Discover the upstream impacts of one of your items

What’s the life cycle and the environmental impacts of something you own? Grades level: 9 - 12, Lesson time: 15 - 30 min.  | 
May 20, 2020

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The Life cycle of a product

Step 1

Watch the Story of a Spoon to get an idea of the life cycle of a product!

Step 2

Choose something you own, then examine the steps of its lifecycle from extraction to disposal:

  1. What resources are extracted to make it?
  2. How does the extraction process impact the environment and nearby communities?
  3. Where is it manufactured?
  4. Is it manufactured in one factory or does the raw resource need to be processed before the product is made?
  5. How is it packaged?
  6. Where did you buy it?
  7. How far did it travel from where it was made?
  8. What is the quality of the product?
  9. How long will it last?
  10. What will happen to it when you are done with it? Can it be recycled?
  11. How long will it be in a landfill?
Step 3

Make a flow chart, a drawing, a short video, or a story about the product and send it to us or tag us on Instagram (@resources_protects)!

Share your photos!