Web Exclusive: Life Cycle Analysis in Action

Life cycle analysis comes to life in these seven videos.

We’ve collected a few videos that explain life cycle analysis and how it’s applied – from product design generally to specific examples of paper, hand dryers and cars. We found a mix of animated and lecture-style videos, and even one for the kids!

Learn how LCA reveals more ways to reduce CO2 emissions in “Same Greenhouse Gas, 3 Different Stories“.

We’ve collected a few videos that explain life cycle analysis and how it’s applied – from product design generally to specific examples of paper, hand dryers and cars. We found a mix of animated and lecture-style videos, and even one for the kids!

Learn how LCA reveals more ways to reduce CO2 emissions in “Same Greenhouse Gas, 3 Different Stories“.

Product Design

In the video above, sustainability strategist Leyla Acaroglu provides an overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as part of a strategic sustainability workflow in product design and engineering. This video forms part of a series of introductory tutorials on core concepts in strategic sustainability and life cycle thinking, including using the Eco Materials Advisor in Autodesk Inventor, introduction to eco-design strategies and life cycle thinking.

The second video below is quick crash course in LCA, an excerpt from a lecture by the same industrial designer and award-winning sustainability expert, Leyla Acaroglu from Eco Innovators. You can find more of their videos on their YouTube channel.

From the video description: “This quick intro to LCA covers the basics and looks as how life cycle thinking can be used to make better environmental decisions especially in the design and product development process. Providing snippets of info on LCA/LCT taken from a 90 min lecture given to design students in Melbourne in 2011 the video explores taking a life cycle approach in product design and development and explores the issue of environmental folklore when making environmental decisions.”

This is Your Life Cycle

This one is a little sillier than the rest, but still very informative. The second animation in the Secret Life of Things educational animation series (also by Eco Innovators), “This is Your Life Cycle” is “a humorous, tongue-in-cheek nod to popular reality TV makeover shows. Hosted by the whale Bill Krill, the five-minute animation puts an entertaining spin on the scientific process of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), with the contestants — including a light bulb encrusted dress, a neurotic vacuum cleaner and un-functional chair — all competing for a sorely needed eco-design makeover.”

Paper

Cascades Fine Papers’ illustrates their small environmental footprint in this colourful video.

Hand Dryers

Here we see an example of a life cycle assessment of hand drying options provided by Marisa Vieira, Senior Consultant at PRé Consultants. Gain an understanding of how LCA works and the types of software and data used to conduct a life cycle assessment. 

Vehicles

This video shows how we can apply a life cycle approach to vehicle emission evaluations, moving beyond the current focus on tailpipe emissions, WorldAutoSteel advocates for evaluating the entire life cycle from material manufacturing to end of life disposal. Otherwise, they say, “all the attention is on trying to get fuel economy at whatever cost–and the environmental cost of alternative materials is high. Yeah, this is also a pitch for steel–but when you see the numbers and the very low impact steel has on the environnment, you’ll understand why steel is so green.

In this video from GreenTV, the American Hardwood Export Council’s ground-breaking Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) research helps Royal College of Art students produce detailed Life Cycle impacts for their furniture designs.

Paper vs Plastic vs Biodegradable Plastic Bags

This one is a case study of plastic bags compared to biodegradable and paper bags done by LCA expert Tim Grant. This video was prepared by the Centre for Design at RMIT University in Australia.