Product Life Cycle and Beyond

A.Think about the things you have bought recently (last few weeks).  Which one of the following MOST influences what you buy?

1.  Advertising - Encouragement from a company to buy its product

2. Appearance - how a product looks

3.  Brand loyalty - commitment to a brand and you buy repeatedly

4. Country of Origin - where it was made

5. Durability - how long something lasts

6. Environmental Impact - environmental damage caused by creating the product

7. Labor - how the workers who made the product are treated and paid

8. Popularity - bought and used by many people

9. Price - how much something costs

10. Product warranty/guarantee - a promise from a company to repair or replace something that breaks

11. Recommendation - someone you knwo encouraged you to buy a product that he/she uses.

B.  Choose 1 product you like.  Why is it your favorite?  Which of the above influenced you to buy it? 

C.  Perform a life cycle analysis of it. 

D.  Then....use the Good Guide or ewg.org to see if it's listed and how it is rated.  Is there a product with less impact you would consider?

E.  Then...watch this Ted talk: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action?language=en#t-1041997

F.  Then...go to asknature.org

Research if there’s a way to design the product in a different way using nature