Environmental Impact Life Cycle Assessment of a Plunger Type Coffee Maker - Coursework Example

Topic: Environmental Impact Life Cycle Assessment of a Plunger type coffee maker Name of Student: Registration Number Name of institution Name of tutor: Date of Submission: Introduction Life cycle assessment refers to the process of assessing the conditions of a product from the time of material production for its manufacture, its manufactures, during its use until the time of its disposal (Armbrecht, Jason, and Charles, 2007). During a life cycle assessment, the main parameters that are measured include energy and raw materials consumption, a range of omissions and additional products related to the life cycle of the product from the environmental impact point of view. The main steps involved in this assessment include definition of goal and scope, inventory analysis, impact assessment and improvement assessment. This paper provides a life cycle assessment of a plunger style coffee maker modeled by means of the “Matrix Approaches to Abridged Life Cycle Assessment”. It also involves an environmentally responsible product assessment ratings based on life cycle stages. It also involves a Graedel-type analysis on the plunger style coffee maker such as the bull’s eye target plot and an environmentally responsible product (ERP) score that is measured out of 100. It also provides a description of results of the analysis that are obtained from the ERP analysis and provides a discussion of their relative significance. PART A: 1. What the material is made from The product is a device used to make a fairly large volume of coffee with full and mellow flavor. The main parts of this device are the frame that can be made from plastic or stainless steel, the glass jug, the lid, the rod assembly, the spiral plate, the mesh and the cross plate. 2. Properties of the material that make it suitable for this application The stainless steel type has a double insulated wall that makes it suitable for use during travels in boasts and yachts. The other property of the material that make it unique for its use is that it has a filter which determines the level of grind that should be used (Godsmark, Elizabeth, Lora Arduser, and Douglas Robert, 2004). For instance, nylon filters are suitable for handling finer grind while metal filters are suitable when handling coarse coffee grains. The product also has a grinder that assists in reducing the sizes of coffee used during the process of making coffee. 3. Other materials that could have been used Other processing materials that could be used to make the product include paper, plastic, polystyrene, glass and gas-fired clay. Alternative metal s could also be used during the process of manufacture of the product such as using aluminum in place of stainless steel. Polystyrene could also be used in place of copper. 4. Processing conditions for making the product Various components of the product are processed using different processing conditions For instance; the polystyrene part is manufactured by the use of injection molding process while the aluminum section or the stainless steel part is made by extrusion process. The steel part can also be made by pressing process or forming process (Katsigris, Costas, and Chris, 2009). The glass part is made by forming process. After these components have been made, they are assembled and transported to the packaging equipment where they are availed to users. 5. Alternatives that are cheaper for the product There are other alternative products that can be use instead of the plunger type coffee maker. However, they have a number of limitations that prevent their use in preference to the plunger type coffee make. For instance, the Percolator coffee pot is simpler and cheaper and easy to maintain. However, its limitation is that it is not easy to operate and brews for excessively long periods. 6. Other competitor materials for the functions of the product There are no competitor materials for the functions of the product. However, there is usually lack of decision in deciding whether to use stainless steel instead of aluminum in making the metallic part. 7. Appropriateness of the design to the material and application The design is important place where materials used to make it can be applied. For instance, the use of glass case ensures transparency of the pot thus preventing the possibility of overflow because it is possible to know the level of coffee in the container. In addition, the use of stainless steel for the metallic parts ensures prevention of corrosion that may result into poisoning. The use plastic material for the lid ensures corrosion is minimized while the product is light enough to allow movement from one place to another. 8. Methods of designing with less material waste The design for the product will be made with little waste of material by use of thin sections of material such as extrusion that results into production of thin cross-sectional areas. In addition, the design will involve (Nolan, Deborah Ann, and Terry, 2000). The materials used to make the parts should be redesigned by combining with other materials to improve performance characteristics such as improved resistance to corrosion, and reduced weight. In addition, the plastic part should be made by combining other hydrocarbons to prevent excessive consumption of plastics. The parts can also be made by recycling used products or broken plunger coffee pots. 9. Performance of the material property-wise after recycling The product is expected to perform less efficiently after recycling in comparison with the original product. This is because during the recycling process; some of the desirable characteristics of the original product are lost. These include tensile strength of the steel part as well as resistance to corrosion (Strybel, 2003). Furthermore, during use, the materials wear and metallic part is subjected to high temperature and corrosive conditions that destroy its desirable characteristics. In addition, melting processes result into reduction of strength characteristics of the metallic part while the plastic part will be more susceptible to melt. This will result into a plunger pot that is less efficient in comparison with the original pot if the same materials are recycled to make a new coffee pot. 10. Possibility of recycling into the same product or other products This product can be recycled into the same product as well as recycling into other products. This can be achieved by converting the plastic component to liquid forms through melting after which they are extruded into the initial form (Armbrecht, Jason, and Charles, 2007). The same can be done for the metallic part by melting them in a furnace after which they are molded into initial products. The process of recycling the product into other products would be accomplished by recycling the plastic casing which can be melted and converted into other plastic materials such as cups and jugs. 11. Possibility of sorting materials from wastes The materials used to produce the product can be sorted from waste (Nolan, Deborah Ann, and Terry, 2000). For instance, stainless steel can be obtained from metallic mixture by use of magnetic separation after which the selected materials are melted in a furnace and cast into the required shapes. In addition, plastic components can be separated from other materials by melting at a low temperature. The liquid plastic can then be cast into the right shapes to make up parts of the coffee pot. PART B I. Graedel-type analysis on the plunger type coffee maker Element Designation Matrix Element indices Element value Explanation Premanufacture Materials choice (1,1) 2 An average of toxic components are found in materials since all materials are virgin Energy use (1,2) 3 Moderately low amount of energy is used in shipping materials since the materials are less bulky Solid residue (1,3) 3 Mining of iron and aluminum results into production of soli wastes Liquid residue (1,4) 2 During resource generation, a high amounts of fluids are used Gas residue (1,5) 2 During melting of plastics, significant amount of gases wastes are produced Product manufacture Materials choice (2,1) 3 Stainless steel used for metal parts production while plastic materials used for making the casing Energy use (2,2) 3 Moderate use of energy during manufacture Solid residue (2,3) 2 Lots of metal scarp from smelting of scrap metals as well as solid materials left during melting of plastics Liquid residue (2,4) 3 Few liquid residues are produced during the melting processes for plastics and metals. Gas residue (2,5) 2 Significant amounts of gases are produced during melting of plastic c components. Packaging and transportation Materials choice (3,1) 3 Materials are sparse and recyclable during transportation process Energy use (3,2) 2 The use of road transport results into high energy use Solid residue (3,3) 3 Very few transport and packaging materials are used which results into reduced residue of solid wastes Liquid residue (3,4) 4 Transport and packaging of the products do not include any liquid residues since the products are still not in use Gas residue (3,5) 4 During transport and packaging, no gases are produced that can harm the environment Customer use Materials choice (4,1) 2 Plastics materials are materials that can be recycled, hence their supply is not limited Energy use (4,2) 2 The plunger coffee maker uses moderately high amount of electrical energy during use Solid residue (4,3) 2 Residues from worn out equipment such as lids and plungers cause an increase in solid wastes. Liquid residue (4,4) 3 The product is less likely to cause leakage of fluids during its operating lifetime. Gas residue (4,5) 3 Very little gas exhausts are produced when the plunger type coffee maker is used Refurbishment-recycling and disposal Materials choice (5,1) 3 All materials used to make the product are recyclable Energy use (5,2) 2 Moderately high amount of energy I is required during assembly and disassembly of the materials. Solid residue (5,3) 3 Most of the parts of the product can be recycled to reduce the amount of solid residues in the environment Liquid residue (5,4) 3 Liquid residues that result from recycling process are minimal Gas residue (5,5) 2 During recycling process, equipment are used that ensures reduced production of pollutant gases Table 1. Table for Life Cycle assessment of the plunger type coffee maker According to the above table, during the premanufacture stage, the impacts of materials for making the plunger on the environment are studied. It is observed that destruction of steel and plastic materials and their transportation does not result into production of high amounts of pollution. The assessment of components sourced from other suppliers also show that they cannot result into any negative impact on the environment In the second life cycle stage of the product manufacture, much has been done to reduce the impacts on the environment by putting emphasis on recycling materials, reduction of emissions by brought by chemicals used and proper use of materials during fabrication and reuse of scraps is emphasized. The third life cycle stage of the product is packaging and transport. It is observed that this product requires few packaging materials that reduces the amount of solid wastes brought by their use and also transport costs for moving the products is slightly low. However, there are other environmental impacts such as exhaust gases produced by vehicles during their transportation. In the product use stage, it is found that the product results into less impact on the environment because few wastes are produced from the use of the product such as waste coffee. Furthermore, the wastes are less harmful to the environment. The plunger pot also uses less amount of electricity thus resulting into a less negative impact on power consumption. The fifth stage of the life cycle analysis involves the impacts on the environment as a result of refurbishment as well as discarding of components considered impossible or too costly to recycle. It is observed that almost any part of the plunger type coffee maker can be recycled. For instance, it is possible to recycle polystyrene components through melting and injection molding. The steel components can be recycled by melting and forming operations. This results into reduced costs of obtaining new component as well as impacts on environment due to extraction processes. The product also uses electricity that is a renewable source of energy and does not pollute the environment. II. Environmentally Responsible Product score out of 100 The environmental impact life cycle analysis above is important in determining whether the product will result into production of high amounts of wastes that can harm the environment. The Environmentally Responsible product score was used to determine the level of pollution that would result from various stages of manufacture of the product. This was achieved by using the ERP weighting method shown below. Life Cycle stage Materials choice Energy use Solid residues Liquid residues Gaseous residues Total Premanufacture 2 3 3 2 2 12/20 Product manufacture 3 3 2 3 2 13/20 Product packaging and transport 3 2 3 4 4 16/20 Product use 2 2 2 3 3 12/20 Refurbishment-recycling-disposal 3 2 3 3 2 13/20 Total Score 66/100 Table 2. ERP weighing table The table above shows how the manufacture of the plunger type coffee maker will impact on the environment. It is observed that during premanufacture, the impact will be higher than during manufacturing process. High impact on the environment is also expected during product use. However, least impact is expected during product packaging and transportation processes. These results show that any manufacturer who needs to manufacture the plunger type coffee maker has to put more emphasis on its impact during premanufacture and product use stages where the impact on environment is high. The overall impact on environment is found to be favorable by 66 per cent. This is a favorable value and the product can be considered to be environmentally friendly. However, there is still room for improvement and the product manufacture, use, transport and packaging can be improved to ensure its impact on environment is reduced further. III. Bulls eye target plot Figure 1. Bulls eye plot for Environmentally Responsible product targets in the manufacture of a plunger type coffee maker The above plot shows various manufacturing targets that need to be incorporated in various stages of the product manufacture in order to attain an environmentally responsible product with an overall score of 66 per cent. The above plots can be used by any individual who wants to make an environmentally responsible product by considering environmental impacts at various stages of its manufacture which result into an impact on the environment. IV. Discussion During the design of products with the DFE philosophy, the above illustrated approach should be used in processes and facilities (Armbrecht, Jason, and Charles, 2007). The above illustrated approach is applicable to the manufacture of any product with similar characteristics. However, the Life Cycle analysis presented in this topic is less quantifiable and does not provide a thorough assessment. The other limitation is that it is inestimably more practical and uses utilitarian principles. Thus it would be recommended if a number of abridged LCAs were conducted by the same techniques for conducting a more comprehensive LCAs. References Armbrecht, Jason, and Charles Agar. 2007. Frommer's Southeast Asia. Hoboken, N.J.: Frommer's. Godsmark, Elizabeth, Lora Arduser, and Douglas Robert Brown. 2004. How to open a financially successful coffee, espresso & tea shop : with companion CD-ROM. Ocala, FL: Atlantic Pub. International directory of company histories. 1988. Chicago, Ill: St. James Press. Katsigris, Costas, and Chris Thomas. 2009. Design and equipment for restaurants and foodservice a management view. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10345968. Nolan, Deborah Ann, and Terry Speed. 2000. Stat labs: mathematical statistics through applications. New York, NY [u.a.]: Springer. Strybel, Robert. 2003. Polish holiday cookery. New York: Hippocrene Books. Read More

The steel part can also be made by pressing process or forming process (Katsigris, Costas, and Chris, 2009). The glass part is made by forming process. After these components have been made, they are assembled and transported to the packaging equipment where they are availed to users. 5. Alternatives that are cheaper for the product There are other alternative products that can be use instead of the plunger type coffee maker. However, they have a number of limitations that prevent their use in preference to the plunger type coffee make.

For instance, the Percolator coffee pot is simpler and cheaper and easy to maintain. However, its limitation is that it is not easy to operate and brews for excessively long periods. 6. Other competitor materials for the functions of the product There are no competitor materials for the functions of the product. However, there is usually lack of decision in deciding whether to use stainless steel instead of aluminum in making the metallic part. 7. Appropriateness of the design to the material and application The design is important place where materials used to make it can be applied.

For instance, the use of glass case ensures transparency of the pot thus preventing the possibility of overflow because it is possible to know the level of coffee in the container. In addition, the use of stainless steel for the metallic parts ensures prevention of corrosion that may result into poisoning. The use plastic material for the lid ensures corrosion is minimized while the product is light enough to allow movement from one place to another. 8. Methods of designing with less material waste The design for the product will be made with little waste of material by use of thin sections of material such as extrusion that results into production of thin cross-sectional areas.

In addition, the design will involve (Nolan, Deborah Ann, and Terry, 2000). The materials used to make the parts should be redesigned by combining with other materials to improve performance characteristics such as improved resistance to corrosion, and reduced weight. In addition, the plastic part should be made by combining other hydrocarbons to prevent excessive consumption of plastics. The parts can also be made by recycling used products or broken plunger coffee pots. 9. Performance of the material property-wise after recycling The product is expected to perform less efficiently after recycling in comparison with the original product.

This is because during the recycling process; some of the desirable characteristics of the original product are lost. These include tensile strength of the steel part as well as resistance to corrosion (Strybel, 2003). Furthermore, during use, the materials wear and metallic part is subjected to high temperature and corrosive conditions that destroy its desirable characteristics. In addition, melting processes result into reduction of strength characteristics of the metallic part while the plastic part will be more susceptible to melt.

This will result into a plunger pot that is less efficient in comparison with the original pot if the same materials are recycled to make a new coffee pot. 10. Possibility of recycling into the same product or other products This product can be recycled into the same product as well as recycling into other products. This can be achieved by converting the plastic component to liquid forms through melting after which they are extruded into the initial form (Armbrecht, Jason, and Charles, 2007).

The same can be done for the metallic part by melting them in a furnace after which they are molded into initial products. The process of recycling the product into other products would be accomplished by recycling the plastic casing which can be melted and converted into other plastic materials such as cups and jugs. 11. Possibility of sorting materials from wastes The materials used to produce the product can be sorted from waste (Nolan, Deborah Ann, and Terry, 2000). For instance, stainless steel can be obtained from metallic mixture by use of magnetic separation after which the selected materials are melted in a furnace and cast into the required shapes.

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