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Class
Notes,
Activity
Adam
Kiefer
General
Overview:
A
life
cycle
assessment
(Life
Cycle
Analysis,
LCA)
is
an
evaluation
of
a
consumer
product’s
environmental
impact
over
the
entire
life
of
the
product.
This
means
that
we
are
not
concerned
about
the
waste
generated
by
one
application
of
a
product,
rather
we
are
concerned
with
the
production,
use,
and
fate
of
a
product.
Part
I:
Powerpoint
Presentation
/
Intro
to
the
LCA
NOTE:
You
are
free
to
use
the
.ppt
slides
provided
with
this
case
study.
The
instructor
may
be
better
off
coming
up
with
their
own
presentation
using
some
or
all
of
the
slides
provided.
Using
the
powerpoint
presentation
associated
with
this
activity,
students
will
be
introduced
to
the
general
concepts
of
a
qualitative
pictorial
life
cycle
analysis
of
a
variety
of
items,
including
an
automobile
and
EtOH
based
biofuels.
The
key
thing
to
remember
is
that
LCAs
are
very
detailed,
and
often
contain
a
lot
of
math.
Students
should
walk
away
from
this
exercise
with
a
purely
qualitative
understanding
of
the
LCA.
Similarly,
students
should
recognize
the
complexities
of
manufacturing,
use
and
disposal.
Part
II:
The
Toothbrush,
Construction
of
the
LCA.
Goal:
To
reinforce
the
students
understanding
of
how
even
a
simple
item
plays
a
complex
role
in
consuming
non‐renewable
resources.
Lesson
Plan:
Pass
around
a
few
identical
toothbrushes
in
its
original
packaging,
including
the
price.
While
students
are
laughing
at
you
because
you
have
assumed
they
have
never
seen
a
toothbrush
before,
you
should
encourage
them
to
notice
the
fine
details
of
the
toothbrush
that
they
perhaps
had
not
noticed
before.
Also,
on
the
board,
write
up
the
three
major
stages
of
the
life
cycle:
Manufacture,
Use,
and
Disposal.
Write
each
of
these
3‐5
ft.
apart
on
the
board
in
an
oval.
If
you
don’t
leave
enough
space
early
on,
this
project
will
become
illegible:
After
everyone
has
seen
the
toothbrush,
tell
students
that
the
class
has
been
hired
to
do
a
qualitative
life
cycle
analysis
to
determine
the
environmental
impact
of
the
toothbrush
on
American
society.
Start
off
with
the
easiest
component
of
the
LCA,
use.
Ask
students
what
input
does
the
average
person
use
to
operate
a
toothbrush.
(Water,
toothpaste,
etc.).
What
are
the
byproducts
of
the
usage
of
a
toothbrush?
You
can
make
this
answer
as
simple
or
complex
as
you
want.
I
always
include
wastewater.
I
will
include
biological
waste
(saliva,
bacteria,
virus)
as
well
as
chemical
waste
(fluoride,
artificial
coloring).
Creating
a
flow
chart
allows
students
to
see
the
process
as
it
“occurs”.
Also
Show
the
direct
connection
(fossil
fuels)
between
Manufacture,
Use
and
Disposal/Recycling/Reuse.
At
this
point,
your
flow
chart
should
look
something
like
this:
Water, Toothpaste
Wastewater
Biological Chemical
Explain
to
students
that
an
LCA
is
a
living
thing,
and
we
will
be
able
to
come
back
to
the
“use”
category
later.
Now
concentrate
on
Disposal/Recycling/Reuse.
Disposal
is
relatively
easy.
We
take
the
toothbrush
and
throw
it
in
the
trash.
Students
often
realize
that
the
toothbrush
goes
to
a
dump
and
takes
up
space
for
a
very
long
time.
A
few
exceptional
students
may
recognize
that
eventually
the
toothbrush
will
decompose
to
CO2
(
a
greenhouse
gas)
after
hundreds
of
years,
but
I
wouldn’t
count
on
it.
There
is
a
difference
between
reuse
and
recycling.
Recycling
is
where
the
product
has
a
series
of
operations
performed
on
it,
so
that
it
can
be
reused
either
for
its
original
intention
(
a
toothbrush)
or
a
new
process
(a
soda/pop
bottle).
In
this
case
suggest
to
the
student
that
you
could
bleach
or
boil
the
toothbrush
to
sterilize
it,
thus
recycling
it
for
use
as
a
toothbrush.
Recycling
regenerates
the
“cycle”
by
directly
reconnecting
“Disposal/Recycling/Reuse”
with
“Use”.
Reusing
(in
this
case)
indicates
that
the
object
is
used
as
is
for
an
alternative
purpose.
A
toothbrush
can
be
used
as
a
cleaning
utensil.
Your
diagram
should
look
like
this:
(Landfill waste, CO2)
Recycle (clean)
Water, Toothpaste
Disposal
(FF energy for
garbage trucks)
Transport Use Transport Disposal / Recycling / Reuse
Manufacture (Gasoline)
(Gasoline)
Reuse
Wastewater
Cleaning implement
Biological Chemical
Aside:
Students
often
have
trouble
distinguishing
between
reusing
and
recycling.
Stress
that
reusing
is
often
the
result
of
no
external
influence
and
it
implies
that
the
product
remains
relatively
unchanged.
For
example,
a
tire
that
has
a
hole
in
it
can
be
reused
as
a
tire
swing,
or
cut
into
strips
and
made
into
the
soles
of
shoes.
This
is
considered
reusing.
Recycling
often
has
some
external
influence
on
it,
such
as
sterilization,
or
melting.
Carpet
can
be
recycled
by
chemically
breaking
it
down
into
its
starting
materials,
and
then
remaking
the
carpet
from
these
materials.
More
and
more
often
these
terms
are
being
used
interchangeably.
And
now
on
to
the
most
difficult
component
of
the
LCA,
manufacture.
Begin
by
asking
the
students
to
describe
what
components
make
up
the
toothbrush.
A
student
will
often
volunteer
the
word
plastic.
In
this
case,
ask
the
students
how
many
types
of
plastic
comprise
the
toothbrush.
Typically,
the
bristles
are
different
than
the
rubbery
handle,
the
hard
composite
stem,
and
the
clear
packaging
plastic.
Ask
the
students
if
they
believe
that
these
plastics
are
produced
where
the
toothbrushes
are
made.
If
not,
where
do
the
starting
materials
come
from
(petroleum).
At
this
point
students
should
realize
that
the
manufacturing
component
is
quite
extensive.
Questions
the
instructor
can
ask
to
spur
conversation:
1) Do
you
think
plastic
is
naturally
white,
blue
or
red,
or
are
dyes
required.
2) 2)
Lets
look
at
the
packaging
which
we
discard
prior
to
using
the
toothbrush.
What
is
it
made
from
(paper,
ink,
dyes
adhesives)
3) How
do
these
components
get
from
the
factory
to
the
toothbrush
factory
LCA
should
look
something
like
this:
Crude Oil