Life cycle assessment: shopping bags | 14–16 years

Example pages from teacher notes, student worksheets and classroom slides that make up this resource

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry

Slides, scaffolded worksheets and teacher notes to introduce learners to life cycle assessments using a real-world example

Use this resource to introduce learners to life cycle assessments using a real-world example. As well as collecting and evaluating information about the life cycles of three different types of shopping bag, learners will see how science directly influences government policy.

Learners are asked to complete a life cycle assessment (LCA) for three different types of supermarket carrier bag:

single-use plastic bag
reusable plastic bag
cotton bag

They then have to make a recommendation to the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) based on their assessment.

Suitable for learners following GCSE courses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, for the Junior Cycle in the Republic of Ireland and National 5 in Scotland.

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