Sustainability and environmental concerns Flashcards
What is an Ecolabel?
A voluntary scheme (established in 1993) for manufacture to label products that have a reduced impact on the environment.
What is the Energy Labelling Directive?
Introduced by all the EU in 1996, all electrical appliances e.g. washing machines, should be labelled with a rating from A to G to indicate their energy use.
Why was the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive (ELVD) introduced in 2003?
To encourage the reuse and recycling of waste form vehicles when they reach their end of life.
What is the WEEE Directive?
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, implemented in 2006. It encourages manufactures to develop electrical and electronic products that can be dismantled and the parts reused and recycled.
What materials or chemical does the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoSH) refer to?
Introduced in 2006, it bans the use of some hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, and cadmium in electrical and electronic equipment, to safeguard human health when equipment is disposed and recycled.
How has Green design reduced the environmental impact on the Dyson Washing machine?
The Dyson contra-rotating washing machine uses a water jet system to reduce the amount of water used and the agitation caused by the two tubs turning in opposite directions reduces the time to wash clothes, thus saving energy.
Name four ways in which Ecodesign can reduce the impact of a product through its entire lifecycle from raw materials extraction from disposal.
Selection of low impact materials.
Reduction in materials (during production and packaging).
Reduction of impact during use and optimisation of initial lifetime.
Optimisation of end-of-life systems.
Give an example of how a company can address Green design packaging.
Companies such as Motorola have replaced polystyrene inner packaging with moulded cardboard.
Duracell have replaced high impact polystyrene blister packs with a simple card wrapper.
Eco Design or Life Cycle Design (LCD) aims to tackle what environmental problem areas?
Material consumption.
Fossil fuel energy consumption.
Pollution and toxic waste.
Incandescent light bulbs waste a lot of energy, can you name two or more friendly alternatives?
Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s).
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s).
What percentage of electricity do compact fluorescent bulbs use compared to incandescent bulbs?
About 20%. They have a significant environmental benefit in use, but a number of toxic materials in their manufacture.
Can you give an example of where LED’s have replaced the use of incandescent bulbs?
Car break lights, domestic lighting.
What is a hybrid car?
Toyota and Honda were the first to develop cars that run on a petrol engine and an electrical motor.
Can you name three advantages of using plastics in car manufacture?
Availible in a range of colours to suit customer taste.
Mouldings can be given texture.
Complex dashboard mouldings for heater vents, instrumentation and controls can be made at the same time e.g. injection moulding.
Injection moulded plastics are quicker to produce than pressed metals that then need finishing e.g. spraying.
Volume production is quicker.
Csan you name three ways in which car manufacturers have achieved better fuel economy?
Aerodynamic body (reducing drag).
Lightweight aluminium engines.
Use of polymers to reduce vehicle weight.
Stop/Start systems.
Thin section mild steel or aluminium body and sub-assemblies (reducing weight).
