Question

Select a product of moderate complexity, such as a toaster, a desktop telephone, or an overhead projector. Conduct an SLCA on the product. Prepare a report that summarizes your findings, comments on where it was difficult to assign ratings because of lack of information, and proposes design changes that would improve the environmental responsibility of the product.

Answer 1

Let’s take an example of Toaster for conducting an SLCA, with following steps:

• Set goal and scope for SLCA- to study and know how much effective in electricity consumption is the toaster, can you give any star ratings
• What is meant by the sustainable product system for Toaster: the one which acts as electricity saver for the customer/ user and safe to use
• Defining the system boundaries for Toaster and it’s life cycle scenario for the sustainability assessment: How many hours/ per day you run Toaster? How many days in a week you run a toaster? Is the surroundings cool/ hot/ moderate when you use toaster? How long (years) have you been using a Toaster?
• Do the Sustainability assessment for Toaster by assessing and gauging under sustainability strengths and weaknesses: what kind of technical problems like Overheating/ too much electricity consumption etc. you have faced? And how frequently?
• Define your Analysis and produce the results – show what are the key impact areas (like Toaster overheated 2-3 days in a weak, especially on weekends (you use toaster more frequently on holidays). Besides, everyone in the home uses it, even children, who all the time don’t know how to use it rightly. Heating coil of the toaster heats often, could be less heat resistant material.
• Identify any possible solutions: use a better heating element in the coil for rough use.
• Define a new innovative product: A toaster with less heating coil, made of X element and less heat dissipation and hence better electricity consumption efficiency
• Repeat: Measure and monitor progress for the new solution: for better heat effects on the environment can be seen (on a day to day usage basis and monitoring)

It was difficult to take readings every day, as how much is the temperature of room (through the year), as seasons fluctuate and so do the surroundings.

It is difficult to measure the electricity consumption on each day, just for a Toaster, as many electrical appliances run on the same time daily.