Design Life-Cycle

Claire Yokota

Michelle Zhao, Sean Bannen

DES 40A

Professor Cogdell

Raw Materials in the Life Cycle of Orbeez

Orbeez are colorful water beads that are commonly played with by children. The fascinating aspect of Orbeez is how they start as tiny hard beads, but placing them in water and letting them sit for a while causes them to grow into squishy balls. These Orbeez are colorful, bouncy, and have a pleasant tactile feel, often used for sensory play. However, when people think of Orbeez, they think of its simplistic design, due to how they’re perceived to be made from one simple material. But, In terms of raw materials, Orbeez heavily rely on petroleum oil and synthetic materials, not only in the Orbeez themselves, but also to power the acquisition of materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, recycling and waste management of Orbeez, leading to Orbeez inevitably ending up in the landfills.

Before diving into the various raw materials that go into each step of the Orbeez’s lifecycle, let’s first address what materials Orbeez are made of, and what raw materials are needed to produce these manufactured materials that go into Orbeez. Orbeez are made of “superabsorbent polymer called sodium polyacrylate (usually made from acrylic acid and sodium hydroxide)” (Miller). Let’s break both of these materials down. Starting with acrylic acid (C3H4O2), it is shown to be “produced from propylene” (Schaechter). Digging deeper, we can discover that propylene is “produced primarily as a by-product of petroleum refining…” (“Some Industrial Chemicals.”). Thus we can conclude that obtaining acrylic acid comes from first gaining petroleum, then refining it which creates the bi-product of propylene, which can be used to produce propylene. Secondly, the sodium hydroxide in the sodium polyacrylate is “derived from salt water (brine)” (“Sodium Hydroxide”). Therefore, the second component of Orbeez, sodium hydroxide, is made from brine. The last thing to address is the coloring used in Orbeez to give it the vibrant mesmerizing colors it possesses. I couldn’t find what exact dyes Orbeez use, however, we can assume that Orbeez are made out of water-soluble food dyes due to how oil dyes would not be compatible with their high water content and because they are safer for children's play. Furthermore, water-soluble food dyes are “most synthetic food dyes are derived from petroleum, or crude oil” (Rohrig). We can also assume that the food dyes are synthetic, due to the mass production of Orbeez and how relieving on synthetic material would make this process cheaper and faster. Thus, we know that Orbeez are made from sodium polyacrylate and food dyes, in which sodium polyacrylate can be broken down into two things: acrylic acid and sodium hydroxide. Acrylic acid is derived from petroleum whereas sodium hydroxide is derived from brine. We also can assume that the food coloring used in Orbeez are made from petroleum. Now that we know the raw materials that Orbeez are made of, let’s dive into what other raw materials are necessary to extract and obtain the raw materials that are in Orbeez. 

Creating Orbeez requires a lot of excess fuels and materials from the machinery used to obtain these raw materials. First of all, to obtain both the acrylic acid monomers to make sodium polyacrylate and the food dyes to color the Orbeez, we first need to find out how they extract petroleum from the earth due to how both of these materials rely on petroleum to be made. These days, “petroleum is found in vast underground reservoirs where ancient seas were located. Their crude oil is extracted with giant drilling machines” (“Petroleum”). Thus, these machines also need fuel to extract petroleum. Because these drills could be run on many different fuels, we aren’t completely sure what type of material is used for this. However, we can assume it’s powered by gasoline, oil, or some other common fuel source. Next, we need to find out how they extract brine from the Earth for sodium hydroxide. In this case, the brine is extracted from the earth by “solution mining. Wells are drilled …into the salt deposit. These wells are connected via lateral drilling…[then] water is pumped down one well…[and] brine is forced to the surface through the other well.” (“Salt Production And Processing”). Thus, this process also utilizes drills to extract brine, both by drilling directly into the ground and lateral drilling. Again, it’s hard to find what specific fuel they use for these drills, so we can take our best guess by assuming that it's powered by gasoline, oil, or other common fuel sources. In conclusion, the raw material acquisition process requires a lot of fuel (such as gasoline, oils, or other common fuels) for machine drills used to obtain both petroleum and brine which is necessary to create Orbeez. After obtaining these raw materials, the next step to making Orbeez is manufacturing these raw materials, which this process requires the usage of many more raw materials. 

The manufacturing, processing, and formulation of the Orbeez require a lot of specific processes that turn the raw materials into the materials we need to make the Orbeez themselves, which these processes use even more fuels and synthetic materials. During research, I was able to find how certain raw materials were able to turn into the right material that goes into sodium polyacrylate (the main material for Orbeez), however, I was unable to find information on how the sodium polyacrylate was turned into the finished product of Orbeez. Thus, I will only be discussing how the raw materials are manufactured and processed into secondary materials, but I will not discuss how the finished product is finally formulated. To start, we know that acrylic acid monomers are created from propylene which is a bi-product of petroleum refining. The process of petroleum refining that creates propylene happens through “catalytic cracking (and to a lesser extent thermal cracking) of gas oils” (“Some Industrial Chemicals.”). Through research, I couldn’t find what raw materials are used during this process, however, because it has to do with thermal energy and heating, I assume that some sort of oils or gasses are used as heat. Next, the propylene is turned into acrylic acid through “a two-step gas-phase oxidation via acrolein” (Schaechter), thus, this process utilizes oxidation of propylene to turn into acrolein, and then further oxidation to turn acrolein into acrylic acid. So, this method primarily uses the raw material of oxygen for oxidation. Next, the second ingredient to sodium polyacrylate is sodium hydroxide, which is “most commonly manufactured by the electrolysis of brine, a salt (NaCl) solution. During this process, the water (H2O) is reduced to hydrogen gas (H) and hydroxide ion (OH). The hydroxide ion bonds with the sodium to form sodium hydroxide (NaOH)” (“Sodium Hydroxide”). Therefore, this process utilizes an electrical current that using electricity, commonly derived from “natural gas, renewable sources, coal, and nuclear energy” (“Electricity Production and Distribution”). After obtaining acrylic acid and sodium hydroxide, the next step is to combine them into sodium polyacrylate. This happens by “adding an initiator in a neutralized solution, putting the mixture into a thin plate reactor, vacuumizing and inflating nitrogen repeatedly for three times, polymerizing at the most suitable temperature to obtain a gel product, and pelleting, drying, crushing as well as packaging the gel product to obtain a product, namely, sodium polyacrylate” (“Synthetic method of sodium polyacrylate”). This long explanation boils down to using nitrogen to control temperature. It’s hard to figure out what other raw materials are used during the “pelleting, drying, crushing as well as packaging,” thus we can assume that a machine is doing these things which would run on gasoline, oils, or other common fuels. Lastly, I unfortunately couldn’t find any information about how they manufactured food dyes out of petroleum. To conclude, the manufacturing process of the individual materials used to create Orbeez requires the raw materials of common fuels (to create heat, create electricity, or to power machines) in addition to nitrogen, and oxygen. There may be other raw materials used to formulate sodium polyacrylate into the finished product of Orbeez, and to create food dyes, however, I could not find this information. After manufacturing Orbeez, the next step is distributing and transporting this new product to children all over the world. 

The distribution and transportation of Orbeez require even more fuel in order to securely get the product from the factories to the consumers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find how they transported the final product of Orbeez around the world, however, I can assume that they use common vehicles for transportation such as trucks, ships, and cars. Therefore, we can assume that these vehicles run on gasoline, diesel, or other fuels. Cars commonly run on gasoline, trucks generally run on diesel, and ships (depending on size) can run on both. This gasoline is made out of “crude oil and other petroleum liquids” (“Gasoline explained”). In addition, diesel is “is refined from crude oil and from biomass materials” (“Diesel fuel explained”). Due to the increase of biofuels, I also researched into biodiesel, which I found that biodiesel is made of “ liquid and solid biomass derived from animals, plants, algae, and wastes” (Wang et al.). To conclude, the transportation of Orbeez’s raw materials probably utilizes petroleum/crude oil in addition to various biomass materials. Once these Orbeez are transported from the producer to the consumer, the next step is the consumer’s use and play with these Orbeez.

Orbeez’s simplicity comes from the fact that the only material needed to play with, re-use, and maintain them is water so that the Orbeez can achieve its optimal size and squishiness for ideal play. This is due to how Orbeez are primarily made of sodium polyacrylate which is “...super at holding on to water molecules by hydrogen bonding…Water has one oxygen bonded to two hydrogen so it is great at hydrogen bonding!” (“Sodium Hydroxide”). Thus, consumers generally use water to activate Orbeez’s full form to play with it. To maintain Orbeez’s ideal form, one can simply put it back in water until it reaches its desired squishiness. So, reusing Orbeez once they dry out simply requires water. Thus, Orbeez don’t use any other materials in its usage, maintenance, and reusability other than water. Lastly, what materials go into recycling or managing the waste or Orbeez?

Orbeez use up an excess amount of fuels to transport to landfills during waste management due to Orbeez not being recyclable. Orbeez are not recyclable due to being made up of sodium polyacrylate, which is “a synthetic substance that never biodegrades” (“What are Superabsorbent Polymers?”), thus ending up in the landfill forever. Due to this, the raw materials used for disposing of Orbeez mainly come from the transportation fuels it takes for Orbeez to end up in landfills. As discussed above, common transportation vehicles use gasoline which is derived from petroleum or crude oils. Additionally, I could not find if they do anything to process Orbeez in the landfills, however, I find it unlikely due to Orbeez not saving more space by being crushed or processed in any way. After Orbeez are no longer desired for play, they end up getting dumped into the landfill, where their lifecycle will end.

In conclusion, despite Orbeez seeming unassuming in how many materials are used in its life cycle, in reality, a lot of petroleum oil is used in the life cycle of Orbeez which is not obvious at first glance. In the simplest form, Orbeez are made of sodium polyacrylate and dyes which are derived from petroleum and brine. However, many more materials are used in its raw material acquisition, manufacturing, transportation, use, and recycling/waste management. In obtaining its raw materials, fuel-dependant drills are used, requiring petroleum oil. In its manufacturing, fuels (more petroleum oils)  are used to power its manufacturing machines and during the production process. Additionally in its production, nitrogen and oxygen are used to process the raw materials. In its distribution and transportation, Orbeez require even more fuels (made of petroleum/crude oils and biomass) in order to travel across the world to its consumers. In its use, Orbeez require water. And in its recycling and waste management, Orbeez inevitably end up in landfills, thus requiring yet even more petroleum oil to fuel the transportation needed to get there. Thus, Orbeez require a shockingly abundant amount of petroleum oil not only in its raw materials but also in its fuels. Overall, Orbeez’s reliance on these fuels and the non-biodegradable synthetic material of sodium polyacrylate is not sustainable, inevitably leading to all these materials ending up in landfills at the end of their lifecycle. 

Works Cited

“Brine.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/science/brine. Accessed 23 May 2024. 

“CN102863573A - Preparation Method of Sodium Polyacrylate Aqueous Solution with High Solid Content and Narrow Molecular Weight Distribution.” Google Patents, Google, patents.google.com/patent/CN102863573A/en. Accessed 2 May 2024. 

“CN104292375A - Synthetic Method of Sodium Polyacrylate.” Google Patents, Google, patents.google.com/patent/CN104292375A/en. Accessed 3 June 2024. 

“Electricity Production and Distribution.” Alternative Fuels Data Center: Electricity Production and Distribution, afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity-production. Accessed 24 May 2024. 

IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. “Propylene.” Some Industrial Chemicals., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1994, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507483/. 

Liu, Lu, et al. “A Comparative Review of Petroleum-Based and Bio-Based Acrolein Production.” ChemSusChem, vol. 5, no. 7, 2012, pp. 1162–1180, https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201100447. 

Miller, James. “What Are Orbeez Made of & Are They Biodegradable?” TheRoundup, 15 Mar. 2024, https://theroundup.org/what-are-orbeez-made-of-are-they-biodegradable/. 

“Petroleum.” Education, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/petroleum/8th-grade/. Accessed 23 May 2024. 

“Research Guides: Oil and Gas Industry: A Research Guide: Modes of Transportation.” Modes of Transportation - Oil and Gas Industry: A Research Guide - Research Guides at Library of Congress, guides.loc.gov/oil-and-gas-industry/midstream/modes. Accessed 23 May 2024. 

Rohrig, Brian. “Eating with Your Eyes: The Chemistry of Food Colorings.” American Chemical Society, Oct. 2015, www.acs.org/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/2015-2016/october-2015/food-colorings.html. 

“Salt Production and Processing.” Morton Salt, www.mortonsalt.com/salt-production-and-processing/. Accessed 23 May 2024. 

Schaechter, Moselio, editor. Encyclopedia of Microbiology. Academic Press, 1992. 

Simon. “The Manufacturing Process of Super Absorbent Polymer.” Sapgel.Com, 7 Dec. 2023, www.sapgel.com/manufacturing-process-super-absorbent-polymers/. 

​​“Sodium Hydoxide.” Tom’s Of Maine, www.tomsofmaine.com/our-promise/ingredients/sodium-hydroxide-. Accessed 3 June 2024. 

Tagg, Andrew. “Don’t Forget the Orbeez!” Don’t Forget the Bubbles, 12 Jan. 2024, dontforgetthebubbles.com/dont-forget-the-orbeez/. 

“The Manufacturing Process of Super Absorbent Polymer.” QINGDAO SOCO NEW MATERIAL CO.,LTD, www.socochem.com/manufacturing-process-super-absorbent-polymers.html. Accessed 2 May 2024. 

“U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Diesel Fuel Explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 22 Dec. 2023, www.eia.gov/energyexplained/diesel-fuel/.

“U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Gasoline Explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 28 Dec. 2022, www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/.

“US4066595A - Water-Soluble Dye Composition.” Google Patents, Google, patents.google.com/patent/US4066595A/en. Accessed 2 May 2024. 

Wang, Anping, et al. “Functionalized magnetic nanosized materials for efficient biodiesel synthesis via acid–base/enzyme catalysis.” Green Chemistry : An International Journal and Green Chemistry Resource : GC, vol. 22, no. 10, 2020, pp. 2977–3012, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0GC00924E. 

“What Are Superabsorbent Polymers?” &SISTERS, andsisters.com/blogs/blog/what-are-super-absorbent-polymers. Accessed 24 May 2024. 

Xu, Z, et al. “Acrylic Acid.” Comprehensive Biotechnology (Second Edition), Academic Press, 14 Oct. 2011, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080885049004554. 

Sean Bannen

Claire Yakota, Michele Zhao

Des 40a

Professor Cogwell

Energy in the life cycle of Orbeez

Orbeez is a brand of water bead, which is a type of spherical object that can grow to become the size of a marble when it is exposed to water. The function of Orbeez makes them both a fun toy for children while also giving them niche uses in other situations such as gardens. Orbeez are able to increase in size when in contact with water because they and most other water beads are made from one material, that being a super absorbent polymer. With Orbeez being made from just this polymer as well as it being a seemingly biobased product, it can give the impression that not a lot of energy is used to produce Orbeez and other similar products. On deeper inspection, however, this couldn’t be further from the case. In terms of energy, Orbeez uses more than what would be expected for such a simple product. This is due to the energy used in the tools and machinery that extract the raw materials, the chemical reactions used to manufacture them as well as the ones that occur when they are used and reused, and the transportation used to distribute them from factories to consumers, and from consumers to landfills.

Orbeez uses more energy than expected due to the tools and practices used to extract the raw materials for its construction. To understand what type of energy is used to acquire the materials to make Orbeez it is important to look at how the super absorbent polymer itself is made. The polymer used to make Orbeez is called sodium polyacrylate and it is made by combining acrylic acid and sodium hydroxide. The acrylic acid necessary for the polymer is made from propylene which is the actual material that is extracted from the planet to make Orbeez. The National Library of Medicine in their documentation of this material, states that propylene comes from the environment from vegetation and burning of several types of living materials (IARC). Based on this information it can be inferred that chemical energy is utilized in the process to extract propene as the tools used to extract it are fueled by the burning of materials like biomass or fossil fuels. This puts the development of Orbeez into a less sustainable light as the methods for extracting the materials to make them rely on the burning of fossil fuels as the main source of energy. This is further compounded by Tao Ren and her team who went into detail analyzing steam cracking stating, “Steam cracking is the most energy-consuming process in the chemical industry and globally uses approximately 8% of the sector's total primary energy use, excluding energy content of final products excluded. In this process, hydrocarbon feedstocks, such as naphtha, ethane, etc” (Tao Ren, et al). This puts into perspective just how much energy is used during steam cracking in order to create the necessary materials to make Orbeez. Once the propylene is extracted it is then used int the manufacturing process to eventually develop the water beads through chemical bonding.

Energy is used in Orbeez through the chemical reactions that take place when they are created. Once the propylene is extracted through petroleum refining it is then put through a chemical bonding process to create acrylic acid. Energy plays a role in this part of the manufacturing process though how when oxidation takes place it leads to a release of chemical energy as propylene loses electrons. Once the acrylic acid is made it goes through a process known as polymerization to bond with other acrylic acids to then make the titular superabsorbent polymer. The process of polymerization was outlined in a report by Intratec which it states,

that acrylic acid is mixed with sodium hydroxide to make sodium acrylate monomer. This is then mixed with more acrylic acid and some other chemicals which eventually lead to the creation of sodium polyacrylate (Sodium Polyacrylate Production 4). Chemical energy is used throughout this process as the acrylic acid is neutralized and bonded. Not only that but mechanical energy is also used by the tools that are enabling this process to happen in the first place such as the moving belt reactor. Once the superabsorbent polymer is created then the orbeez are then produced and ready to go to stores and be used in the next step of their life cycle.

Energy is used in Orbeez through the chemical reactions that take place when they are used by consumers. The main selling point of Orbeez and what makes them a fun toy for children to play with is their ability to grow when exposed to water. Much like the process that was used to create them in the first place, this is derived from chemistry and how the bonds created in the manufacturing process work. Andrew Plotch of the website, BCA Chemistry goes into detail on how the bonds allow for this function to happen when he states, that the bonds in the Orbeez are stretched when exposed to water until they reach their maximum size, with it being reversible through the addition of salt (Plotch). As Plotch describes Osmosis plays an important role in making Orbeez work. Energy is involved in this type of process as the movement of water in and out of Orbeezs happens as a result of kinetic energy fueling it as it comes as a result of the movement of water molecules (Diffusion). When it comes to being reused and finding alternative ways to use them when they are no longer being used as toys, Orbeez has some interesting applications. One of the biggest, mentioned again by Plotch, is how they can be used in any situation that requires absorption of water like in diapers or gardening. These alternative ways to use Orbeez also rely on similar use of kinetic energy in their primary function, as the movement of water molecules in and out of the water beads is what are able to make these alternative functions possible, from absorbing moisture in things like diapers to providing water to plants. Energy is not just involved in the use of Orbeez themselves but also with how they are distributed and transported from one place to another.

Energy is utilized in the life cycle of Orbeez to transport it to stores for purchase. Orbeez is made in factories that are owned and supervised by the toy company called Spinmaster. The company is considered one of the leading children’s entertainment companies and has currently set parameters to be more efficient with the energy used in toy production, which has resulted in things like no recalls in the past decade which means that energy is not being wasted to transport products back to the company (Master, Spin). In order to transport products such as Orbeez in the first place, they outsource transportation to a transport and logistics company called DSV. This company mostly uses vehicles such as trucks, as well as planes, and boats. All these vehicles utilize chemical energy to function as they rely on the burning of fossil fuels, with Gasoline being the most dominant, being described by the U.S Energy Information Administration stating that, half of the energy consumption from U.S transportation comes from gasoline (U.S. Energy Information Administration). With fossil fuels having many issues in regards to sustainability, however, DSV has launched several initiatives to try and have more sustainable energy use, that will hopefully address several climate issues. (Savvides).

These initiatives show promise for more efficient use of energy, it is still early tell what the results of these regulations would be and if they’ll contribute to the transport of Orbeez to be more Sustainable.

Energy is also utilized in the transportation of Orbeez at the end of their lifecycle. While Orbeez are technically biodegradable the process takes too long for it to be a sustainable option. Beck Mckay of the Greenmatch blog has stated in this regard that Orbeez takes around 400 years to decompose (Mckay). Not only do they take too long to biodegrade, they also are non-recyclable due to how they can’t fit with normal recycling methods (Mckay). This means that outside of finding other ways to reuse ORbeez as mentioned earlier, the only other option for the end of life for Orbeez is sending them to landfills. Similar to the process of distribution, vehicles like garbage trucks will be necessary for transportation which like previously mentioned tools and vehicles means that chemical energy through the burning of fossil fuels is also used in transporting them to landfills to be disposed of, which is a surprisingly not so sustainable end for what is seemingly a biomaterial.

In conclusion, Orbeez uses more than what would be expected for such a simple product, which is due to the energy used in the tools and machinery that extract the raw materials, the chemical reactions used to manufacture them as well as the ones that occur when they are used and reused, and the transportation used to distribute them from factories to consumers, and from consumers to landfills. It was shocking to see how much energy goes into the process of making a seemingly simple material, and how it involves processes that wouldn’t come to mind when thinking of the product such as petroleum mining. Orbeez ended up becoming a demonstration of how entangled fossil fuel use has become entangled in our processes of producing and transporting products, to the point where even seemingly simple and safe for the environment products end up being affected by and relying on the energy they provide. This raises very frightening implications for products and materials that are more complex and rely even more on fossil fuels than Orbeez do.

Works Cited

“Are Orbeez Bad for the Environment? Stats, Facts and Quotes.” GreenMatch.Co.Uk, 23 Apr. 2024, www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/environmental-impact-of-orbeez.

“Diffusion.” Diffusion and Osmosis, hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Kinetic/diffus.html. Accessed 3 June 2024.

Goldberg. “Organic and Fatty Acid Production, Microbial.” Encyclopedia of Microbiology (Third Edition), Academic Press, 17 Feb. 2009, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123739445001565.

IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. “Propylene.” Some Industrial Chemicals., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1994, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507483/.

Master, Spin. “Spin Master Issues 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility Report and Releases Climate Action Plan.” PR Newswire: Press Release Distribution, Targeting, Monitoring and Marketing, 6 Apr. 2023, www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spin-maser-issues-2022-corporate-social-responsibility-report-and-releases-climate-action-plan-301791598.html.

Plotch, Posted by Andrew. “Orbeez.” BCA Chemistry, bcachemistry.wordpress.com/tag/orbeez/. Accessed 3 June 2024.

Savvides, Nick. “Analysis: How Green Is DSV’s Green Logistics Initiative?” The Loadstar, 14 Dec. 2021, theloadstar.com/analysis-how-green-is-dsvs-green-logistics-initiative/.

Sodium Polyacrylate Production, cdn.intratec.us/docs/reports/previews/sodium-polyacrylate-e21a-b.pdf. Accessed 3 June 2024.

Tao Ren, et al. “Olefins from Conventional and Heavy Feedstocks: Energy Use in Steam Cracking and Alternative Processes.” Energy, Pergamon, 17 May 2005, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544205000745#:~:text=Steam%20cracking1%20is%20the,as%20naphtha%2C%20ethane%2C%20etc.

“U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Use of Energy for Transportation - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/transportation.php. Accessed 3 June 2024.

Michelle Zhao 

Claire Yokota and Sean Bannen

DES 40A

Professor Cogdell

Life Cycle Assessment of Orbeez: Waste and Emissions

The colorful water beads are popular among children due to their vibrant colors and their remarkable ability to expand in water. Those playful and fun water beads that intrigue children and even adults are known as Orbeez. They were first created for agricultural purposes to improve the harvests of failed crops by allowing the plant roots to obtain water from high absorbent water beads. Orbeez are made of sodium polyacrylate, which is a polymer chain, composed of acrylic acid monomers. Other ingredients include sodium hydroxide and food coloring for brilliant colors. These water beads can be manufactured as either local, synthetic bio-based products or fossil-fuel based products, but the environmentalists are aiming to shift towards synthetic production due to its sustainability and production of less waste materials. After the manufacturing process, orbeez are packaged in plastic boxes and plastic bags for distribution, which emits greenhouse gasses–whether the plastics are transported to factories or the plastic boxes, filled with orbeez are distributed to the consumers. Subsequently after the consumer’s use, orbeez can be reused by storing in a tightly sealed container, frequently hydrated while avoiding sunlight. In the final stage of its life cycle, non-recyclable orbeez end up as household wastes in landfill, or they can be incorporated into soil to decrease drought stress as they provide water to the plants with their astonishing water absorbent abilities. However, when the water runs out, the shrinkage of orbeez causes harmful effects on the environment and disruption in the ecosystem and wildlife due to its slow decomposition rate. In the overall life cycle assessment, orbeez creates waste and pollution in every step of the cycle: greenhouse gas emissions in raw material acquisition, solid waste, liquid waste, and hazardous waste in manufacturing, carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing and distribution, mycotoxin in reusing process, and household waste in recycling process and waste management, and they are considered unsustainable due to their slow decomposition rate and the waste materials they create in every stage of life cycle.

Orbeez are made of sodium polyacrylate polymer chains composed of monomers that are derivatives of acrylic acid. When acquiring the raw material, acrylic acid that makes up the sodium polyacrylate is produced from propylene according to the article Acrylic Acid Production via Propylene Oxidation, and propylene is produced from petroleum mining. (“Propylene Refinery Grade (P-P Mix)”) Petroleum products such as gasoline release toxic gasses and increase amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses when they are burned. (“Petroleum”) The polymer itself, Sodium polyacrylate, also abbreviated as SPA produces waste, which is in the form of solid but the solid content of liquid waste creates a gelatinous texture in the form of mud when treated with water (“5 Myths about Superabsorbent Polymers for Waste Solidification”). SPA doesn’t create a significant amount of landfill waste due to its high absorbency and the weight of 0.5 to 1.5%, required to solidify a liquid waste compared to cement that is 10 to 25% by weight (“5 Myths about Superabsorbent Polymers for Waste Solidification”). Low amount of SPA compared to higher amounts of cement, indicates low amount of waste disposed at the landfill. However, since the waste is disposed as landfill rather than as compost, there is an accumulation of carbon dioxide and methane as anaerobic bacteria respire in the absence of oxygen while the compost produces nutrients (Nitrate and phosphate), carbon dioxide, and water by aerobic bacteria in the presence of oxygen (“Carbon Emission Analysis of the Vitamix FoodCycler”). Methane gas is eight times more harmful than carbon dioxide for twenty years after it is released, and it contributes to 25% of global warming (“What’s the Deal with Methane?”). This indicates that landfill waste created by SPA, rather than compost, is still not environmentally friendly even though SPA produces little waste material. 

In the manufacturing process or the second stage of the life cycle, water beads are manufactured in local laboratories synthetically in order to reduce carbon footprints and pollution. One of the methods that uses sodium hypophosphite as a chain transfer agent to prepare aqueous solution of SPA, doesn’t require alcohol recovery since the byproducts have alcohol in the product (“CN104292375A - Synthetic Method of Sodium Polyacrylate”). Since the synthetic manufacturing of SPA doesn’t produce alcohols that are flammable as hazardous waste, it is undeniably true that synthetic production is suitable for the environment due its cost of little working condition, high efficiency in production, and good product quality (“How to Dispose of and Recycle Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer”).  Another method to produce the SPA polymer is by pulp mills side streams, where they enter the hydrolysis process and fermentable sugars are released (“Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-Based Sodium Polyacrylate production from Pulp Mill Side Streams: Case Study of Thermo-Mechanical and Sulfite Pulp Mills”). Based on this article, sulfite pulp mill polymer production produces sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium sulfate, which cause emissions of carbon dioxide. In the same article, the data shows that sulfite pulp mill side stream 1 and 2, which are less diluted compared to side stream 3 and 4, overall have less global warming potential of 9% and 0.1% respectively while side stream 3 and 4 have 22% and 29% global warming potential. The data overall shows that the overall waste produced from bio-based sulfite pulp mill side stream 3 and 4 are better than side stream 1 and 2 and fossil fuel based mills. Furthermore, the article further reports that the fossil-based polymerization process has more adverse effects than the bio-based polymerization process with the pulp mill as the article lists the fossil-based polymerization contribution to global warming potential as 53% and eutrophication potential as 77%. Apart from the main ingredient (sodium polyacrylate) of orbeez production, other materials that make orbeez are food dyes, acrylic acid, and sodium hydroxide. When manufacturing food dyes, 10 to 15% of food dyes are released as effluents that are liquid waste. (“Effects of Food Dye on the Environment”). The article also explains that the liquid waste from food dye factories in China are sent to rivers, resulting in contamination. Consequently, the contaminated river used by farmers for farming produces toxic soil with chemical waste, and the polluted river also negatively impacts the plants and organisms that live around the food dye factories. Furthermore, sodium hydroxide, which is also one of the ingredients of the waste beads, is labeled as hazardous material (“GPS Safety Summary Sodium Hydroxide”). This report further demonstrates the heat production from chemical reactions between the strong base, sodium hydroxide with water and strong acid such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or nitric acid. The byproduct of heat indicates the contribution to the global warming effect. Finally, acrylic acid in the manufacturing process is released in wastewater and as emissions (“Acrylic Acid”). Overall, manufacturing each ingredient of orbeez shows a large amount of production of waste, pollution, and heat contributing to climate change effects. 

After the manufacturing stage, greenhouse gas emissions are dominantly found in the distribution of orbeez to the consumers. Orbeez are packaged into plastic boxes, and plastic factories emit 1.5 to 12.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses. (“The Impact of Plastic on Climate Change”). Furthermore the orbeez company known as Spin Master reports a total waste generation of 773 metric tonnes in 2019, 1,566 metric tonnes, in 2020, 1,048 metric tonnes in 2021, and 789 metric tonnes in 2022 (“Spin Master Issues 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility Report and Releases Climate Action Plan”). This shows a decrease in waste products from the company, and the company also endeavors to implement a reduction of plastic by 50% in packaging, which would in turn reduce greenhouse gas emission.  In reusing the orbeez, orbeez can be put into a tightly sealed container, frequently hydrated with water in a dark area. This encourages less production of orbeez; however, putting orbeez in water or in the damp environment for a long period of time, creates molds (“FAQ”). Molds are fungi which are microbial eukaryotes, and they release mycotoxins, which are known to have health concerns and issues and research on the health information based on mycotoxins effects on people, is still ongoing (“Mold Course Chapter 1: Introduction to Molds”). Another way for maintenance is to put orbeez in soil to serve as “reservoirs of moisture for plants” due to these high-water absorbing capacity of water beads (“What Are Orbeez Made of & Are They Biodegradable?”). This promotes plant growth when water is scarce, especially during the drought period, and this maintenance also enhances the sustainability for the environment by reducing the consumerism or the production of more orbeez for customers, which ultimately accounts for producing less waste material in all six steps of the life cycle. However, one drawback of loading the soil with orbeez is that they shrink in the soil when they are not consistently hydrated which results in the creation of dire effects to wildlife and ecosystem since orbeez can be mistaken as food by wildlife. This ultimately has “broader ecological impacts, disrupting food chains and harming biodiversity” (“Are Orbeez Bad for the Environment ''). Therefore, reusing the orbeez suggests an unsustainable practice that has adverse effects on the ecosystem and food chain and on people for the potential mycotoxin generation. The article also asserts that Orbeez are considered non-recyclable products, and they are disposed of with “household waste” where they end up in landfill. The final stage of the life cycle assessment clarifies that “sodium acrylate has a potential decay rate of just 0.12% to 0.24% every six months'' and orbeez takes “208 to 416 years” to decay by half according to the same article. Since orbeez have an exceptionally low decomposition rate, suggesting that they are challenging to be removed from the environment, Orbeez are thus considered non-biodegradable. 

From the overall life cycle assessment of Orbeez, it seems apparent that the companies and scientists are seeking to implement a more sustainable approach for climate change protections by producing in local synthetic laboratories and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. While there are improvements in striving towards sustainability, the originally nonbiodegradable orbeez nonetheless creates waste and pollution in every stage of life cycle, promoting unsustainability and creating potential risks to the ecosystem and food chain. Therefore, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of producing orbeez as toys: pros being increase in production and consumerism leading to increase in labor and economic productivity and cons being the nonbiodegradability of orbeez, waste, and pollution they produce. On that note, it is important to consider other toys that produce less waste materials as a substitute when considering combating climate change. 

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