The things we buy

- Product life cycles

The project this week is about waste management and sustainable living, as an individual
and as a society. You will be asked to consider needs versus wants, the difference between
possible and plausible and what you consider reasonable. All while learning about science,
technology, engineering and mathematics through an applied real-world problem.

We have prepared 8 different subtopics to be distributed amongst the groups and this page
represents the starting point for one of these projects:

Problem:
Problem area:
If you can imagine it, you can most likely buy it. We live in a world where there’s a supply for
every demand and a product for every customer. There is an entire industry build around
making people think they absolutely need to own the newest gadget or the trendiest new
clothes. But what does this do to our planet? Everytime something is produced, energy is
spent. Everytime something is transported, destroyed or reused, there is a loss of energy
and material, oftentimes permanent.

When considering the impact of a product on the world you have to take everything into
account. How was it designed? How was it made? Where? How is it packed/wrapped? How
did it get to the store? Who bought it? What did they do with it? Where did it go once no
one was using it anymore?
These considerations together is called a products life cycle assessment and can be used to
describe a products carbon footprint.

Problem definition:
How do we ensure that the next generations get to experience the abundant selections of
products from across the world, that we are accustomed to today? Can we?

Suggested paths and questions to pursue:

- Find a life cycle assessment on the internet, on a product you own, or one you would
like. (You could try looking at your phone or clothes).
- What is the impact of a product being local versus imported?
- Almost all products are wrapped or packed in some way, where does the wrapping
go and are there sustainable solutions?

Sources:
https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2008/04/18/life-cycle-analysis/
https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/starting-life-cycle-thinking/what-is-life-cycle-thinking/

C5:DK
Criteria and specifications:
Present your findings/ideas and products to a group of smaller children on friday. You have
about 8 minutes for every round. There will be 8 rounds. Use your creativity to win the
contest, since the best group wins a present.
- In english
- 7-8 minutes per presentation
- An appealing presentation (maybe with interactive elements?)
- Use visuals and paper models or show experiments
- Understandable for younger children

C5:DK