Environmental Impact Research Matrix Instructions Analyzing the life cycle of a product is one of the best ways to understand the impact of our consumption on the environment

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Environmental Impact Research Matrix

Instructions

Analyzing the life cycle of a product is one of the best ways to understand the impact of our consumption on the environment. In this assignment, you will research the series of steps that it takes to deliver a common product to the public and consider how consumers’ choices and behavior can contribute to or diminish environmental sustainability.

Select one of the following products: car, new cell phone, plastic grocery bags, food of your choice, a new 3-bedroom home, an online purchase of your choice, or another product of your choice with faculty approval.

Research the life cycle of your selected product using the internet, textbook, University Library, or other resources.

Analyze the environmental impact of the purchase or usage of the product you selected by completing the matrix below. Answer each question in the matrix with a 1- to 2-sentence response. Be sure to provide references for the sources you use. A partial example has been provided for you.

Example

	Name of Product/Process: Cup of Yogurt
Question	Answer
How is the product/process obtained or created? What raw materials are required?	Every cup of yogurt requires sugar, milk, bacteria, and water, but cow’s milk is the most common ingredient. The states that supply the most dairy in the U.S. are California (18.5%) and Wisconsin (14.2%).
How is the product processed or implemented?	Many different types of milk can be used, but typically, each half cup of yogurt requires half a gallon of milk. Petroleum oil is used to make yogurt cups.

Sources:

The California Dairy Press Room & Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.californiadairypressroom.com/Press_Kit/Dairy_Industry_Facts

Matrix

	Name of Product/Process: Life Circle of a New Cell Phone
Question	Answer
How is the product/process obtained or created? What raw materials are required?	Raw materials Many materials make up a cell phone. It comprises 40% plastics, 40% handsets, and 20% earthenware and trace minerals (Life Cycle of a Cell Phone). The main "brain" of the cell phone is the circuit board. It is situated in the handset and wheels for all its purposes. The circuit board comprises extracted resources, including copper, lead, zinc, among other raw materials. A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a display at the anterior part of a phone which displays info and imageries. There is also a rechargeable battery that may contain materials such as copper, zinc, and nickel. In processing such materials, crude oil is mixed with natural gas and elements to produce plastics. Also, copper is excavated, pounded, heated, and treated with electricity and chemicals to separate the untainted metal used to create circuit boards and batteries. The manufacturer uses the copper pieces produces to create wires and sheets.
How is the product processed or implemented?	Manufacture Plastics are used to create a normal shape of the circuit board then covered with gold plating. Many electronic components are also connected with wires and circuits. Sandwiched liquid crystals in layers of plastics make up the LCDs. Batteries contain two parts: electrodes and electrolytes. Electrodes are made from two dissimilar metals. An electrolyte is a liquid element whereby the electric source from the outside triggers the electric current flow by chemical reaction, giving batteries juicy power.
How is the product delivered or transported to you?	Transportation This is done after the packaging of the products. All kinds of transport are used to deliver cell phones to consumers. Transport can be through plane, truck, or rail. All need fossil fuels for energy which in one way or another affects the environment.
How is the product disposed of?	Dispose In the United States of America, a consumer's average use of a cell phone is 18monthes before they dispose of it(Geyer & Blass, 2010). This happens since most phone contracts only last for two years before the companies encourage their consumers to upgrade their phones. Typically, the phone is either reused or ends up in a landfill. Most are stocked in people's closets, drawers, or basements.
What kind of waste is generated? How can it be recycled?	Waste generated and Recycling. Cell phone waste is a threat to the environment due to the components used to manufacture it. Some of which include zinc, lead, coals, copper, and other harmful materials. Manufactures and many stores accept phones for Recycling. Such companies take the used phones and refurbish them or use them to develop an improved type of phone. Steel products can also be made from the rechargeable batteries.
List any other observations or insights pertaining to the environmental impact of the product.	Observation on the environmental impact of cell phones Like any other product, a cell phone uses natural resources and energy, impacting the land, air, and water. Comprehending the life cycle of an invention helps one make informed ecological decisions and dispose of them( Bian et al., 2016). Environmental impacts of a cell phone can be minimized by; Recycling or reusing the phone, charging the battery correctly, and keeping the phone longer. Cell phones thrown in the trash may end up being suppressed in the grounds or burned. However, cell phones may contain metals., plastics, and chemicals that threaten the environment. Old phones or unused ones can be donated, traded, or recycled. Throwing phones away leads to the destruction of the environment, leading to the waste of energy and loss of fundamental resources.