ENG519 Sustainability: Life Cycle Assessment

Group assignment (Four students per group)

The following are the general requirements for this assessment item. They must be read in conjunction with your discipline expert's specific design project instructions.

Length: The main report should be a concise 1‐page infographic, emphasising effective communication of complex information. Note the marking guidelines give marks for being concise.

Content of Part A:

Consists of the first phase (goal and scope) of LCA presented in a one‐page infographic. Consists of part A of what the group intends to do in order to complete LCA report satisfactorily. Suggestions of items to include are:

Goal and Scope (within infographic):

Goal: Briefly explain why you're conducting the LCA, who it's for, and what you hope to achieve.

Scope: Summarize the product system you're studying, its function, the functional unit, the boundaries of your system, allocation procedures, selected impact categories, and data quality requirements.

Life Cycle Processes for Each Product Line (within infographic):

Identify and briefly detail the different stages of each product's life cycle. These stages should provide an overview of energy use, material flows, emissions, and waste.

System Modeling (Appendix):

This is primarily to monitor project progress and ensure that students conduct relevant research. Screenshots, project questions, summaries, and plans for the current project process should be included.

Create a diagram illustrating the product's life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal or recycling (Cradle to Grave), and a second diagram showing a life cycle where products are reused as raw materials (Cradle to Cradle). Remember, these models should reflect the actual research and progress you are making on your project.

Vensim is recommended for this task, but students may use any software they are comfortable with.

Presentation in Tutorials (week2 3mins each group):

This aspect requires creating a well‐structured infographic that showcases a correct understanding of infographics, a clear arrangement of key points, and highlighting of themes.

Submission: Submit your assignment as a single PDF document via the 'Submit Here' section of Learnline. Your submission should include your 1‐page infographic and the system modeling diagrams in the appendix. Additionally, bring a paper copy of your work statement to the workshop on the due date for immediate feedback.

Deadline: Your Statement of Work is due by week 3, Friday 5pm Darwin time. Good time management is crucial to ensure this deadline is met. More details about the assessment and administrative aspects can be found on the Learnline site for your unit.

This assignment's main focus is understanding and presenting the principles of Life Cycle Assessment as they apply to a specific product or system, while the appendix provides a snapshot of your ongoing project progress. Quality and clarity of communication, along with comprehensive and accurate analysis, will form the basis of the grading criteria. Good luck!