Challenge of the future - is it possible to eliminate the concept of "waste" in a perfect life cycle
If we thought about product life in a qualitative way, we could easily make an energy and environmental impact assessment
The Greeks could not imagine that man could control the cosmos in any way or that he could impose his own purposes on it. Therefore, the human dimension is harmoniously integrated within natural cycles that necessarily come one after the other without any goal.
Assessing the life cycle of a product or service, considering the passage of time and their impact on quality of life, is a way to measure our impact on nature. By accepting such an approach, we would ensure quality coexistence with nature, i.e., the development of society according to sustainability principles.
Each individual should strive to minimize the amount of waste until it reaches the point of complete preservation of the amount (waste that becomes the source of the next production process).
What does the energy cost of a product consist of?
The energy cost of a material is equivalent to its monetary cost. To derive it, it is necessary to go through the whole chain of production processes with regard to the energy consumed and the subsequent impact on the environment. On the one hand, we need to analyze the flow of substances and energy that enter the system and are aimed at saving (input), and on the other hand, pollution of nature (output). All conversion activities predict a balance sheet whose output is always less than the input.
However, it is wrong to bring the cost of energy only in relation to the amount of input, but it is necessary to introduce into the formula the cost of pollution or other costs the community pays because it has changed the state of the environment. A time parameter should also be introduced: how long the conversion takes? What are the conditions of functioning in that time interval?
Lifecycle concept on the example of a car
The production of a new car, even before its launch, needs a certain amount of energy for its assembly, for carrying out final controls, for its transport to the main dealer, etc. At the time of purchase, we pay the price for the energy consumed so far. After that, we calculate the costs for its operation and maintenance. However, the environmental costs we have paid for pollution should also be considered. Here we have to return to the starting point because the production of cars also caused pollution (materials, processing, transport). During its lifetime, the car produces pollution through the emission of exhaust gases, and finally we have to consider the cost of disposing of the car after decommissioning it.
Is it really possible to eliminate the concept of "waste" in a perfect life cycle? It is a challenge for the future, perhaps a real revolution of the third millennium."
