1.11 Design for Manufacturing, Maintenance, Repair and Disposal

Question 1

What are the 6 Rs of sustainability?

Answer 1

1 recycle
2 reduce
3 refuse
4 repair
5 rethink
6 reuse

Question 2

What does it mean by recycle?

Answer 2

recovering parts and materials to be used again when products reach their end of their useful life

Question 3

What does it mean by reduce?

Answer 3

Minimising wastage, by using less material or eliminating excessive packaging, for example

Question 4

What does it mean by refuse?

Answer 4

Avoiding designs, which, for example, use materials that are harmful to the environment or are difficult to recycle.

Question 5

What does it mean by repair?

Answer 5

Designing products that can be repaired rather than those that have to be thrown out if they are damaged.

Question 6

What does it mean by rethink?

Answer 6

Considering carefully whether there might be more sustainable alternatives

Question 7

What does it mean by reuse?

Answer 7

Making it possible to use products again rather than discarding them

Question 8

Why is it essential to recycle materials?

Answer 8

To maintain future resources and reduce levels of landfill. This is particularly the case for materials from non-renewable sources, such as most polymers, metals and glass

Question 9

How do the identification codes on polymer products help to recycle the materials when possible?

Answer 9

Manufacturers place identification codes on polymer products to help consumers sort them more effectively, and therefore help to facilitate appropriate disposal. The codes do not indicate that the product is made of recycled polymer or that it is necessarily possible to recycle the product locally.

Question 10

What is the significance of the ease of disassembly of products when recycling?

Answer 10

Recycling is irrevocably linked to the methods of manufacture that have been incorporated in products. Ease of disassembly is a critical factor that is being increasingly considered by designers of products such as cars and white goods

Question 11

What does the phrase ‘cradle to grave’ mean?

Answer 11

It is used to mean that designers and manufacturers are considering the impact of the whole life cycle of the products they produce. This includes raw material extraction and production, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal. It has become a preferable approach since its key feature is that products are designed so that all of the materials utilised can be reused to manufacture new products.

Question 12

What is the issue of increasing the concern about recycling?

Answer 12

An issue of increasing concern is the movement towards exporting waste for recycling to countries where the process is undertaken in highly unsafe conditions, and often by children. High levels of toxins often result from these processes, risking the health of workers and local people.

Question 13

Why are many products designed to not be repaired?

Answer 13

Due to the greater cost of manufacturing with easily dismantled temporary fastening methods such as screws, nuts and bolts, compared to quicker, cheaper production methods such as adhesives and plastic welding. This issues also links to the aesthetic value of products that is highly sought after by many consumers, since designing products that are slim and attractive is much easier without potentially bulky temporary fixings.

Question 14

What is the restart project?

Answer 14

Community repair initiatives are becoming more common, such as the Restart Project, which aims to facilitate local groups who help one another to repair products rather than discarding them. Another important part of their work is to try to counter the throw-away culture by opening people’s eyes to the satisfaction gained from repairing rather than throwing items away.

Question 15

What are some examples of rethinking?

Answer 15

1 taking advantage of a cycle to work scheme rather purchasing a car
2 having solar panels fitted to reduce domestic energy use
3 keeping a phone for a longer period before upgrading
4 installing a water butt system for garden watering

Question 16

What is upcycling?

Answer 16

This is the creative reuse of unwanted products and materials, resulting in outcomes with a higher quality or environmental worth than the original.

Question 17

What types of items does upcycling produce?

Answer 17

1 decorations from old jigsaw puzzles
2 glass jars used as vases

Question 18

When considering strategies why is an important consideration is the extent to which the designer wishes to make maintenance possible and who is able to carry it out?

Answer 18

Some products are difficult to repair due to the need for watertight seals and other elements that help to protect the internal workings. Technology advanced products are sometimes designed in a way to actively deter non-specialists from attempting to repair or maintain them.

Question 19

Why are products such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops difficult to repair?

Answer 19

The requirement for making the products as slim as possible has led to the installation of elements such as non-removeable sold stare hard drives and batteries, which are held in place by adhesives. These design features make it more likely that the product will have to be returned to the manufacturer if parts fail, or it may have to be scrapped, possibly prematurely, due to the prohibitive cost of repairs

Question 20

What is WRAP?

Answer 20

The Waste and Resources action programme (WRAP), a UK charity concerned with using resources in a more sustainable way, had published several ‘buying specification guides for durability and repair’ for electrical products.

Question 21

Why are manufacturers keen to make their products as effectively as possible?

Answer 21

In order to reduce their costs and to minimise the chance of mistakes being made that could affect the quality of the finishes items

Question 22

What is the issue with concentrating on the ease of manufacture of products?

Answer 22

Manufacturers do face dilemmas in terms of balancing profitability in the efficiency of their manufacturing strategies and their commitment to the environment

Question 23

How can the use of smart materials help in the disassembly of products?

Answer 23

Smart materials may have the potential to help in the disassembly of products, and research has been undertaken in this field, including the use of SMA (shape memory alloy) and SMP (shape memory polymer) fastenings to hold together elements of the products like mobile phones.

Question 23

What is meant by disassembly?

Answer 23

It means taking apart a product for repair or when it is at the end of its useful life and can, if this element of the design has been sufficiently prioritised, result in discrete parts made of pure materials. These can be returned for re-processing with no degradation, as outlines in the explanation of the ‘cradle to cradle’ approach.