I attempted to enter both the original Victor Noise-Cancelling Headphones and my new “No-Tech” Noise-Cancelling Headphones into sourcemap.org to assess the environmental impact of both of these products.
I first encountered some problems trying to figure out what the original Victor headphones were really made of, and where these parts may have come from. It would be helpful to have a resource page on sourcemap that can list typical materials and what they look/feel like, as well as where they are usually manufactured. Since I am not too experienced in identifying types of plastics, or manufacturing techniques, I did the best I could by researching the internet, but could not get very far with the sourcemap entry…
I also ran into some difficulties entering my new no-tech headphones. Rockite, chipboard, glue, felt and Acrylic sheet (plexi, acrylite 1/16”) were not listed under the already added materials, and I am not sure how to calculate the impact (in mpts/lb) for any of these materials. I was also unable to add a comment to this entry stating the above (when I clicked on “post it!”, nothing happened…). I am also not sure how to account for the fact that I lasercut these, which obviously has an environmental impact. Should I add this part of the process as another material?
In general, I think it would be great to have a linked page of resources and research tips for people not experienced in product design and manufacture, so the best guess can be made.
