Evaluating the Environmental Impact of a Bicycle: A Life Cycle Assessment with a New Green Product Design Framework

Abstract

The goal of this study is to assess the environmental consequences of bicycles manufactured in Bangladesh using a newly established framework for designing eco-friendly products. It is widely believed that pedal-cycles are environmentally benign and have high fuel efficiency. Increasing their use could help to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. The study utilizes the ISO 14044 guideline and takes into account the entire life cycle of the bicycle, using life cycle inventory data acquired from a previously published article (Papon R et al., 2019). The findings of validating the suggested GDP framework were compared to the output of the life cycle assessment approach as presented in the paper by Papon et al. (2019). The study's findings indicate that manufacturing has the most significant environmental impact. Furthermore, the suggested GDP framework aligns well with this methodology. This study contributes to our comprehension of the impact of bicycles on the environment and presents an innovative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) framework for evaluating the environmental sustainability of other products.