Product Development and the Environment
Students investigate the life cycles of engineered productsCopyright The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Life_Cycle_Thinking_Product_System.jpg
Students investigate the life cycles of engineered products and how they impact the environment. They use a basic life cycle assessment method that assigns fictional numerical values for different steps in the life cycle. Then they use their analyses to compare the impacts of their products to other products, and suggest ways to reduce environmental impact based on their analyses.
Engineers are inspired by nature for many designs. In particular, engineers often strive to manage waste streams by reusing and recycling materials, as done so well in the natural environment. Engineers often think about the fate of a product from the point of development and construction to the end of its useful life, called a life cycle assessment. Steps in a product life cycle assessment include materials acquisition, materials processing, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, use, and disposal. A variety of goals can be considered when completing a life cycle assessment. Engineers sometimes design products with durable parts intended for a long lifespan and other times they design products intended to last a relatively short amount of time, but have easy-to-reuse or recycle parts.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the steps in a product life cycle assessment.
- Suggest ways to reduce the environmental impacts of engineered products.
- Explain how a life cycle assessment is a useful tool for engineers.