Michigan
State University Extension
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06/24/03
Product Life Cycle Environmental Impact and Risk Evaluation
Basic rule for efficient and sustainable resource and environmental
quality management = minimize cumulative product life cycle risks and
environmental impacts. The product life cycle system defines the
material and energy flows and conversions in the total life cycle of a
product. It can be organized into five basic subsystems or segments:
1. Raw Materials Procurement
2. Manufacturing
3. Consumer Use
4. Resource Recovery
5. Disposal
The risks and environmental impacts associated with the product life
cycle include:
- virgin raw materials consumption
- energy consumption
- air pollutant emissions
- water pollutant discharges
- hazardous waste generation
- nonhazardous waste generation
- radioactive waste generation
- industrial accidents
- occupational safety and health risks
- consumer safety and health risks
- ecological degradation
The life cycle framework provides a systematic method to evaluate risks
and environmental impacts associated with the flow and conversion of
material and energy throughout the system. Applications of the product
life cycle framework include: 1) consumer product comparative risk and
environmental impact assessment, 2) product and process design
guidelines to minimize risks and impacts, 3) product labeling and 4)
policy making.
Do prices of consumer products reflect true social, and environmental
costs? Two important market failures that lead to inefficient resource
and environmental quality management are 1) externalities, which are
costs born by society that are not included in the price of a good or
service (e.g., industrial pollution and the disposal of consumer
products); and 2) lack of information about risks and environmental
impacts for the consumer.
References
From the "Diaper Dilemma", Michigan Consumer Education Conference,
1990, presented by Greg A. Keoleian, Research Fellow in the School of
Natural Resources, University of Michigan.
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educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade
names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those
not mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
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or company.
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status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI 48824. This
information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial
products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or
bias against those not mentioned.
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information.was reviewed as
of June 2008. For more information about the contents please
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