GCSE Chemistry revision

Ways of reducing the use of resources

Life cycle assessment and recycling

AQA 4.10.2.2 Foundation & Higher

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Sustainable development is an approach to human and economic progress that meets the needs of current generations without damaging the prospects of future generations.
Unsustainable practices include depleting finite resources, damaging the environment, and increasing global warming, all of which negatively impact future generations.

1. What is Sustainable Development? AQA

Sustainable development is an approach to human and economic progress that meets the needs of current generations without damaging the prospects of future generations.
Unsustainable practices include depleting finite resources, damaging the environment, and increasing global warming, all of which negatively impact future generations.

Using renewable resources, such as wood from trees, is more sustainable than using finite resources, such as plastic derived from crude oil.
Crude oil is a finite resource, meaning it cannot be replenished once used up, making products reliant on it less sustainable in the long term.

2. Renewable vs Finite Resources AQA

Using renewable resources, such as wood from trees, is more sustainable than using finite resources, such as plastic derived from crude oil.
Crude oil is a finite resource, meaning it cannot be replenished once used up, making products reliant on it less sustainable in the long term.

The amount of energy used in manufacturing must be considered, as relying on fossil fuels for energy makes a process less sustainable.
Chemists can improve sustainability by making manufacturing processes more efficient, for example by using only small amounts of raw material to produce a product.
Using catalysts and optimising temperature and pressure can reduce the energy required for chemical processes, lowering their environmental impact.

3. Reducing the Environmental Impact of Manufacturing AQA

The amount of energy used in manufacturing must be considered, as relying on fossil fuels for energy makes a process less sustainable.
Chemists can improve sustainability by making manufacturing processes more efficient, for example by using only small amounts of raw material to produce a product.
Using catalysts and optimising temperature and pressure can reduce the energy required for chemical processes, lowering their environmental impact.

Reusing a product means using it again, either for the same purpose or a different one, and is one of the most sustainable options after a product's initial use.
An example of reusing is refilling a glass bottle with water rather than discarding it after its first use.

When a product is too damaged to reuse, recycling is the next best sustainable option.
Glass recycling typically involves separating glass by colour and type, then crushing and melting it so it can be reshaped into new products.
Recycled glass can be reformed into similar products such as bottles and jars, or entirely different products such as insulating glass wool used in wall insulation.

5. Recycling Glass AQA

When a product is too damaged to reuse, recycling is the next best sustainable option.
Glass recycling typically involves separating glass by colour and type, then crushing and melting it so it can be reshaped into new products.
Recycled glass can be reformed into similar products such as bottles and jars, or entirely different products such as insulating glass wool used in wall insulation.

Metals can be recycled by melting them down and reforming them into new products, similar to the process used for glass.
Metals are usually separated into their individual elements before melting, for example separating copper wires from iron bars.
Scrap steel, which is an alloy containing iron mixed with small amounts of other elements, can sometimes be added to pure iron to reduce the amount of iron that needs to be extracted from the ground.

6. Recycling Metals AQA

Metals can be recycled by melting them down and reforming them into new products, similar to the process used for glass.
Metals are usually separated into their individual elements before melting, for example separating copper wires from iron bars.
Scrap steel, which is an alloy containing iron mixed with small amounts of other elements, can sometimes be added to pure iron to reduce the amount of iron that needs to be extracted from the ground.

Recycling conserves finite raw materials by reducing the need to extract new resources from the Earth.
Recycling metals typically requires less energy than extracting and refining metals from their ores, making it a more energy-efficient and sustainable process.

7. Why Recycling Matters for Sustainability AQA

Recycling conserves finite raw materials by reducing the need to extract new resources from the Earth.
Recycling metals typically requires less energy than extracting and refining metals from their ores, making it a more energy-efficient and sustainable process.