ‘product’ given to you and propose ways in which it could be successfully upcycled. Present your proposal to the rest of the group.