How are they formed into objects, in the past and now? What labor and fuels are necessary? What can be made from the material? When the finished object is used, how might it become broken or no longer wanted in that form?

Waste

In class we have looked at a variety of materials from the perspective of their cost in byproducts and waste, both in the manufacture of goods and in disposal post-use. Choose a topic from the list below and write a 1500-word paper investigating the true cost of using this material. Start with the first development – how old is the technology and where does it appear first? Then investigate the raw components, how they are procured and transported. How are they formed into objects, in the past and now? What labor and fuels are necessary? What can be made from the material? When the finished object is used, how might it become broken or no longer wanted in that form? How has it been disposed of in the past and now, or could it be melted down or otherwise reused? The goal is to look at an object/commodity and see its entire life cycle. Is it part of a repeating cycle, or does it end in a dump? Are there high costs in waste/by-products, and is there anything being done today to address that problem? Should we keep using it, or move on? Choose from the following list: Glass Metal (either Iron, Copper, Lead)