Abstract
The current model of a linear economy with end-of-pipe waste treatment is not sustainable. Cleaner production helps reduce resource use and emissions, but is still not an optimal solution without considering a life cycle perspective. Life cycle-based tools such as life cycle assessment and life cycle costing are useful for identifying optimal environmental and economic options for product systems. SDG 12 dealing with responsible consumption and production is key for sustainability. Developing of a circular economy requires life cycle thinking and life cycle-based tools for assessment. All these issues are discussed along with illustrative examples.
Highlights
Every activity is associated with some consequences; the desired objective of the activity usually leading to some benefit to society and with some undesired outcomes which are unplanned, but inevitable
Depending on the fuel used to produce the electricity, the efficiency of the power plant and transmission losses, the amount of pollutant emissions at the power plant can be very high. This leads to the idea of looking at the entire life cycle of the car to avoid missing out on the problem shifting, i.e. the pollutant emissions being transferred from the car itself to the power plant (Figure 4)
The other is the power consumption of the bulbs to provide the same amount of illumination which is very different; the compact fluorescent light (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) are far more energy efficient than the incandescent bulb
Summary
Every activity is associated with some consequences; the desired objective of the activity usually leading to some benefit to society and with some undesired outcomes which are unplanned, but inevitable. When these anthropogenic activities were at a rather small scale, the impact of pollution from the production and disposal activities was not very visible, partly due to dilution and due to the ability of nature to absorb and transform the waste into benign products that once again entered the natural cycles This is the so-called carrying capacity of the earth. Cleaner production focuses on reducing the use of raw materials and energy as well as the production of emissions and waste (Figure 3) This idea is very appealing to the industry as it reduces the unproductive activity of waste management and is associated with financial benefits as well. This focus, though beneficial, is still limited because it may result in problem shifting as will be seen below
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