Lesson video

Hello there, everyone, and welcome to your Design and Technology lesson for today.

My name is Mr. Booth.

Thank you so much for joining me.

Today, we're gonna look at the environmental impact of materials and look at life cycle assessment.

This is part of the Technical Principles unit.

Today's outcome, I want you to be able to explain the environmental impact that materials have on a product's life cycle.

We have three keywords today.

The first term is life cycle assessment, and this assesses the environmental impact at every stage of a product's life.

The second one is carbon footprint, the total amount of greenhouse gases a product or activity produces.

And finally, product miles.

The distance of product travels from production to consumer.

We have three learning cycles today.

We're gonna break this down into a life cycle assessment.

So we have manufacture, use, and disposal.

So let's start with manufacture.

So Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product, from its start all the way to its finish.

It looks at all stages of our product's life, manufacture, use, and of course disposal.

This determines how sustainable the product is and whether alternative eco-friendly solutions are viable.

It's very easy for designers to be able to do an assessment like this and then make the decisions early on in the design stage that will impact the manufacture, use, or disposal of a product.

The manufacture stage in life cycle assessment involves sourcing raw materials.

These can be renewable such as timber because we can grow more trees, or non-renewable, such as metal ores or crude oil.

Sourcing raw materials can be done in a range of ways.

We can mine for metal ores or crude oil.

We can log trees, so cut them down.

But we can also harvest crops like cotton for the textiles industry.

Any method used to source materials has an environmental impact.

Let's have a look at three areas of this.

The first one is carbon footprint, and this is a measure of greenhouse gases a product or activity produces.

Sourcing and transporting materials emit carbon dioxide.

The next is product miles, the distance a product travels from production to consumer.

Importing all resources from distant locations adds to CO2 emissions.

If you can use local where possible, that will reduce those emissions.

And finally, area, the impact sourcing can have on surrounding areas including wildlife.

Sourcing destroys habitats, which leads to biodiversity disruption and loss, Even if we are sourcing from renewable areas such as forests for timber.

And I'm sure you've seen in the news some of the disasters we have had by extracting oil out of the ground in our oceans.

The biodiversity impact that that has had has been disastrous in some cases.

Quick check for understanding.

What is the purpose of life cycle assessment? Is it A, measure emissions during use only? Is it B, assess environmental impact from start to end? Is it C, compare product prices over time? Or D, measure production speed? Pause the video now, come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, B, assess environmental impact from a product's start to its end.

Of course, raw materials need to be produced into usable forms if we're gonna make 'em into products.

These processing methods often use energy and produce greenhouse gases, adding to the product's carbon footprint.

Metals require smelting, which uses huge amounts of energy.

Timbers need to be cut, dried, which we call seasoned, in kilns with heat.

And, of course, polymers are refined from crude oil through fractional distillation, another energy-intensive process.

Processing raw materials can also result in water consumption and pollution.

Vast liters of water are required for cooling when extracting and refining metals.

Water is also required for pulping and bleaching paper.

The wastewater has harmful chemicals, even in recycled paper.

And, of course, textile dyeing and chemical treatments also require water and the water runoffs also are not great for biodiversity.

Check for understanding.

What is a common environmental impact of refining raw materials? Is it A increased biodiversity? B, reduced product miles? C, increased carbon emissions? Or D, zero water usage? Pause the video now, come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, D, increased carbon emissions.

Energy and water are consumed during manufacturing processes, which result in air and water pollution.

However, there are other types of waste that take place in the manufacturing stage.

First of all, we have material offcuts.

We also have defective products that need to be disposed of.

And finally, packaging waste.

Transportation of materials and finished goods increase product miles, which adds to the carbon footprint due to fuel use and emissions.

Now, efficient manufacturing reduces waste and transport impact, improving the product's life cycle assessment score.

Now, good examples of these could be a furniture company sourcing timber from a nearby certified forest instead of importing from overseas.

Or maybe a clothing brand might source organic cotton from a local farm and spin the yarn in a nearby mill.

Quick check for understanding.

Why do product miles increase environmental impact? Is it A, they improve recycling rates? B, they increase the number of renewable resources used? C, they reduce the carbon footprint? Or D, they require fuel for transport, producing emissions? Pause the video now, have a go at this and come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, D.

They require fuel for transport and that, of course, produces emissions.

And now for your first task, Task A.

First of all, I want you to explain how the extraction of raw materials can impact the environment.

I then want you to describe two ways the manufacturing stage can increase a product's carbon footprint and suggest how each can be reduced.

And finally, using the term life cycle assessment, explain why the manufacture stage is important in assessing environmental impact.

Pause the video now, have a go at this and come back to me when you've completed it.

So let's have a look at some sample answers.

First of all, I wanted you to explain how the extraction of raw materials can impact the environment.

Well, first of all, extracting non-renewable materials like metals requires mining, which can destroy habitats and cause soil erosion.

It uses large amounts of energy, increasing the carbon footprint, and may produce toxic waste that pollutes nearby land and water sources.

Secondly, I wanted you to describe two ways the manufacturing stage can increase a product's carbon footprint.

And I want you to suggest how each can be reduced.

Energy used from fossil fuels in processing materials releases CO2.

This can be reduced by using renewable energy sources.

Product miles from transporting materials increases fuel use and emissions.

This can be reduced by sourcing materials locally.

Then I wanted you to use the term life cycle assessment and explain why the manufacturing stage is important in assessing environmental impact.

In life cycle assessment, the manufacturing stage is important because it often has high energy and water consumption, CO2 emissions, and waste production.

These factors contribute heavily to the total carbon footprint of a product.

Identifying these impacts in the LCA allows designers and manufacturers to make changes at the design stage that reduce environmental damage.

We're now onto our next learning cycle, which is all about a product's use.

In the life cycle assessment, the use stage considers the environmental impact that occur while a product is being used.

Some products require ongoing energy or other resources to operate, which adds to the carbon footprint.

For example, you might have a kettle.

This requires to be plugged in and it requires electricity.

Some require electricity, water, and detergents such as a washing machine.

And, of course, some require fuel such as our vehicles.

Excessive energy consumption to make products function contributes to their carbon footprint.

Some products actually need additional products to be able to function, which requires additional materials and processing.

For example, if a product needs batteries.

Some products might need refills such as printers.

And, of course, some products need protection such as our smartphones.

I've always found it very interesting that we spend so much money on our smartphones, and the first thing we do when we buy them is buy another product to protect them.

Isn't that interesting? Check for understanding.

Which factors increase the carbon footprint of a product during use? A, frequent electricity consumption? B, renewable energy supply? C, requiring additional products? D, local sourcing of raw materials? Pause the video now, have a go at this and come back to me when you've got your answers.

Well, it is, of course, A, frequent electricity consumption, and C, requiring additional products.

Keeping products in good condition extends their lifespan and reduces the need for replacements.

We call this maintenance.

Now, the first thing that pops into my head when I think of maintenance is, of course, cars.

We have to regularly maintain them to make sure they are road worthy and they last a long time.

In fact, I replaced a brake light on my car the other day.

We also have things like tools.

We can use tools, so bike pumps or puncture repair kits, which will increase the lifespan of our bikes.

And, of course, cleaners.

Coffee machines use a lot of steam.

They use a lot of heat and have a lot of water pass through them each day.

If we don't clean them with descalers, they're not gonna last a long time.

Repairable designs are more sustainable than disposable products, but planned obsolescence where products are designed to fail or become outdated quickly encourages frequent replacement of those products.

Now, Kibu headphones are a repairable alternative to disposable electronics.

Their modular design allows easy part replacement, which extends their lifespan and ultimately will reduce e-waste.

They're also made from recycled and recyclable materials.

And I actually have my Kibu headphones right here.

Their brilliant modular design means that if one of the parts on this product fails, I can replace it easily rather than having to throw away the entire product.

And the most amazing thing about these, these were built by my seven-year-old son.

How fantastic is that? They also utilize 3D printing.

Most of the parts on this are 3D printing, which again reduces waste in manufacturing.

Quick check for understanding.

What is planned obsolescence? A, designing products to fail or become outdated quickly? B, making products easy to repair and upgrade? C, recycling products at the end of their life? D, designing products to last as long as possible? Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, A, designing products to fail or become outdated quickly.

Now, the longer a product can last, the lower its environmental impact per year of use will be.

There are steps designers can take to ensure products last a long time.

They can choose materials, such as materials that resist wear and tear and therefore last longer.

They can have that modular design, just like the Kibu headphones I've just shown you, allowing components to be swapped out instead of replacing the whole product.

It's often thought that in electronic products when a product fails, it's usually a component that might have cost pennies in the manufacturing stage that has actually gone wrong.

And, of course, replacement parts.

We need to make parts easy to access, easy to replace, or easy to upgrade rather than having to replace the entire product.

Efficiency means how well a product uses energy or resources to perform its job.

High-efficient appliances use less energy for the same output that you get from the product.

For example, LED lighting lasts longer and consumes far less power than incandescent light bulbs.

I've got an LED light right above me now, lighting me up during this presentation.

Now, you might have seen an energy label like this on certain products, most commonly white goods, things like fridges, freezers, and washing machines.

And what this does is rates how efficient the product is to use.

The higher up the band, up to towards the As, the more efficient it is, the less energy it will use, and it will even cost less to run.

Check for understanding.

Which material would likely give a product the longest lifespan? Is it A, cardboard? B, pine? C, stainless steel? Or D, a biopolymer? Pause the video now, answer this, come back to me when you've done it.

It is, of course, stainless steel.

We're onto task B.

First of all, I want you to explain how regular maintenance of a product can reduce its environmental impact.

I then want you to describe two ways the use stage of a product can increase its carbon footprint and explain how each can be reduced.

I then want you to use the term life cycle assessment.

Explain why the use stage is important in assessing environmental impact.

Pause the video now, have a go at these tasks and come back to me when you've completed them.

Let's have a look at some sample answers.

So first of all, I wanted you to explain how regular maintenance of a product can reduce its environmental impact.

Well, maintenance keeps products working efficiently and prevents breakdowns.

This extends their lifespan, meaning fewer replacements are needed.

As a result, less energy and resources are used for manufacturing new products, reducing the overall carbon footprint.

Next, I want you to describe two ways the use stage of a product can increase its carbon footprint and explain how each can be reduced.

First of all, energy consumption.

Products using fossil fuel, electricity, or fuel increase emissions.

This can be reduced by using renewable energy sources.

Low efficiency.

Inefficient designs waste energy.

Using energy efficient technology such as LED lights reduces consumption and emissions.

Finally, using the term life cycle assessment, I wanted you to explain why the use stage is important in assessing environmental impact.

The use stage in an LCA measures the energy resource consumption and emissions over the product's operational life, its use.

For some products, especially those used frequently, this stage has the largest environmental impact.

Improving efficiency and using clean energy reduces the carbon footprint at this stage.

Well done.

So we're now on to the final learning cycle, which is about a product's disposal.

In the life cycle assessment of a product, the disposal stage examines what happens to a product when it reaches the end of its life.

Impacts depend on whether the product is: sent to landfill or incineration, recycled into new materials, or upcycled into a new product.

Let's have a closer look at landfill and incineration.

So in the landfill, products can take decades or even centuries to break down.

Whilst they break down, they release methane and leach chemicals into the soil and water.

Now, incinerating our waste, so this is burning waste with incinerators can generate energy.

And this is becoming very popular across the UK.

But this, of course, releases carbon dioxide and other toxic gases into the air and the environment.

So if we can reduce the waste to landfill or incinerators, it will improve a product's life cycle assessment score.

Check for understanding.

Which is a major disadvantage of landfill disposal? Is it A, it removes CO2 from the atmosphere? B, it can release methane and make the ground toxic? C, it produces renewable energy? D, it requires no land space? Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've completed it.

It is, of course, B.

It can release methane and make the ground toxic.

Recycling reuses materials, such as metals, glass, paper, and some polymers.

Valuable elements such as copper and gold can also be recovered from electronic circuits.

Recycling reduces the demand for new materials, new raw materials extracted from the ground.

We can cut that entire stage out by using recycled materials.

This lowers product miles and the carbon footprint of the product.

However, recycling also requires energy and transportation.

For example, emptying recycle bins requires transport and processing waste requires energy.

Check for understanding.

Which statement about recycling is correct? Is it A, recycling makes materials non-renewable? B, recycling always has no environmental cost? C, recycling reduces demand for raw materials? Or D, recycling increases landfill waste? Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've done it.

It is, of course, C, recycling reduces demand for raw materials.

Some materials are hazardous at disposal.

For example, batteries.

You might have noticed when you go into your local supermarket, there'll be a battery bin and that's for the safe disposal of batteries.

We also have paints and solvents.

Medical waste needs to be disposed of correctly.

And, of course, electronic wast.

Products like these require special handling.

All of the extra processing involved with recycling uses more energy.

There are other methods apart from recycling that reduce the demand for new materials and lower the environmental impact in a life cycle assessment.

For example, we might reuse a product for something else, such as glass jars to store small items, or we might upcycle something.

For example, a pair of jeans, transforming the waste into something of a higher value that you can keep using.

Check for understanding.

Recycling increases a product's carbon footprint because.

A, transport and processing use energy? B, recycled products cannot be reused? C, it turns materials non-renewable? Or D, it always creates toxic emissions? Pause the video now.

Finish the sentence.

Come back to me when you've done that.

It is, of course, A, transport and processing use energy.

Onto your final task now, Task C.

First, I want you to explain one environmental impact of disposing products in landfill.

I then want you to compare the environmental impacts of recycling and landfill disposal.

And finally, using the term life cycle assessment, explain why designers should consider disposal when choosing materials.

Pause the video now.

Have a go at this task.

Come back to me when you've completed it.

Let's have a look at some sample answers.

So first of all, I wanted you to explain one environmental impact of disposing products in landfill.

Landfill disposal produces methane as materials decompose.

This greenhouse gas increases the carbon footprint and contributes towards climate change.

Next, I wanted you to compare the environmental impacts of recycling and landfill disposal.

Recycling reduces demand for raw materials, cutting product miles and conserving resources.

However, it still requires energy and transport.

Landfill, on the other hand, produces long-term pollution, releasing methane and uses valuable land space.

Recycling is generally more sustainable than landfill.

Finally, using the term life cycle assessment, I wanted you to explain why designers should consider disposable when choosing materials.

Disposal is the final stage in an LCA and affects the total environmental impact of a product.

If materials are difficult to recycle, they're more likely to end up in a landfill or be incinerated, increasing pollution and emissions.

Choosing recyclable or reusable materials helps reduce the carbon footprint and makes the product more sustainable.

So that brings us to the end of this lesson.

Let's have a quick summary.

Life cycle assessment checks a product's impact from start to finish.

The carbon footprint rises with energy and resources used in manufacture, use, and disposal.

Long product miles from transport increase emissions.

Recycling, reusing, or upcycling reduce the carbon footprint in a life cycle assessment.

And designers use the life cycle assessment to find ways to cut emissions and improve efficiency of products.

You've been absolutely fantastic today.

Well done.

I look forward to seeing you all next time.

Bye-bye.