The Environmental Impact of a Product

Abstract

In this paper, the making process of a product will be followed step by step and also the environmental impact of the product during every stage of its life cycle will be highlighted, from raw material obtaining to disposal; material recovery through recycling is also part of this analysis. The chosen product is a soft-drink can made of aluminium, a non-renewable, but recyclable resource we use every day. In the paper, the concepts of closed-loop and open-loop recycling will be introduced, as they are relevant to the process of aluminium recycling.