Product Life Cycle Assessement Worksheet

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Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Product Development and the Environment Activity –


Life Cycle Assessment Worksheet

Product that you are assessing:


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Inventory analysis
Step 1 Materials Acquisition: Each material in a product has its own
life cycle of use and waste. List all the materials (metal, plastic) in
your product. One point is assigned for each different material in
the product.

Type of Raw Material Points


1

Total Points

Step 2 Materials Processing: Most metals and plastics must be processed before they are in a
useful form for manufacturing. Again, list the metals and plastics in your product. Assign one
point for each material.

Plastics or Metals in the Product Points


1

Total Points

Life Cycles: Lesson 1, Product Development and the Environment Activity –


Life Cycle Assessment Worksheet 1
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Step 3 Manufacturing: All of the processed materials in your product must be formed and
shaped into something useful for the product (like a metal screw or a plastic lever). List the
different parts and pieces of your product that have been manufactured here. Assign one point
for each part.

Different Parts and Pieces in the Product Points


1

Total Points

Step 4 Packaging: How is your product packaged for sale? Mark the boxes that correspond to
the packaging of your product here. Add of the total points for the packaging of your product.

Packaging Points
None 0

Paper or cardboard packaging only 5

Plastic packaging only 15

Plastic and cardboard packaging 10

Styrofoam or rubber packaging 15

Instructions sheets included separately in package 5

Total Points

Life Cycles: Lesson 1, Product Development and the Environment Activity –


Life Cycle Assessment Worksheet 2
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Step 5 Transportation: Once a product is packaged, it needs to be transported to somewhere


else for storage or sale. Transportation by trucks, planes or boats require fuel for energy and
contribute to air pollution. Mark the box if your product uses transportation in any way. List the
total points for the transportation of your product

Transportation Points
Yes, by plane, truck, or boat 15

None 1

Total Points

Step 6 Use of the Product: all products have an amount of time that they can be used and
reused. Check the box below that describes how long your product can be used.

Use of Product Points


Product can be used once 15

Product can be used for 5 years 10

Product can be used for over 10 years 5

Total Points

Step 7 Disposal: Once a product has been used, it can be disposed of or recycled. Check the box
which describes your product below.

Parts of the Product Made from Plastics or Metals Points


Product must be thrown away 15

Some product materials can be recycled 5

All of the product and product materials can be recycled 0

Total Points

Life Cycles: Lesson 1, Product Development and the Environment Activity –


Life Cycle Assessment Worksheet 3
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

Impact analysis
Add up the points for your product to determine its overall impact on the environment:

Total Points

How did the overall environmental impact of your product compare with another product in
your class?

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Improvement analysis
1. What could you change in your product to improve its impact on the environment?
Describe your improvements here.

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Life Cycles: Lesson 1, Product Development and the Environment Activity –
Life Cycle Assessment Worksheet 4
Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________________

2. Look at your Inventory Analysis above. Re-calculate your score if you were to use the
improvements you just described. Did your score change? By how much?

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3. What would you need to do to reduce the environmental impact of your product even
more?

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4. There are several types of engineering life cycle assessments. Read the three descriptions
below.

Cradle-to-Grave: The full life cycle of a product from raw materials (cradle) to the disposal
phase (grave).

Cradle-to-Gate: A partial product life cycle assessment that investigates a product from raw
materials (cradle) to the gate of the manufacturing facility (gate) before transportation to
the consumer.

Cradle-to-Cradle: A product life cycle assessment, where the end phase includes recycling of
the product into a new product. The recycled product can be identical or different to the
original product.

Which description best fits your product? Why?

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Life Cycles: Lesson 1, Product Development and the Environment Activity –


Life Cycle Assessment Worksheet 5

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