Unnatural Life Cycle Project
Task
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Create a visual representation of the life cycle of a common product and follow it from cradle to grave, then see if you can suggest how to redesign it to meet cradle to cradle (zero waste) standards.
Project Criteria
Project Rubric |
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VocabularyCradle to grave - following the life cycle of a product from extraction to disposal
Cradle to cradle - designing products that are non-toxic, use reutilized materials in production, capture potential waste throughout production and reuse, pay workers a fair wages, produced with renewable energy and can be fully reused after their useful life (ex. recycled and/or composted) Extraction Life cycle - All stages of a product's development, from extraction of fuel for power to production, marketing, use, and disposal Nonrenewable Renewable Sustainable Synthetic - a material created by humans in a chemical reaction; the materials are sometimes made to imitate natural substances, such as synthetic rubber Toxic |
Different Materials
Certification Standards for Cradle to Cradle
- Material Health
- Material Reutilization
- Renewable Energy
- Water Stewardship
- Social Fairness
Company with Statements about Materials
- Timberland Responsibility - one company's explanation of product materials & their impacts
- Patagonia - Corporate responsibility and commitment explained; they even have a new line (Clean Color) of naturally dyed clothing
E-waste
- Total Reclaim - a brief description of some of the toxins in electronics
- E-Stewards - a brief description of the problem with some links to some longer videos for further exploration
- Responsible Electronic Recycling - Where does e-waste go?
- Timberland Responsibility - one company's explanation of product materials & their impacts
- Patagonia - Corporate responsibility and commitment explained; they even have a new line (Clean Color) of naturally dyed clothing
E-waste
- Total Reclaim - a brief description of some of the toxins in electronics
- E-Stewards - a brief description of the problem with some links to some longer videos for further exploration
- Responsible Electronic Recycling - Where does e-waste go?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: I've never seen the cradle-to-cradle logo on anything. What are some cradle-to-cradle certified products?
A: Here is a link to registered products.
A: Here is a link to registered products.
Carbon Chemistry Cool Resources
Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster fullerene
Dymaxion car - Vimeo video
Dymaxion map unfolding - YouTube video (18s)
Buckminister Fuller - "Everything I know", includes Dymaxion car & map - 6 min.
Nanotubes
Nova: Carbon nanotubes (6 min.)
Sumio Iijima discusses carbon nanotubes (58 min.)
Carbon video
The Periodic Table videos - carbon featured (10 min)
Organic Chemistry Song "It's a family thing!" - contains advanced topics
Buckminster fullerene
Dymaxion car - Vimeo video
Dymaxion map unfolding - YouTube video (18s)
Buckminister Fuller - "Everything I know", includes Dymaxion car & map - 6 min.
Nanotubes
Nova: Carbon nanotubes (6 min.)
Sumio Iijima discusses carbon nanotubes (58 min.)
Carbon video
The Periodic Table videos - carbon featured (10 min)
Organic Chemistry Song "It's a family thing!" - contains advanced topics