Up-cycled Product
Original Product: contact lenses
LCA MODEL of original product
Type of Raw Material
Plastics/Metals
Parts
Packaging
Transportation
contact lens
liquid solution
container
metal label
lens
container
label
box
small box
big box
UPS box
Truck from factory
UPS truck to location
2
2
4
3
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
4
1.5
1
3
2
2
2
0.5
0
0
Type of Raw Material
Plastics/Metals
Kyra Foley
Sustainable Systems
Parts
Packaging
Transportation
Energy use
Total
points
0
2
LCA of original product: contact lenses
2
Energy use
0
13
NEW product: Pill container
LCA model of new product
Type of Raw Material
Plastics/Metals
hot glue/tape
recycled
container
Parts
Packaging
Transportation
container
0
from house to factory
paint
total
points
0
from factory back to
store
2
0
1
0
2
LCA of new product: pill container
2.5
2
1.5
1
Energy use
2
2
0.5
1
0
0
0
0
Type of Raw Material
Kyra Foley
Sustainable Systems
Plastics/Metals
Parts
Packaging
Transportation
Energy use
0
4
This new up-cycled product can last a long time and once it is worn down it can be recycled.
This will eliminate waste and energy by no longer needing the sale of pill holders but rather sending your used contact holder to a factory where
pill holders are made out of recycled contact lens containers.
Changes in:
 Energy inputs- decrease due to no longer needing new materials for pill container.
 Energy outputs- user of product doesn’t use energy.
 Wastes- reduced due to the decrease in contact containers being thrown out.
 Environmental impacts- helps the environment by having a cradle to cradle cycle
 Material saved- material that would have been needed for pill container is no longer needed.
Solves:
 Form- although the form varies slightly than usual, the function remains constant
 Function- the function of the pill container remains the same.
 Time- time mostly stays the same for making pill containers out of
 Economy- money spent on materials for pill containers
 Sustainability- no longer throwing out 730 daily contact cases per person each year
Original product life cycle:
New product life cycle:
Used to hold contact, thrown out each day.
LCA =13
Once daily use is done it is transformed into a pill holder.
This means the contact lens plastic container becomes a cradle to cradle
product, and also decreases its LCA by 9 points.
LCA=4
Kyra Foley
Sustainable Systems