Life Cycle Check

Many firms are learning that being environmentally friendly and sustainable has numerous benefits. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). This could enable them to increase goodwill from various stakeholders and also save money in the long term. This will mean that they are being more efficient and less wasteful of resources, which will enable them to be more competitive by satisfying stakeholders. The CEO of

Life cycle costing is a technique that is used to assess environmental impacts that are linked with the product life stages from manufacturing to consumption that is from raw material acquisition to processing or manufacture, distribution, consumption, maintenance and repair (Epstein & Buhovac, 2014). It shows and some of the environmental concerns associated with the product life (Koroluk, 2012).

-Initiate and implement the ‘Go Green’ project to promote the sustainability features of our products to customers

The purpose of my lifecycle assessment is to reduce the energy consumption of the lighting within my home by changing the light bulbs from CFL to LED. While, CFL are more efficient than the old traditional incandescent light bulbs, LED are more efficient and use less energy than both. Their initial cost is higher but will last longer and save more money in the long term. CO2e (Carbon dioxide emissions) during production, manufacturing, operating, and disposal are going to be analyzed. There are currently 10 CFL light bulbs within the house as discussed in assignment one. Each one of these would be replaced with a LED light bulb. The resources to produce and transport the LEDs and the resources required to dispose of CFLs need to be considered

LO1: Understand the principles supporting environmental sustainability in a business environment 1.1 Describe current legislation in relation to environmental sustainability in a business environment The UK’s economy relies on global trade and resources. Issues such as climate change and a growing world population mean there is more pressure on energy, natural resources and the wider environment. A more efficient use of resources such as water, energy and natural resources directly benefits businesses in the UK. Savings of up to £23 billion a year, reducing carbon emissions and more resilience to climate change and inflated prices of supplies are a few benefits that have been anticipated.

The industry can be very susceptible to environmental issues together with other manufacturers. With the advent of campaigns toward saving the environment and “going green”, the society is now more concerned with how the industry’s wastes and other by-products are being managed. Using recycled materials and recycling one’s wastes can affect the industry’s over-all image as an environmental advocate.

To a regular person, the global concern about ‘going green’ might appear as a result of speculation from nervous politicians and alarmed citizens. But the reality is totally different. In recent years, businesses have gained much knowledge about the impact of their activities on environment and in turns their customers. Businesses are successively venturing to earn greater revenues. In this process, they are trying out every best possibility to entice their contributors- from customers to investors. Regardless to say, stakeholders these days are more socially responsible than ever. So to keep up to their expectations, businesses are also trying to expand or limit their activities to save the environment- from doing relentless research on lowering waste to lean management and even trying out various eco-friendly activities. Despite of all these, the ultimate question remains unanswered if it is financially beneficial to adapt those initiatives that is going to serve the

How did complex life cycles in trematodes evolve? (What are the hypotheses to explain how these life cycles evolved to include multiple hosts and larval stages?)

In addition, to measure the success of sustainable business practices, organizations must continuously monitor the progress and communicate results of their sustainable plan efforts. A review of the Riordan Manufacturing’s current business practices will help illustrate the development and implementation of a successful sustainability plan. According to University of Phoenix (2011), Riordan Manufacturing is a plastic injection molding company with locations in California, Georgia, Michigan, and China. An extensive audit of the current business practices of each of the four plants operated by Riordan Manufacturing reveals numerous unsustainable practices considered harmful to the environment. However, to make the greatest improvement, Riordan must concentrate on developing a plan to address the release of harmful emissions, improper disposal of off-spec raw materials, and the release of harmful solvent cleaners into the biosphere. The release of harmful emissions into the air creates air pollution that results in the deterioration of the ozone layer, which is so vital to the biosphere. Riordan must also address the improper management of off-spec raw materials and reduce the amount of waste sent to local landfills. Finally, Riordan must eliminate contamination of water systems as a result of cleaning its equipment with dangerous cleaners and mold release agents. The process of applying solvents to the

Life cycle assessment addresses to all the three sustainability dimensions, environmental, economic, and social. LCA can track and document shifts in environmental impacts. Full characterization of product or process alternative helps decision makers or managers to make environmental trade off. Identification of environmental impacts in specific categories help Industrial decision makers analyze more specifically among different choices. LCA also can assess effects to one or more specific environmental areas at once.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used as a tool or technique to assess the environmental impacts of a product, process or activity throughout its life cycle from the cradle-to-grave analyses (extraction of raw materials through to processing, transport, use and disposal).

Inventory analysis is the data collection portion of a LCA and includes a quantified list of all inputs and outputs involving the entire life cycle of the concerned system. LCI involves estimating the energy and materials consumed by the system, the energy efficiency of the system’s components, and the emissions to air, land, and water by variant processes and components of the system. The process of data collection is the most time-consuming and resource-intensive step of the LCA. The reuse of data from other studies can simplify the work; however, assuring the data are representative is essential. LCI can be utilized to discover improvement opportunities and determine life cycle stages that present the most and least detrimental impacts [4].

Methods of analysis include SWOT analysis, product life cycle curve, porters five forces and environmental, competitor and consumer analysis. For these we have used information from text books, websites and online news websites.

Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is the total lifespan cost incurred by an organization in purchasing, installing, operating, maintaining, and disposing off any equipment used in daily operations of the firm. In regard to this, estimation of LCC encompasses using a particular approach in identifying and quantifying components of an LCC equation (Pehnt, 2006). The use of LCC as an assessment tool when selecting possible design alternatives results in the provision of a cost-effective solution within limits of available data. In addition, a standard LCC comprises initial and operation costs, installation and commissioning costs, energy costs as well as disposal costs among others.

In the current day and age, environmental issues are beginning to be considered more frequently in business decision and in governmental policy. The current threat of global warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and extinction of species highlight the consequences of not being environmentally aware. Even the smallest “green” decisions like choosing to car-pool or to recycle can be decisions that have a huge impact that positively effects the environment. These decisions can have far reaching implications. For instance, someone who witnesses these green decisions may be inspired to make environmentally conscious decisions as well. Much in the same way people could be inspired, businesses can be inspired as well. Creating a sustainability initiative in a business can be extremely positive and rewarding. For this reason, I think it is vital that the local beer brewing company, COOP Ale Works, adopt a sustainability program. Many breweries have adopt sustainable framework, two such examples are New Belgium Brewing and Sierra Nevada. I believe by implementing some of these ideals into their brewing process COOP can inspire other businesses to become more sustainable. In this paper I will mention the current problems with the brewing process, highlight the changes that can be made based off of current implementation at breweries, and present a four point plan to