Lifecycle Stages of Electronic Products
Address the below applying APA style as directed for this paper
- Describe the major activities in each of the four or five life cycle stages shown in Figure 1 (in Chapter 1 of the LCA text) for an electronic product. Describe the activities needed to support reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling activities for the container chosen. Be sure to include references from the book, from the Video Support page and at least one outside peer-reviewed source.
- Next, discuss which life cycle stages might contribute to the environmental impact categories discussed in the chapter (global warming, ozone depletion, and acid rain). Are there other classes of environmental impact you can envision for this product, especially at the end of the life cycle? Be sure to include references from the book, from the Video Support page and at least one outside peer-reviewed source.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=c00cd54a0b&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1647588972408765255&th=16dd6970ec467b47&view=att&disp=inline&realattid=f_k1ttj6ty0
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=c00cd54a0b&attid=0.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1647588972408765255&th=16dd6970ec467b47&view=att&disp=inline&realattid=f_k1ttjlbe1
Products go through a life cycle which simply means the process that a product goes through from the collection of raw materials through manufacturing to the use and finally disposal. This essay describes the major activities in the life cycles for a laptop, the activities that support reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling activities, and life cycle stages that impact the environment.
The Major Activities in the Life Cycle Stages
Each life cycle stage denotes various activities that contribute to the actions that lead to the next stage. Such activities are described below.
Material Extraction
A laptop is made up of various accessories that are collected from various places and then dispatched to the assembly line. The handsets are generally made of metals such as gold, copper, lead, zinc and others, plastics, and trace materials. Liquid crystalline substances are used to make Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) (Matthews, Hendrickson & Matthews, 2015). Other materials include batteries such as lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-ion.
Material Processing
Material processing describes the activities that take place before the manufactures use the materials to make a product. The crude oil is combined with chemicals and natural gas to make plastic. Copper is mined, animated, and treated with electricity and chemicals to eliminate the pure metal used to make batteries and circuit boards (Velmurugan, 2015). The resultant copper pieces are then transported to the manufacture to form sheets and wires.
Manufacturing
The board contains electronic components that are connected with wires and circuits protected with coatings and glues. The batteries are made from different metals whereby the electrolytes touch the electrodes. On the application of an outside source of electricity, a chemical reaction occurs making an electric current to flow hence giving the batteries their power.
Use
Laptop companies transport the end products to various destinations for use by consumers. The life of a cell phone can be extended by taking care of it through protection from liquids, extreme heat and cold, and storing it in a case.
Waste Management
The life of a laptop ends when it becomes damaged and non-functional and is disposed of. Nonetheless, some damaged laptops can be repaired and get into useful forms. Rechargeable batteries can be recycled and recovered materials used to make new ones.
The Activities Needed To Support Reuse, Remanufacturing, and Recycling Activities
The reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling activities are very important for laptops to minimize the adverse effects on the environment. Such activities include donating a laptop to another person in need when the user no longer requires it instead of throwing it (Matthews, Hendrickson & Matthews, 2015). The users can also return the laptop or accessories to the manufacturers for recycling. These steps are important to ensure the complete life cycle of a laptop.
Life Cycle Stages that Contribute To the Environmental Impact
The material extraction stage poses great impacts on the environment. The manufacturing of laptops requires a lot of metals which are natural resources and are mostly extracted from the earth. Metals such as gold are extracted from the ore and considering the high demand for cellphones, such extraction causes depletion of the ozone layer (Velmurugan, 2015). Additionally, for such metals to be extracted, cutting down trees is involved which gradually causes global warming.
The waste management stage also affects the environment. Notably, when a laptop is damaged beyond repair, the users through them to municipal landfills. Considering that they contain toxic materials such as mercury, lead, and cadmium, they contaminate water sources and also affect the fertility of soils.
Generally, laptops are important and all the lifecycles ought to be treated with care. Considering the negative impacts of cellphones on the environment, the recycling process is quite important. Proper waste management can save the environment.
References
Matthews, H. S., Hendrickson, C. T., & Matthews, D. H. (2015). Life cycle assessment:
Quantitative approaches for decisions that matter. Retrieved June, 1, 2016.
Velmurugan, M. S. (2015). Environmental Hazards and Health Risks Associated with the Use of
Mobile Phones. Journal of Green Engineering, 5(2), 151-174.
