Fig. 9 shows the lifecycle of a wooden school desk, from raw material to end of life. The timber has been selected for its working properties and appearance...

(a) The type of analysis shown in the diagram is a lifecycle analysis (life cycle assessment, or LCA) [1]. This examines the environmental impact of a product at every stage of its existence, from the extraction of raw materials through manufacture, distribution, use, and finally end of life (disposal or recycling). The dashed arrow from "End of life" back to "Raw material" represents the potential for materials to be recycled and fed back into the cycle, reducing the need for new raw materials.

(b) Two of the 6Rs of sustainability, each applied to the wooden desk:

1. Reuse [1]: When a wooden school desk is no longer needed at one school (perhaps because of a refurbishment or closure), it could be donated to another school or community organisation rather than being discarded [1]. The desk is still functional and can serve a new user without any additional manufacturing.
2. Recycle [1]: At end of life, when the desk is beyond repair, the wood can be chipped and used as a raw material for manufacturing chipboard or MDF [1]. Metal fixings can be separated and recycled through a scrap metal facility. This diverts waste from landfill and reduces the demand for new timber.

Other valid 6Rs include: Reduce (use less material in the design, such as thinner panels where full thickness is not structurally required); Repair (design the desk so a damaged leg can be unbolted and replaced without discarding the whole item); Refuse (avoid using tropical hardwoods from unsustainable sources and instead choose FSC-certified timber); Rethink (consider whether new desks are needed at all, or whether existing ones could be refurbished).