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The Beginning and the End? • 163

and hay for the livestock that produces the tallow for the soap, and the
seedlings that provide the trees, which provide the pulp, which provide
the cardboard for the packaging of the soap.

the life Cycle of a Bar of soap

A typical bar of soap may seem quite small and insignificant. What impacts
can it have? It can have quite a few.

the soap itself:
• Soap tallow: derived from animal fat (farm operations, corn and soy-
bean production, and processing, shipping, meat packing, rendering,
etc.)
• Lye: typically from electrochemical treatment of salt (sodium hydrox-
ide, caustic, electricity)
• Perfumes and other chemicals from petroleum and other sources
• Energy: global warming gases, regional pollution impacts
• Water: use and contamination

the packaging:
• Paper and cardboard: trees and logging operations, chipping, ship-
ping; clay for paper, water, energy, and chemicals (chlorine)
• Plastic wrap: petroleum, energy, water, and additives
• Paints and inks: petroleum, dyes, pigments, and inks

transportation:
• Mining, processing, manufacturing, maintenance, and use of equip-
ment to make and use trucks
• Consumer car to travel to and from store
• Consumer water transfer

disposal: Most of soap ends up in the sewage water. The paper, plastic,
and other wastes end up in landfills; some might be recycled.
These impacts are offset by health benefits and improved longevity of
clothes and other products. But the goal should always be to minimize
costs and increase benefits from use.

impact assessment

This is the stage most associated with an LCA and indeed it is the heart of
the project. However, without the prior work the project will not have the
consideration and thoughtfulness to be effective; it would be like jump-