Life Cycles Of Paper And Plastic Bags Environmental Sciences Essay

deportment Cycles Of musical composition And fictile Bags Environmental Sciences EssayThis research performs animation- steering wheel sagaciousnesss on both overlaps- tractile bags and report card bags. The deuce products ar considered to be substitutes for one another, and the end heading of the life-time- one shot estimations performed on the two products is to comp ar the life-cycle follows of the two products for the purpose of recommending a production strategy for a company that produces bags.A life-cycle judgement for wall root bags is presented in the following section, and this presentation is followed by a presentation of a life-cycle ratement for pliant bags in the succeeding section. Following the presentations of the two life-cycle assessments, the two substitute products argon compared with the emphasis being placed on the beat costs of the products for the manufacturing company. Recommendations and conclusions based on this comparison are then presen ted. support cycle assessment attempts to measure the total environmental cause of a product from cradle to grave. Proponents contend that life-cycle assessment can provide the learning to assess tradeoffs byout the life of every product.Life-cycle assessment permits producing organizations to determine the environmental have-to doe with of both their products and the manufacturing wreakes used in the production of those goods. As manufacturing companies corroborate experienced increasing pressures to minimize adverse environmental effects of tout ensemble types, therefore, life-cycle assessment has assumed greater importance in manufacturing management.The sign trample in a life-cycle assessment involves the establishment of the purpose of the study and defining the objectives of the study. This step for this current examination was established in the initial split up of this Introduction.The second step of a life-cycle assessment is the life-cycle ancestry. In the life -cycle muniment, zero and mad material requirements and environmental emissions of the product and its manufacturing process are quantified. Precise and spacious calculations are involved in this step. Totals for all material requirements and environmental emissions are presented for all stages of production, from fond materials acquisition to muck up management.The third step is an relate assessment, which attempts to translate the life-cycle list data into effects on homo health, ecologic health, and election depletion, which are the dissembles of the product and its manufacturing process on the environment. The continue assessment is accomplished by classifying the inventory items into condition groups that whitethorn lead to an environmental cushion.The final step in a life-cycle assessment is an progress epitome. The feeler analysis develops recommendations based on the results of the life-cycle inventory and the life-cycle preserve assessment. Such recommend ations may include the adaptation of a production process, the use of different black materials, or choosing one product over another, as is the case in this current study.The steps of the life-cycle assessment process from life-cycle inventory through life-cycle returns analysis are communicate in this current study in the following two sections. In these two sections, these steps of the life-cycle assessment process are actual for both elastic bags and paper bags.Life-Cycle Assessment tensile BagsThe life-cycle assessment of bendable bags is presented in relation to life-cycle inventory, life-cycle impact assessment, and life-cycle improvement analysis.Life-Cycle stock-takeThe life-cycle inventory analysis is a technical, data-based process of valueing naught and raw material requirements, atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, solid wastes, and other releases for the intact life cycle of a product, package, process, material, or activity. In this section, the li fe-cycle inventory is developed for credit card bags.In the broadest sense, a life-cycle inventory analysis begins with raw material decline and continues through final product consumption and disposal. The scope of the life-cycle inventory refers to the place of boundaries for the life-cycle inventory of a specific product.A flow chart of the life cycle of flexible bags is presented in Exhibit 1. The exhibit may be assemble on the following page.The flow of the life cycle of pliant bags is illustrated in Exhibit 1. This flow begins (PE) petroleum extraction, and progresses through (PR) petroleum refining, (Pl-E) moldable extrusion, (Pl-F) charge plate fabrication, (PB-M) charge card bag manufacture, (Tr) transportation of shaping bags to initial users, (IU) initial use, (SU) secondary use, (UD) user disposal, and thence to either (Rcy) recycling or (LFD) landfill disposal.The life-cycle inventory of environmental factors for credit card bags is presented in Table 1. The t able may be found on the following page.Table 1 Life-Cycle Inventory Plastic BagsEnvironmental FactorEmissions metric tonsSO20.07037CO0.01655NO20.04692VOC0.27504Lead0.00001PM100.00241MTCO2E58.76522Non-Point manner0.02432Point nisus0.03892Air Releases0.04723Water Releases0.00225Land Releases0.00106Underground Releases0.01568The life-cycle inventory of charge card bags indicates that some(prenominal) environmental factors are involved in the production and use of the product. These factors numerate into play at every stage of the life cycle of plastic bags.Life-Cycle Impact AssessmentQualitative aspects of the life-cycle are addressed through the life-cycle impact assessment. The life-cycle impact assessment, however, also includes technical and quantitative data to assess the effects of the resource requirements and environmental factors (atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, and solid wastes) specify in the life-cycle inventory.The life-cycle impact assessment for plast ic bags developed in this section considers ecological and human health impacts, and resource depletion. Other effects, such as home ground modification and heat and noise pollution, also are included in the life-cycle impact assessment.The key invention in the life-cycle impact assessment is the environmental stressor. The environmental stressor concept links the life-cycle inventory and the life-cycle impact assessment through identified conditions that delineate resource consumption and environmental factors. Thus, a stressor is a set of conditions that may lead to an impact.The life-cycle impact analysis does not attempt to quantify any specific actual impacts associated with a product or process. Rather, the life-cycle impact assessment seeks to establish a gene linkage between the product or process life cycle and potential impacts.The substance releases associated with the manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal of plastic bags create a number of stressors. These str essors, in turn, have an impact on the ecology, human and other animal welfare, and resource conservation. The magnitude of releases into the air, water, and land are not enormous however, the are as yet substantial.Life-Cycle Improvement AnalysisThe life-cycle improvement analysis is an evaluation of the needs and opportunities to lop the environmental burden associated with energy and raw material use and waste emissions throughout the life cycle of a product or process, which in this section is a product-plastic bags. This analysis includes both quantitative and qualitative measures of improvements.The scotch costs associated with the use of plastic bags approximate $0.58710 per metric ton of environmental discharge. Electricity consumption in the production of plastic bags approximates 0.19 swotion kilowatt-hours per $1 million production of plastic bags.Life-Cycle Assessment report card BagsThe life-cycle assessment of paper bags is presented in relation to life-cycle inve ntory, life-cycle impact assessment, and life-cycle improvement analysis.Life-Cycle InventoryAs noted in the preceding life-cycle assessment of plastic bags, the life-cycle inventory analysis is a technical, data-based process of quantifying energy and raw material requirements, atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, solid wastes, and other releases for the entire life cycle of a product, package, process, material, or activity. In this section, the life-cycle inventory is developed for paper bags.In the broadest sense, as stated in the life-cycle assessment of plastic bags, a life-cycle inventory analysis begins with raw material extraction and continues through final product consumption and disposal. The scope of the life-cycle inventory refers to the setting of boundaries for the life-cycle inventory of a specific product.A flow chart of the life cycle of plastic bags is presented in Exhibit 2. The exhibit may be found on the following page.The flow of the life cycle of pap er bags is illustrated in Exhibit 2. This flow begins (TH) tree harvesting, and progresses through (LT) log transport, (Pm-O) pulp mill operations, (Pa-F) paper fabrication, (PB-M) paper bag manufacture, (Tr) transportation of paper bags to initial users, (IU) initial use, (SU) secondary use, (UD) user disposal, and thence to either (Rcy) recycling or (LFD) landfill disposal.The life-cycle inventory of environmental factors for plastic bags is presented in Table 2. The table may be found on the following page.Table 2 Life-Cycle Inventory Paper BagsEnvironmental FactorEmissions metric tonsSO20.80988CO0.51794NO20.35931VOC0.30502Lead0.00010PM100.03281MTCO2E91.28522Non-Point Air0.00471Point Air0.07472Air Releases0.07824Water Releases0.00362Land Releases0.00144Underground Releases0.00000The life-cycle inventory of paper bags indicates that some(prenominal) environmental factors are involved in the production and use of the product. These factors get under ones skin into play at every s tage of the life cycle of paper bags.Life-Cycle Impact AssessmentQualitative aspects of the life cycle are addressed through the life-cycle impact assessment, a fact noted in the life-cycle assessment of plastic bags. The life-cycle impact assessment, however, also includes technical and quantitative data to assess the effects of the resource requirements and environmental factors (atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, and solid wastes) identified in the life-cycle inventory.The life-cycle impact assessment for paper bags developed in this section considers ecological and human health impacts, and resource depletion. Other effects, such as habitat modification and heat and noise pollution, also are included in the life-cycle impact assessment.The key concept in the life-cycle impact assessment, a previously noted in the life-cycle assessment of plastic bags, is the environmental stressor. The environmental stressor concept links the life-cycle inventory and the life-cycle im pact assessment through identified conditions that tie resource consumption and environmental factors. Thus, a stressor is a set of conditions that may lead to an impact.The life-cycle impact analysis, as stated in the life-cycle assessment of plastic bags, does not attempt to quantify any specific actual impacts associated with a product or process. Rather, the life-cycle impact assessment seeks to establish a linkage between the product or process life cycle and potential impacts.The substance releases associated with the manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal of paper bags create a number of stressors. These stressors, in turn, have an impact on the ecology, human and other animal welfare, and resource conservation. The magnitude of releases into the air, water, and land are not enormous however, the are nevertheless substantial.Life-Cycle Improvement AnalysisThe life-cycle improvement analysis is an evaluation of the needs and opportunities to reduce the environmental burd en associated with energy and raw material use and waste emissions throughout the life cycle of a product or process, which in this section is a product-plastic bags. This analysis includes both quantitative and qualitative measures of improvements.The economic costs associated with the use of paper bags approximate $0.57299 per metric ton of environmental discharge. Electricity consumption in the production of plastic bags approximates 0.27 million kilowatt-hours per $1 million production of plastic bags.Comparative Assessment of Plastic Bags Paper BagsComparing the life-cycle assessment of plastic bags with the life-cycle assessment of paper bags reveals that, from an environmental hazard perspective, plastic bags are a lower risk product than are paper bags. With respect to life-cycle inventory comparisons, paper bags are superior to plastic bags only within the stage setting of non-point air releases.Comparing the life-cycle assessment of plastic bags with the life-cycle asse ssment of paper bags within a total cost context reveals that plastic bags consume less resources in production and distribution. Further, the total cost of production is lower for plastic bags than for paper bags.RecommendationsFor the company manufacturing bags, the recommendation is that plastic bags continue to be produced. Although the company does not now produce paper bags, the recommendations is that such production not be commenced.ConclusionsOne conclusion haggard from the findings of this study is that plastic bags are a more economic product for the manufacturer than are paper bags. A second conclusion is that plastic bags are less harmful to the ecology than are paper bags.