Materials
Materials
M1
Materials
LESSON M1: What are
materials?
This is a big question for a big subject. Materials are
the basic components that make up pretty much
everything around us.
M1
Materials
Steel: Steel is an alloy
(a mixture containing
one or more metals)
composed of iron with a
carbon content of 0.2%2.1%.
Brick: Ceramic (nonmetallic) material used for
construction and held
together with mortar. Used
primarily in building
construction and pavements
Concrete: Concrete is a
stone-like construction
material generally made
of sand, gravel, water,
chemicals and cement.
Semiconductors:
Semiconductors are
materials that have electrical
conductivity in-between
conductors and insulators.
Glass: Glass is a solid
material with no specific
shape. It is brittle and
usually transparent.
Wood: Wood is the raw
material for producing
lumber (used for
construction) as well as
other processed products
such as paper (see below),
particle board and plywood.
Paper: Paper is a thin material made from
pressing fibers together that is generally
used for writing, printing and packaging.
Textiles: Flexible materials created by
weaving yarn or thread together. Textiles
can be natural, man-made or a mixture of
both.
M1
Materials
• Can you name everything in the room that is made with plastic?
• What are the primary raw materials used to make plastic?
M2
Materials
LESSON M2: Where does it
come from?
M2
Materials
The Production/Consumption Cycle:
1. Extraction
2. Processing
3. Manufacturing/Assembly
4. Distribution
5. Use
6. Disposal
M2
Logging
Mining
Materials
Drilling
Cultivation
NEED FARM PHOTO
Extraction: This is the process by which we obtain
raw materials from nature
M2
Materials
Processing: At this stage, the raw materials are refined
or transformed into a processed material.
• Processing of raw materials into goods and products requires
tremendous amounts of:
Water – cools turbines and machinery,
chemical transformations
Electricity – powers equipment
Heat – transforms materials
M2
Materials
Manufacturing: At this stage materials are moved
through manufacturing and fabrication processes.
M2
Materials
Distribution: Materials are transported at each stage of
the life cycle.
M2
Materials
Use: The material remains in this stage until it is no
longer wanted or becomes usable.
M2
Materials
Disposal: A product is disposed of when it is
no longer of use or wanted. The majority of building
Construction materials and consumer products
end up in landfills.
M3
Materials
LESSON M3: Where does it go?
M3
Materials
Did you know that:
Many consumer products are used for about 10
minutes or less before they are thrown away. If
you find this hard to believe, consider all of the
packaging, boxes, plastic bottles, and wrappers
we throw out almost as soon as we get them.
In the United States each person produces
roughly 4.3 pounds of garbage each day!
M3
Materials
Landfills: Also known as garbage dumps, landfills are
places where the waste is placed in a giant hole, then covered
with soil and plastic.
• Currently, the U.S. has 3,091 active landfills and over
10,000 old municipal landfills
M3
Incinerators:
Materials
Recycling:
Waste Transfer
Stations:
Incineration is the disposal of
waste by burning it. This method
converts waste into ash, heat and
gas, and is considered an
Transfer stations are
alternative to landfills because it
reduces the volume of solid waste. facilities where waste is
unloaded from garbage
collection trucks and held
temporarily until it is
loaded on trucks, trains
or other long distance
vehicles that will deliver
the waste to a landfill or
other waste treatment
facility.
Recycling refers to the
collection and processing
of waste materials for
reuse and is a part of
modern waste
management.
M3
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Plastic makes up 90% of the garbage in the world’s
oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches
across hundreds of miles in the northern part of the
Pacific Ocean between California and Japan.
Materials
M4
Materials
LESSON M4: Milestones in
Modern Garbage
M4
Materials
Waste has been around almost as long as people have
M4
Materials
Waste Streams: With the thousands of materials and products in use
today, people create many different types of waste.
–
Waste management is the process of disposing of materials once they are discarded. It
involves collection, transport, processing, recycling and/or disposal of waste materials.
Construction Waste: This is the debris generated at
construction or demolition sites.
M4
Materials
Hazardous Waste: This type of waste is harmful to humans and/or
the environment. It must be handled and disposed of in a different way
from other types of wastes.
M4
Materials
Electronic Waste: Also known as e-waste, this category consists of
discarded, obsolete or broken electronics such as computers, cell
phones and televisions. E-waste contains heavy metals and other
toxics substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, PVC and a host
of other materials that can enter the environment when these items
are discarded.
M4
Materials
Industrial Waste: Industrial waste is the non-hazardous waste
produced by industrial activity
M4
Materials
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): Most MSW comes from homes,
schools, and businesses. Packaging makes up over 25% of our
municipal solid waste
M5
Materials
LESSON M5: Where do we
fit in?
We have examined how materials are produced and how they
are discarded.
What part do you play?
M5
Materials
The Story of Stuff
Click to Play
M5
Materials
Consumerism & Advertising
“We’re reminded a hundred times a day to buy things, but we’re
not reminded to take care of them, repair them, reuse them or
give them away.” - Michael Jacobson, Center for the Study of Commercialism
M5
Advertising Strategies
• Bandwagon • Bribery
• Testimonials • Plain Folks
• Avant Garde • Snob Appeal
• Transfer
Materials
M6
Materials
LESSON M6: School Waste Audit
M6
Materials
What types of waste can you find at
school?
M7
Materials
LESSON M7: Reducing, Reusing
and Recycling
M7
Materials
What materials can be recycled in
the U.S.?
• Concrete
• Batteries
• Organic Wastes
(composting)
• Clothing
• Electronics
M7
Materials
What materials can be recycled in
the U.S. (con’t)
Metals
Glass
Paper
Plastic
M7
Materials
Reuse & Reduce
•
The most effective way to reduce waste is to
avoid creating it in the first place
• How can you reduce the amount of waste
you create?
• How can you reuse something you might
have thrown away?
M7
Materials
Cradle to Cradle
•
•
•
•
Biodegradable
Modular and Easily
Reassembled
Design for Reuse
Recycled Content
M8
Materials
LESSON M8: Introduction to
Sustainable Materials
M8
Materials
Properties of Sustainable Materials
•
•
•
Local
Longevity/
Durability
Non-toxic
or low-toxic
materials
•
•
•
Low-impact
manufacturing
process
Renewable
Recyclable
M8
Materials
Examples of Sustainable Materials
•
•
•
•
Bamboo
•
Cork
Composite boards made of •
natural materials
Linoleum
•
Countertops from recycled
materials
Concrete and drywall from
recycled materials
Low VOC or Natural Paints
M8
Materials
Biomimicry: This technique uses the systems, processes
and elements of nature as inspiration to solve problems in
design, engineering, etc.
M8
Materials
Recycled Materials: Many new sustainable materials contain
a percentage of recycled content. Additionally, when buildings
are taken apart, many of the materials and components such
as brick, doors, glass and concrete can be reused.
M8
Alternative Energy
Harnessing clean and renewable
sources of energy such as sun,
wind and water reduce carbon
emissions and make a building
more sustainable.
Materials
Passive Solar
Buildings may be situated and
designed so that they take
advantage of the sun’s natural
heat and light.
M8
Materials
Green Walls and Roofs: Green walls are plants grown along the
exterior walls of a building to block light in the summer for cooling
and allow sunlight to enter in the winter for heating. Green roofs
are plants grown on the roof to create greenery, insulate
the building, capture rainwater and clean the air.
M10
Materials
LESSON M10: Global Garbage:
Rethinking what we use and how
we use it.
M10
Materials
Waste Worldwide
•
Many places in the world, especially
developing countries, are facing the
consequences of our waste.
•
Many of our heavily packaged products are
exported to countries that do not have the
same type of infrastructure for managing
waste, there are no trash cans on every
street corner and no weekly garbage pickup
or any sanitary landfills.
•
Europe and the United States actually
export garbage to other countries.
Countries like India, Nigeria and China
receive money from US companies to
accept our empty plastic bottles, scrap
paper and e-waste.
M10
Materials
The Problem of E-Waste
Some e-waste recyclers in the United States do not
actually recycle the electronics but instead make
more money by trading it to developing countries,
where there is often weak legislation on health,
safety and the environment.
M10
E-Waste Video
Click to Play
Materials