1. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
What is a Product Life Cycle?
Just as living things are born, age, and die, products also have a life cycle. Each stage of a product’s development affects our environment in different ways – from how we use it to the quantities that we buy. What we do with a product when we are finished with it also has environmental effects.

2. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Reuse,
Recycle,
Disposal
Design
Use
Distribution
Materials
Acquisition
A product’s life cycle usually includes these stages.
Manufacturing
Materials
Processing
Packaging

3. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Design
Engineers, designers, and manufacturers research, model, and test a product before mass producing.
Products that are designed to be reused instead of thrown away prevent waste. 9
Communicate Results
Design Process 2
Brainstorm 3 4
Research
Develop Ideas 6 7
Model or Prototype
Test and Evaluate 8
Improve Design 1
Define the Problem 5
Choose Best Idea
Designing a CD:
Engineers use the design process

4. Materials Acquisition
What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Materials Acquisition
All products are made from various raw materials.
Virgin materials require larger amounts of energy and deplete our natural resources.
Recycled or recovered materials reduce pollution, energy use, and the raw materials needed from the earth.
Materials in a CD:
Aluminum
Polycarbonate
Lacquer
Gold
Dyes
Others, including water, glass, silver, nickel
Virgin materials are those being used or worked for the first time – such as trees or iron ore. Virgin materials are directly harvested or mined from the earth.

5. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Materials Processing
Materials extracted from the earth must be converted into a form that is useful for making products.
For example, wood is made into paper after several different manufacturing processes.
Processing for a CD:
Mined materials must be processed
Bauxite ore turned into aluminum
Crude oil combined with natural gas and chemicals to make plastic
Each process creates waste and consumes energy. For example, making one ton of recycled paper used 64% less energy, uses 50% less water, creates 74% less air pollution, saves 17 trees, and creates 5 times more jobs than does manufacturing one ton of paper products from virgin wood pulp.

6. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Manufacturing
Products are made in factories that use a lot of energy.
Manufacturing creates waste and contributes to the production of greenhouse gases.
Manufacturing a CD:
Injection molding
Metallizer – reflective layer of metal
Lacquer – protective coating
Screen printed

7. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Packaging
Product packaging undergoes separate manufacturing processes that use energy and consume natural resources.
CD Packaging
Jewel cases
Cardboard boxes
Shrink-wrapping
Packaging serves several purposes: prevent tampering, provide information, preserve hygienic integrity and freshness. Sometimes packaging can be excessive.

8. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Distribution
Manufactured products are transported to the location where they are sold.
Materials and parts used to make products are transported at earlier stages in the life cycle.
All transporting uses energy and creates greenhouse gases.
CD Distribution:
Sent to distribution center by
Plane
Truck
Train
All use fossil fuels for energy.

9. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Use
The way products are used impacts our environment.
Reusable, durable, and recyclable products conserve natural resources, use less energy, and create less waste.
Using a CD
If properly stored and handled, CDs can last for decades.
Take care of discs by keeping them out of sunlight and away from heat and water.
For example, fluorescent light bulbs reduce energy consumption because they are 4-5 times more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.
Reducing energy use cuts down on power plant emissions that contribute to greenhouse gases, acid rain, and smog.
Properly caring for products increases their useful life, so read and follow all cleaning, operating, and maintenance instructions for the products you own.

10. Reuse/Recycle or Disposal
What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Reuse/Recycle or Disposal
Recycling or remanufacturing products into new commodities saves energy and reduces the raw materials used in the manufacturing process.
Throwing products in the trash ends their useful life.
Reuse a CD:
Share with a friend
Recycle a CD:
Recycling companies
make CDs into:
Automotive industry parts
Raw materials to make plastics
Office equipment
Jewel cases
Consider downloading music to an MP3 player instead of purchasing a CD to begin with.

11. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Reuse,
Recycle,
Disposal
Design
Use
Distribution
Life Cycle of a CD
Materials
Acquisition
A product’s life cycle usually includes these stages.
Manufacturing
Materials
Processing
Packaging

12. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Paper Life Cycle
Materials Acquisition
Packaging, Distribution, Use
Recycle
Manufacturing
Materials Processing
The Publishers National Environment Bureau (PNEB) is the association of Australia's leading newspaper and magazine publishers, working since 1990 to promote the sustainable recovery of old newspapers and magazines.

13. What is a Product Life Cycle?
Gateway To Technology
Unit 3 – Lesson 3.3 – Making an Impact
Image Resources
Microsoft, Inc. (2008). Clip art. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from
Publishers National Environment Bureau. (2004) Newspaper and magazine recycling. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from