Sustainability and Environmental Impact of Plastic and Metallic Spoons

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Executive Summary
In Australia, the role of environmental conservation is the role of the state and federal policy
(Mudd, 2010). Part of the regulatory frameworks includes policy formulation and enforcement.
It is the responsibility of the regulatory body to come up with policies and practices that are
aimed at conserving the environment. This exercise might be changing at times, particularly due
to the ongoing industrialization trend witnessed in most countries. Manufacturing companies are
constantly coming up and this results in more emissions during the production process.
The United Nations has led the campaign on sustainable development among member states
(Griggs, et al., 2013). The global organization is encouraging its member states to align their
development plans with the outlined sustainable development goals. The concept behind this
campaign is to have projects whose implementation do not result in depletion of the available
resources. Depletion of (Heijungs, et al., 2010)resources would mean lack of such resource
for use by future generations.
One of the main ways of assessing the environmental impact of a product is by conducting its
life cycle analysis. This analysis helps not only to assess the environmental impact but can also
be used to investigate complaints from customers (Cabeza, et al., 2014). The analysis reveals
the various aspects of the product. The findings from this analysis are not only useful to the
manufacture, but also to the customers. Governments and other regulatory bodies are also
interested in the findings from a life cycle analysis.
For the products selected for this report, the life cycle analysis is conducted using GiBi
application. Two products are selected for this analysis and the results are compared. Based on

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the findings, the most affordable, environmentally friendly and favorable product is
recommended.
The life cycle analysis demonstrates that the manufacturing cost of metallic spoons are relatively
more expensive compared to the manufacturing costs of plastic spoons. However, metallic
spoons are more durable than the plastic spoons. Furthermore metallic spoons are easily
recyclable after use. On the other hand, manufacturing of plastic spoons is less expensive than
the manufacturing cost of metallic spoons. Moreover, plastics spoons are less durable and mostly
not recyclable. Therefore, excessive use of plastic spoons leads to greater pollution on the
environment. Furthermore, manufacturing process of plastic plates leads to the release of toxic
gases into the atmosphere. An example of the toxic gases is carbon dioxide.
The life cycle analysis revealed it is necessary to reduce the manufacturer and use of plastic
spoons. There should be a targeted campaign against the use of plastic spoons. The campaign
should sensitize the general public about the dangers and potential dangers of excessive use of
plastic spoons.
The life cycle analysis provided a proper basis for rating the two alternative products. Based on
the life cycle analysis, the best alternative is the metallic spoon. A metallic spoon is the best
alternative because it is more sustainable than the plastic spoon. The use of metallic spoon will
lead to less pollution of the environment and metallic materials can be recycled.
Introduction

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One of the most commonly used utensils is the spoon. They serve a number of purposes in both
the cooking and eating processes. This item is very tinny and relatively cheap. For this reason,
the majority of people often dispose of them quite often and buy new ones. Most of them are
either made of plastic, steel, metal, aluminum among others. These are materials that are non-
biodegradable.
Based on the fact that they are non-biodegradable, they might be a big threat to the environment
if not disposed of well. For instance, a research done on the components of the water surfaces in
Australia reveals that in several areas, there were fragments of plastic products on water surfaces
(Reisser, et al., 2013). These fragments were seen to have been larger particles initially before
they degraded to the smear particles. Evidently, this indicated here had been irresponsible
disposal of plastic materials in the past.
A life cycle analysis was conducted on both plastic and metallic spoons. The analysis was done
using the GiBi application. The results were recorded and compared. The impact of the two
products on the environment were analyzed. The best disposal strategies items were also
identified. Their cost of production and price at which they should be sold was also identified.
The other purposes that may be served by the life cycle analysis include investigation of
complaints by customers, cost approximation, investigation of how efficient a product is among
others. All these aspects of the analysis are important. Collectively, they can be used to
customize the product to meet the specific needs of the target market.