An LCA Consultant Faces a Dilemma: Industrial Ecology vs. Soda Can Packaging Options

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Table of Contents

Activity Description
Stakeholder and His/Her Motivations
The Functional Unit
Geographical System Boundaries
Study’s Temporal Boundaries
Study’s Conceptual Boundaries
Activities
Capital goods
Major Flows
Reference List

Activity Description

Being a life-cycle assessment consultant means helping industries provide the population with the goods that are one hundred percent ecologically clean. Therefore, when it comes to the decision on the soda cans packaging options, an LCA consultant’s involvement is crucial. In the case in question, it is necessary to choose the most reasonable and ecologically safe packaging option possible.

Stakeholder and His/Her Motivations

As for the stakeholder, the latter is going to be represented by the clientele. In the given case, the target client is Dr. Pepper. Since the company seems to be suffering from a severe competition, according to the recent new (Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, 2012), Dr. Pepper might use a bit of product redesigning to attract more customers.

The Functional Unit

Since it is necessary to evaluate the performance of the given product system, i.e., a soda can and its shelf time, it will be most reasonable to consider the volume of a soda can. In the given case, the volume is not restricted; it is important to mention, though, that the bottles over 2 l should be designed in such a way so that carrying them should be easy enough.

Geographical System Boundaries

It seems that in the case of developing a soda can design, one does not need to be concerned with any spatial restrictions. Therefore, there should be no restriction concerning the geographical system.

Study’s Temporal Boundaries

When developing the design of the beverage bottle, one must consider the shelf life of the soda bottle. In the given context, it is obvious that plastic does not seem as viable as, say, aluminum. However, it is important that plastic, in contrast to the aluminum can, can be re-used as a container for other types of liquid and, therefore, has longer temporal boundaries (Wald, 2012).

Study’s Conceptual Boundaries

Since bottles of literally all shapes are recyclable, the key idea at the given point will be to offer the customer a can that will serve its purpose best. Therefore, the traditional bottle shape seems to be the most reasonable design decision. It is essential, however, that the buyer could use and recycle the bottle easily, which would be a problem once a bottle is shaped in an unusual way.

Choosing between a traditional round plastic bottle and a square one, one might consider the latter a better idea, since it is more stable and, therefore, more practical (Noe, 2012).

Activities

Object design

This step starts with the search for the companies that will supply raw material (plastic) and ends up with the process of soda can design.

Object production

Soda cans are created, marketed and sold to the soda producing companies.

Disposal and recycling

Soda cans are collected by a recycling company and are recycled to produce more soda cans.

Capital goods

In the process of soda bottles creation, such capital goods as the required equipment, the trucks to deliver raw materials, as well as the money for the promotion campaign are going to be included.

Major Flows

Speaking of flaws, such issues as CO2 emissions, energy and solid waste must be mentioned. In addition, it is important to mention that it takes long for plastic to decompose (U.S. National Park Service, n. d.), which means that, if not recycled, it poses a considerable threat to the environment.

Reference List

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (2012). Web.

Noe, R. (2012). Andrew Kim’s square Coke bottle design. Web.

National Park Service (n. d.). Time it takes for garbage to decompose in the environment. Web.

Wald, W. (2012). Toward a greener soda can. Web.

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