Y11 Marketplace lesson

The following topics were used in the marketplace lesson.

Energy
The manufacture of any product involves energy. Fossil fuels - oil, coal and gas are being replaced by renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and tidal power. It is better for the environment if we recycle old materials instead of manufacturing new ones eg. it is 20 times more energy efficient to use recycled aluminium than to produce new aluminium. Energy saving lightbulbs have always been a bright idea - for your pocket and the environment. They use up to 80 per cent less electricity than a standard bulb, but produce the same amount of light.

Biodegadeable Plastic
Materials that decompose quickly are called biodegradeable materials. Carrier bags and packaging can be made from Biopol, a plastic made from fermenting sugar and vegatables which can be disposed of by composting. Futitsu have developed the casing for a note book (small laptop) using a plant based plastic from corn and sweet potato. This will biodegrade and therefore not harm the environment.

Reduce & Reuse
We need to reduce the use of harmful materials and pollutants released into the environment.
A well designed product has less effect on the environment as it requires less energy to produce.
Timber is a renewable material. The FSC (Forest Stewadrship Council) encourages manufacturers to use timber from well managed forests. The FSC logo tells you that the product has come from a sustainable source.
Refill packs made from lightweight materials such as LDPE are used to encourage consumers to reuse existing products eg. detergent bottles made from HDPE can be refilled.