Contribution of the manufacturing sector to environmental degradation primarily occurs during 1. procurement and use of natural resources 2. industrial processes and activities 3. product use and disposal Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The manufacturing sector impacts the environment across its entire lifecycle. First, the procurement and use of natural resources involve raw material extraction and processing, which leads to resource depletion and habitat destruction [2]. Second, industrial processes and activities generate significant pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous waste, and effluents that contaminate air, water, and soil. Finally, product use and disposal contribute to environmental degradation through energy consumption during the product's life and the generation of electronic or solid waste at its end-of-life. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) frameworks, such as the ISO 14040 series, explicitly evaluate these stages—from extraction to waste treatment—to quantify the total environmental load. Therefore, all three stages are primary contributors to environmental degradation in the manufacturing sector.

Sources

1. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.16. CATEGORIZATION OF INDUSTRIAL SECTORS > p. 106
2. [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/life-cycle-assessment