Product Life Cycle Analysis of Washing Machines

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Sustainable Development and Environmental Management
Name of the Student:
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1ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Definition of goal and scope of PLCA............................................................................................2
The life cycle inventory analysis.....................................................................................................5
Life cycle impact assessment...........................................................................................................7
Life cycle interpretation...................................................................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
Reference.......................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Product life cycle analysis (PLCA) is a part of a strategic planning process. It includes
strategic analysis, strategic choice, and strategic implementation. PLCA helps to develop a
marketing strategy of a product which increases its robustness and also provides a framework for
forecasting the product sales. The product life cycle illustrates the time period through which a
product is developed, introduced in to the market and then removed from the market (Stark
2015). This study is based on life cycle analysis of washing machines. The report also includes
the life cycle assessment, life cycle interpretation and the environmental impact of the washing
machines.
Definition of goal and scope of PLCA
PLCA or LCA is an efficient tool for the purpose of conducting comparisons within the
competing systems and also assist in improving an existing system. This product improvement is
also a sort of comparison. An effective result is dependent upon an unambiguous, clear purpose
and definition of the study from the beginning (Curran 2016).
The goals of the LCA states: intended application, rationale for the conduct of the study,
the audience of these study (to whom the results will be conveyed and communicated), whether
the results accumulated are suitable for dissemination to the general public. This purpose of the
study is to perform a life cycle assessment of Washing Machines. The rationale behind the
carrying out of the LCA is to perform a thorough analysis of the impact of washing machines on
the environment (Klöpffer 2012). This LCA focusses on the parameters like overall efficiency of
the machines, energy and design. The intended audience for this study are the different
companies that manufacture the washing machines, the recycling agencies that recycle the

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electronic wastes, the dismantling companies that aid the recycling processes. The study results
will be effectively communicated to the above mentioned stakeholders for the purpose of
reducing the impact on the environment. The results will be used to make comparative analysis
of the different products of different companies and the parameters of the comparison will be
based on efficiency of the machines used, energy consumed by the final product and the design
of the product (Curran 2016).
The Scope of LCA involves: the product system intended for the study; the function of
the product for the purpose of making comparative analysis with other products; the functional
unit within the product; system boundary; procedures of allocation; categories of impact
selected, impact assessment methodology selected, and the subsequent interpretations; data
requirements; limitations and assumptions; requirements related the initial data quality; critical
review if required; format and type of the report required for the purpose of the study. The
product system to be studied here are the washing machines (Klöpffer 2012). The function of the
product system is to wash clothes and dry them subsequently. Whereas, the areas of comparison
lie on the types of washing machines. The types of washing machines are based on the automatic
or semi-automatic types, Front loading or top loading types. Depending on the type of usage of
the washing machines, the functional unit is set as washing machines that have the capability to
wash 7kg of clothes in one wash. The washing machines wash 175 times in one year and operate
at temperatures of 40 degree Celsius, 60 degree Celsius and 90 degree Celsius over the period of
15 years. The functional unit of 7kg is selected because the majority of the washing that are
available in the market have the maximum load capacity of 7 kg. The figure 1 shows the system
boundary of the washing machines (Curran 2016).