Product Life Cycle and Environmental Impact Assessment of 7up Bottle
Chapter One
Aim of the Study
The aim of this research is to assess the life cycle of 7up bottle production and the associated environmental impacts generated at every stage, using Sunglass as a case study.
Objective of the Study
The objectives of this study are to:
- Study the stages in the life cycle of the 7up container glass, with consideration to a particular batch
- Assess the impacts associated with every stage in the life of a the bottle
- Study the span of the bottles with 7up bottling Company, its end users and back to the Sunglass Company
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
Life Cycle assessment
Methodology for LCA
Life cycle assessment is a methodological framework for quantifying and analysing environmental impacts attributable to the life cycle of products, services and, more rarely, processes. Nowadays, this is a well-integrated tool in environmental management (Azapagic and Clift 1999), normalized by the ISO 14040-14044 (ISO 2006) environmental management system (EMS). A full LCA would include a “cradle-to-grave” approach by considering each step of the life cycle: design/development of the product, raw material acquisition, manufacturing, distribution use/maintenance/re-use and end-of-life activities. The methodology is usually described under four different steps:
Goal and scope definition: This step consists of drawing the studied system boundaries to ensure that no relevant part is omitted.
Inventory analysis: Often based on a mass and energy balance, this step compiles and quantifies inputs (raw materials and energy) and outputs (wastes and others emissions) relative to the system throughout its life cycle. A review and comparison of life cycle inventory (LCI) methodologies was given by Suh et al. (2005), which identified six different methods and three hybrid approaches.
Impact assessment: This step consists of aggregating and identifying the environmental burdens quantified in the inventory analysis, into environmental impact categories (Azapagic and Clift 1999) such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric ozone creation (smog), eutrophication, acidification, toxicological stress on human health and ecosystems, resource depletion, water use, land use, noise and others. Moving from inventory to impact assessment is one of the most difficult steps of LCA, largely discussed in the literature and implying many inconsistencies between LCA practitioners. Even if Owens (1997) had already observed this before, it is still one of the main limits voiced concerning LCA methodology, and is why different methodologies have been developed for life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) over the last decade: EDIP97, Eco-indicator 99, CML 2001 (Dreyer et al. 2003), IMPACT 2002+ (Jolliet et al. 2003), etc.
Interpretation: This last part allows conclusions to be drawn concerning environmental damages generated by the system, using results provided by the impact assessment step. LCA methodology and limitations have been widely described and improved over the last three decades, and are covered in many articles (Ayres 1995; Guinée et al. 2011; Thorn et al. 2011). Rebitzer and Pennington (2004) provided a welldetailed two-part methodology review, covering the framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis and application in the first part and current impact assessment practice in the second (Pennington et al. 2004; Rebitzer et al. 2004). Recently, Finnveden et al. (2009) published a review dealing with recent developments in LCA methodology. This article focused on areas with significant methodological development such as definition of attributional and consequential analysis, system boundaries and the improvement of allocation rules, the development of new inventory databases, current developments in LCIA and lastly improvements made regarding consideration of uncertainties. Concerning consequential LCA, which represents the convergence between LCA and economic modelling methods, research and applications are in their infancy although a very detailed review has been made by Earles et al. (2009), where the authors have covered the historical development of this particular methodology, plus previous literature on the topic, bringing an interesting perspective to this new methodological approach.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine product life cycle and environmental impact of 7up bottle. Nigeria bottling company form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain product life cycle and environmental impact assessment of 7up bottle. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of product life cycle and environmental impact assessment of 7up bottle
Summary
This study was on product life cycle and environmental impact assessment of 7up bottle. Three objectives were raised which included; Study the stages in the life cycle of the 7up container glass, with consideration to a particular batch, assess the impacts associated with every stage in the life of a the bottle and study the span of the bottles with 7up bottling Company, its end users and back to the Sunglass Company. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from staff of Nigeria bottling company, Aba. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
Over the three last decades, LCA has been identified as one of the most interesting tools for environmental assessment. Its current wide use denotes that since its first application, the methodology appears to have evolved from a very specific tool for product assessment to a far ranging one, with an application to products, services, EMS, environmental policies, processes, as a standalone tool or combined with other environmental assessment tools. At the same time, the interest in the tools developed for the design of new processes and the improvement of older ones (PSE tools) has risen significantly. This literature review has highlighted the fact that the use of LCA on processes has taken time to develop; but in the last few years, this field of application has been much under the spotlight and so today, studies on LCA applied to process analysis are readily available. In addition, LCA is often used to obtain input data for multi-objective optimization of processes. However, the coupling between LCA and PSE tools must be improved, notably to produce more detailed analysis on the influence of process operating conditions on environmental impacts.
Recommendation
The systematic integration of PSE tools into the elaboration of environmental assessment of processes will bring scientific legitimacy to environmental evaluation by LCA.
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