Page 8 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

2 1. Introduction. Life cycle thinking

thinking (LCT) offers this totality: a comprehensive analysis of the topic it requires, leading to
solutions for reducing impacts in an absolute and not a relative way.
As shown in Fig. 1.1, a product’s life cycle can begin with the extraction of raw materials
from natural resources in the ground, and with energy generation. Materials and energy are
then part of production, packaging, distribution, use, maintenance, and eventually recycling,
reuse, recovery, or final disposal. In each life cycle stage there is the potential to reduce re-
source consumption and improve the product’s performance.
The life cycle metaphor is borrowed from the field of biology. For example, the life cycle of
a butterfly starts with an egg, which bursts and lets a caterpillar out, which then turns into a
pupa, from which a butterfly emerges. The latter eventually dies after laying eggs for the cycle
to be repeated. In much the same way a man-made object starts its lifecycle by the harvesting
and extraction of resources, followed by production, use, and eventually management as
waste, which marks the end of the life cycle (Bjørn et al., 2018a).
To minimize impacts, five levers can be used in practice, from a life-cycle perspective: life-
time extension, dematerialization, manufacturing efficiency, substitution, and recovery
(Olivetti and Cullen, 2018). That’s why we talk about LCT. Decisions made considering a full
life cycle perspective and broader implications on the environmental, economic, and social
pillars of a healthy planet, allow us to address unintended trade-offs between these pillars,
and focus attention on the key drivers of change. As a result, progress towards sustainable
development is faster and more efficient than when decisions are isolated (LCI, 2017).
Thinking in terms of the life cycle, businesses recognize that each choice sets the stage for
not only how the product will look and function, but also for how it will impact the

FIG. 1.1 A typical product lifecycle dia- Natrual
gram. Life Cycle Initiative, https://www. resources
lifecycleinitiative.org/starting-life-cycle-thinking/
Incineration and
what-is-life-cycle-thinking/.
landfilling Extraction of
raw materials
Recovery
Recycling of materials and
components
Disposal Design and
production

Reuse

Use and
maintenance
Packaging and
distribution