2.8 Responsible Design Flashcards
ways the designer/manufacturer can reduce environmental impact of a product: REDUCE
- cut down amount of material & energy
- eg water bottle- uses as little material as possible while still maintaining strength
ways the designer/manufacturer can reduce environmental impact of a product: REUSE
- reuse products for the same/different use at the end of life
- eg glass coffee jars can be used again with refill packs
ways the designer/manufacturer can reduce environmental impact of a product: RECYCLE
- convert waste products into new materials
PRIMARY: using functioning secondhand products (eg charity shops etc)
SECONDARY: materials recycled into different products (eg boat sails > bean bags/sailing jackets)
TERTIARY: completely breaking down product and reformulating it using chemical process (eg water bottle > fleece)
ways the designer/manufacturer can reduce environmental impact of a product: REPAIR
- fix a product when it breaks rather than discarding (eg repairing a puncture)
ways the designer/manufacturer can reduce environmental impact of a product: REFUSE
- consumer choice of whether or not to buy a product or not
- eg considering whether it has been made sustainably & ethically or not, refusing less efficient white goods- fridge, dishwasher, etc
ways the designer/manufacturer can reduce environmental impact of a product: RETHINK
- rethink the way products are designed & manufactured to be more efficient
- eg using SMAs to aid disassembly
primary carbon footprint (definition)
measures direct CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels. Includes transport & domestic energy
secondary carbon footprint (definition)
measures indirect CO2 from products used
why packaging is normally provided on a product (4)
- protect product
- show key information about the product
- make the product more appealing to the consumer
- keep perishable items fresher for longer
advantages of renewable energy (6)
- sustainable, will never run out
- renewable energy facilities need less maintenance
- fuel from natural resources reduces operational costs
- little waste/CO2 produced, minimal environmental impact
- considered clean energy
- social & economic benefits- can bring employment & use of local services in the area
disadvantages of renewable energy (4)
- can be difficult to produce large quantities of energy
- often relies on the weather- supply can be inconsistent
- cannot be stored in large quantities for later use
- more expensive than fossil fuels due to large capital cost associated with new tech
wind power (description)
- turbine blades catch wind
- turn
- turns generator
- generates power
wind power (geographical issues)
- best located at sea or on mountains
- where there is the most consistent & undisrupted wind
- not suited to urban environments
wind power (environmental issues)
- eyesore
- destroy habitats during installation
- (large disruption due to large farms being built)
wind power (reliability)
- wind is often inconsistent
- only about 50% of wind’s kinetic energy converted into power, large farms needed to be effective
hydro power (description)
- power of water in motion
- dams trap water
- water is released, turning turbines
- power generated as water gains potential energy before it flows down which is converted into kinetic energy to turn the turbines
- water can be pumped up from lower reservoir to be used again
hydro power (geographical issues)
- requires very large area
- dam needs to be built (expensive)
- could affect local leisure/attractions (water sports, fishing, etc)
hydro power (environmental issues)
- land often flooded to build dams- destroys habitats & agricultural land
- plants trapped in the dam can emit greenhouse gases
- construction can cause flooding in other areas
- potential for subsidence (land sinking gradually) to occur breaking dam > flooding
hydro power (reliability)
- very reliable
- reservoir supplies ‘reserve’ of water when little rainfall
- 90% efficiency
solar power (description)
- photovoltaic cells convert light into direct current
- converted into an alternating current
- produces electricity
solar power (geographical issues)
- large areas of land required to generate lots of power
- strength of sunlight in some places inconsistent throughout year
solar power (environmental issues)
- large areas of land need to be cleared, disrupting wildlife
- eyesore
solar power (reliability)
- dependent on location
> very reliable in desert
> much less reliable in temperate climate (less sunlight. eg UK) - low power generating capacity- large surface area needed to generate significant quantities of power
wave power (description)
- energy produced by constant movement (kinetic energy) of waves
- wave movement forces water up a cylinder to turn turbine & generate power
wave power (geographical issues)
- must be in coastal area
- could affect tourism & leisure
- further out at sea plants are less accessible for maintenance
- cause coastal erosion
wave power (environmental issues)
- highly disruptive to habitats & wildlife
- eyesore
wave power (reliability)
- highly reliable- waves in constant motion
- strength can vary
- continuous power produced
tidal barrage (description)
- estuaries are dammed & force flow of water through turbines
- electricity generated as water flows either in or out of estuary
tidal barrage (geographical issues)
- must be located at coastal area (affects tourism etc)
- disrupt transport through estuary (eg boats)
tidal barrage (environmental issues)
- disruption and/or destruction of animal habitats
- eyesore
tidal barrage (reliability)
- tides can be reliably predicted
- 60% efficiency
geothermal (description)
- natural heat from underground heats up water to create steam
- steam turns turbine > electricity
geothermal (geographical issues)
- affects water purity
- can cause earthquakes
- must be located near heat vent (often far from cities)
geothermal (environmental issues)
- destruction of habitats
- release of greenhouse gases from underground
geothermal (reliability)
- very reliable (not affected by external factors such as weather)
- uses 20-25% less electricity to produce more electricity than other methods
biomass (description)
- organic matter such as wood, dried vegetation & crop residues burnt to heat water & produce steam
- steam turns turbine > electricity
biomass (geographical issues)
- requires large amount of land & fuel to burn which could be used to grow food or cause deforestation
biomass (environmental issues)
- produces CO2
- low overall impact if biomass replaced
biomass (reliability)
- reliable as long as supply is consistent & sustainable
- relatively efficient but not as efficient as fossil fuels
circular economy (definition)
- approach that anticipates & designs for biological & technical ‘nutrients’ (materials) to be continuously reused at the same quality, reducing dependency on sourcing new materials
- biological nutrient = organic, non-toxic material. can be composted/re-enter environment without causing harm
principles for designers & manufactures in circular economy (5)
- restorative & regenerative design & manufacture
- regenerating ecosystems
- designing out waste & pollution
- keeping products/materials in use
- optimise resources
examples of methods that could be implemented for a circular economy (4)
- take back- products returned at end of life at no cost so parts can be repaired & reused. could use an incentive to encourage this
- optimising product life cycle- design for repair & recycle, reducing environmental impact of manufacture
- use of biological nutrients- reduce impact on environment at end of life
- use of standardised components- makes it easier for repairs
