ESC 110 2

Rick Politician 87345Wk 2 - LCA homework Life Cycle Analysis for a graphite non-mechanical pencil. There are 5 parts to each pencil. - Wood - Eraser - Ferrules (metal binding connecting eraser to pencil) - Paint - Graphite LCA for the wood Plant trees cut down trees saw trees into shavings reshape shavings with glue to pencil shape. Environmental impacts: Planting trees helps reduce CO2, stop soil erosion and provide a habitat for living species. Yet, cutting down trees increases erosions, destroys the habitat for many living species, often creates skid tracks, reduces food supply for local populations and pollutes the air with the emissions released from gas burning trucks used to transport the lumber. Creating shaving out of the trees using the large sawmill machines consumes lots of energy. Lastly, the glue used to bond together the wood shavings leaves many nasty byproducts. Pencils are thrown away and end up in landfills, whether as pencil shavings or stubby pencils. LCA for the eraser Vinyl Plastic formed, cut and stuck onto pencils Producing the vinyl takes energy and material resources, whether from the earth or from recycling old plastics. The vinyl transported to the factory (emissions from trucks and deterioration of roads). At the factory large machinery forms, cuts and sticks the erasers on to the pencils. This consumes electricity to run the machines. Because erasers are rubbed down into specs, they become dust and eventually are swept up and thrown away in landfills. LCA for the ferrules Mine minerals process minerals form into ferrule shape glue to pencil These minerals for these composite metal bindings are mined out of the earth. The commercial vehicles used to do this take electricity and gas to run. Mining also destroys natural areas and pollutes water resources. Also, the health of the miners is negatively affected. The minerals are taken to processing plant. Using lots of electricity, the mineral are melted down and turned into the ferrules. The ferrules end up in landfills with the rest of the pencil LCA for the graphite Mine minerals process minerals form in to long cylinder glue within sawdust The life cycle of graphite is very similar to the life cycle of the ferrules. It begins with mining, then to processing, then into the pencil and finally thrown away either as part of pencil or as waste when paper is recycled. LCA for the paint Acquire natural and synthetic resources process in to paint spray onto pencils Natural resources are acquired from the earth, plants or animals. Synthetic resources are taken for chemical plants. There are many wastes and a lot of energy usage associated with the creation of synthetics. These resources are combined in a big vat at another factory and processed into paint. The paint is shipped to the pencil company, which sprays the pencils. Because many paints are toxic there is lots of negative waste associated with this process. The paint ends up in the landfill with the rest of the pencil. Conclusion Creating a graphite pencil takes a lot of energy and resources. Even worse, only about half of a graphite pencil is ever used and none of it is recycled. If a person used the same mechanical pencil for a couple months, it would have less of an impact than the wasteful graphite pencil.