Sustainability of Waste

Question 1

What is the purpose of life cycle analysis

Answer 1

LCA examines the total environmental impact of a product through every step of its life, from obtaining raw materials to disposal. It is a systematic process, identifying and quantifying all inputs (materials, energy, fuels) and outputs (products, waste, emissions) for a whole life cycle or for individual stages. Manufacturers can then evaluate the results and consider where change might be made.

Question 2

Why is waste becoming such a problem

Answer 2

Increasing global population, globalisation of supply chains, obsolescence and packaging

Question 3

What are the 3 types of obsolescence

Answer 3

1. Technological (when a tech product is no longer needer/wanted despite still working; landlines)
2. Planned (when a company designs an object which a limited useful life; iphones)
3. Psychological (companys change styling of producs so the older ones have less desireability)

Question 4

Why is packaging a problem

Answer 4

Packaging is used to facilitate transport and storage of products to protect them from damage. It is used to display products such as food and technological gadgets. Packaging protects against unnecessary waste but is itself considered waste.

Question 5

What is the purpose of the waste hierarchy

Answer 5

ranks waste management options according to what is best for the
environment

Question 6

What is each stage of the waste hierarchy

Answer 6

1. Prevention — using less material in design and manufacture; keeping products for longer; reuse; using less hazardous materials; improved quality control and process monitoring, education.
2. Preparation for reuse — checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, whole items or spare parts.
3. Recycling — turning waste into a new substance or product, including
   composting. Open loop and closed loop recycling In open loop recycling, a loss of quality occurs with each recycling cycle, limiting the number of times the material can be recycled. In closed loop recycling, a product can be recycled indefinitely back into itself without any impact on its quality.
4. Recovery of energy and materials from waste
5. Disposal — landfill and incineration without energy recovery

Question 7

What are the impacts of waste on the environment

Answer 7

1. air quality; burning waste releases toxic gases into the air.
2. water quality; waste contaminates water and affects people’s access to clean drinking water as well as affecting aquatic life.
3. Landscapes; waste can take from a few months to thousands of years to decompose, so littering, fly-tipping and trade of waste is causing areas to be overrun with waste.
4. Biodiversity; As more areas are used for landfill they have to be cleared of plants and animals. Soil and water courses can be contaminated by chemicals and toxins which leach out.
5. Climate change; On a global scale, the methane and other greenhouse gases emitted by decomposing waste have contributed to climate change.