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Technology & Design
For first teaching from September 2011
For first award in Summer 2013
Environmental Issues
3.13 Environmental Issues
Learning Outcomes
Stage 4 Distribution
Course Content
Stage 5 Use
Environmental Impact at Different
Stages of the Product Life Cycle
The environmental impact of a product can be measured Stage 6 Disposal
by using a life-cycle assessment. This is a technique that
is used by manufacturers and designers to assess the
potential environmental impacts a product has at each of
the main stages of its life. Also commonly referred to as The types of environmental impacts a product might make
‘from the cradle to the grave’ the purpose of carrying out a during its life are:
Unit 3.13 Environmental Issues
1
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• Disposal – products which are not made of recyclable
• Materials Processing – process of turning raw materials materials are thrown away in landfill sites.
into usable materials. E.g. refining crude oil into plastics,
processing wood into paper and smelting metal ore into Recyclable products however are broken down and their
metal alloys. This can use up huge amounts of energy as parts are re-used again for example the Dyson Hoover
is collected by Dyson to shred the thermoplastic parts
well as producing by products and waste materials.
for re-use. Those products which can be re-used may be
repackaged and used again.
iStockphoto/Thinkstock
manufacture or use.
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The 6 R’s • Refuse – Designers and manufacturers should be
The 6 R’s is a term given to 6 different ways designers, looking to use renewable and recyclable materials in
manufacturers, retailers and consumers can be more the manufacture of a product instead of non-renewable
renewable. The 6 R’s are: materials. Designers and manufacturers now have
• Rethink – When a product is being designed to think more about the types of materials they use
consideration should be given to the products in products and whether consumers will refuse to
environmental impact. Is it really needed and has it been purchase them based on their reusability. An example
designed with energy and material conservation in mind. of consumers not choosing a product based on the
Both designers and manufacturers should be making materials used in its manufacture are plastic bags, the
products that do the job more efficiently. Consumers reduction in the use of plastic bags by consumers has
should consider the question ‘do I need this new car or been helped by government plastic bag taxes. This tax
Television?’ has already been implemented in several countries for
• Reuse – Designers and manufacturers should aim to example the Republic of Ireland.
produce products using materials that can be reused. A
good example of products that are re-usable are printer
ink cartridges. Designers and manufactures should also
when possible use recycled materials in new products
being produced.
Photodisc/Thinkstock
iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Wave Biomass
Waves from the sea are used to drive turbines which Biomass is the material from living things which can be
generate electricity. burned to produce heat.
Advantages – non-polluting and relatively cheap. Advantages – renewable, readily available, can use waste
Disadvantages – turbines are unattractive and the waves material.
are unreliable therefore there is not a constant supply of Disadvantages – not environmentally friendly, when burned
energy. produces carbon dioxide.
Solar
Energy used from the sun.
Advantages – renewable and nonpolluting.
© www.thinkstock.com/iStockphoto
Disadvantages – The amount of solar energy available
depends on the location, panels are expensive and efficiency
can be reduced due to weather (e.g. clouds).
Digital Vision/Thinkstock
Environmental Audits
An environmental audit is a term given to a regular
procedure that measures the environmental performances
of businesses. They have become more common with
Tidal organisations for several reasons:
Energy from tides/tidal movement used to generate
• Changes in government policies towards a greener and
electricity.
Advantages – cheap and the tide is constant therefore it more sustainable outlook;
does not depend on weather • Profitability;
Disadvantages – does not produce a lot of electricity • Accountability;
• Efficiency;
© www.thinkstock.com/iStockphoto
• Public Relations.
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the car to work off the electric motor at slow speeds and Waste Management, Disposal and
then when higher speeds are reached the car switches to the Pollution Control
petrol engine while at the same time charging the electric
Waste Management – deals with the collection, transport,
motor. The benefit of working off the electric motor is that
processing, recycling and disposal of waste. The main focus
there are no emissions while having the petrol engine allows
for features to be included such as stereos, air conditioning of waste management is the effect waste is having on the
and so on. environment and how we can reduce this.
Landfill – Is a method of burying waste in empty unused
sites for example in old quarries. Landfills can produce a
common by-product gas (methane and carbon dioxide)
but some landfill sites have inserted gas extraction systems,
which turns this gas into electricity.
Hemera/Thinkstock
Other developments in the energy and fuel sector that have
iStockphoto/Thinkstock
had positive impacts on the environment in comparison to
their conventional equivalents are as follows:
• Bio Diesel is diesel made by chemically reacting lipids
for example the vegetable oil extracts from crops with an
alcohol. Bio diesel is carbon neutral because the carbon
dioxide it absorbs as a crop is equal to the carbon dioxide Incineration – when waste is combusted (burned) to turn
produced when the material is burned. the materials from solid products to gas products. The by-
product created can be used to generate heat, steam and
electricity.
Recycling – Is the reusing of waste materials. Most homes
will separate plastic from glass and aluminium tins etc. By
doing this it allows this material to be reprocessed and used
again in another product.
Hemera/Thinkstock
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Revision questions