AOS1 P2 Flashcards
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability can be defined as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs’
COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD TO BE ABOUT:
* making the best choices for the planet’s health b y protecting the natural environment and using resources wisely
* safeguarding human rights and human/social/community wellbeing
* meeting people’s needs using ethical economic systems.
DESIGN STRATERGIES THAT ADDRESS THE 3 DIMENSIONS:
* the three pillars of environmental, economic and social sustainability
* the three Ps of planet, profit and people or
* the ‘triple bottom line
climate change
-changes to our weather patterns and natural systems due to the increased production of greenhouse gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere.
- Increased heat in our environment also reduces the effectiveness of natural systems to sequester (trap) carbon
carbon dioxide
- a greenhouse gas, produced by the burning of fossil fuels for energy (used in homes and in manufacturing and transportation) and by the destruction of forests (for timber materials and land clearing for agriculture) and other habitats (for plant materials).
- More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere contributes to more rapid climate change
finite resource
- a resource that doesn’t replace itself (i.e. it is non-renewable) or replaces itself much more slowly than it is consumed.
- Examples of finite resources are minerals, metals and fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.
- The opposite of this is a renewable resource - one that is unlimited or can be replaced easily
landfill
- rubbish that is dumped in deep pits or huge piles (tips or dumps).
- Much of what goes into landfill could be used in another way.
- Organic waste in landfill emits gases as it decomposes (rots) and consequently contributes to a build-up of toxic air or spontaneous fires.
- Toxic chemicals can leach out of other waste products into surrounding soil, the water table and air.
- Landfill sites, once they are filled, are difficult to use for other purposes because they are usually contaminated and structurally unstable
incineration
the burning of waste, which is sometimes used to create energy but also emits a lot of carbon dioxide and toxic gases
ecological footprint
measures and describes the impact of our activities on the environment.
the three pillars of sustainability
- environmental
- social
- economic
The Sustainability
Strategies and
frameworks
- 6Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, Repair - circular economy
- cradle-to-cradle approach
- Design for Disassembly (DfD)
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
- lifecycle analysis/assessment (LCA)
- triple bottom line
circular economy
- aims to eliminate waste, reuse resources and regenerate nature
- circulate products and materials, reduce waste and pollution and preserve nature
- encourages the prolonged use of products, rather than the constant manufacturing of new products
Aims to work with materials from two cycles :
- TECHNICAL cycle: keeping finite materials In circulation with reuse/recycle
- BIOLOGICAL cycle: compost natural materials back into the earth
Triple bottom line
- focuses on the 3 P’s: planet, profit, people
- encourages companies to not only focus on profits but to also consider social and environmental impacts - how to improve peoples lives and the wellbeing of the planet.
- encourages companies to be transparent about all of their costs with production; financial, environmental and social
- can improve a companies reputation among workers and consumers
the 6 R’s
- rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle
- helps designers, manufacturers, and consumers to make more sustainable choices about design, use and purchasing of products
-help think about : how to reduce use of resources, and the ways in which products are used.
RETHINK; think about the lifecycle and impact of the
product
REFUSE; refuse products that you don’t need or that
are low quality therefore short lifespan
REDUCE; reduce size, energy consumption, amount
of materials, use of water etc
REUSE; repurpose the product
REPAIR; extending the products life
RECYCLE; into new materials or products
Life cycle analysis
- a recognised way of measuring a products impact on the environment and/or human health over its total life cycle
- compares the impact of two or more similar products over the 5 lifecycle stages to find out which is more sustainable
- a certified LCA is costly and time consuming
THE 5 LIFECYCLE STAGES:
-sourcing and processing of raw materials
-product manufacture
-transport
-product use
-product disposal
cradle to cradle (c2c)
- Aiming to eliminate waste; all waste can be reused or composted
- encourages a circular approach
- planning for the end of life for the product
- emphases upcycling
- biological (biodegradable) and technical (reusable and recyclable) materials
- aims to ensure that all waste created through all stages of manufacturing is useful in some way
design for disassembly (DfD)
-uses the design stage to consider how parts and components of an entire product are joined and how they can be easilt seperated at the end of its life.
- intended to minimise the loss of value at disposal and reduce resources required for new products, which can also reduce production costs
DfD design approach incorperates fast and easy ways to take apart a product for two purposes:
- to enable easy repair and replacement of parts to extend the products life
- to enable the reuse or recycling of materials upon disposal
Product is designed to:
- be broken down at end of life and recycled appropriately
- be repaired or parts replaced with ease
- easy separation of various materials
extended producer responsibility (EPR)
- Producers are responsible for the products end of life; recycle,repurpose, reuse or dispose of appropriately
- aims to reduce landfill, limit water use, energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions
- companies are responsible for managing the environmental impacts of their product at the end of its useful life.
- they are expected to take back the product from consumers when it is no longer useful and put it back into the manufacturing of new products
EPR stratergies for producers:
- designing products for longevity
- avoiding the incorperation of parts that cannot be replaced or that need constant replacement
- aiming for clean manufacturing by: designing products that produce less waste and use fewer resources
- limiting packaging
- using efficient transportation
- offering free take back systems for disposed products
greenwashing
- a negative term, indicating that an organisation is trying to gain ‘green’ or environmental credibility without deserving it
- Pretending a product is ‘sustainable’ but it is not
- Using deceptive packaging, manipulation of data, meaningless
green certifications - Misleading consumers
what is obsolescence?
- when a product becomes obsolete (no longer needed)
REASONS FOR OBSOLESCENCE:
- is no longer useful or usable.
- is out of date
- has broken parts that cannot be replaced
- cannot be used with current technology
- is replaced by another product that is more efficient
planned obsolescence
- inbuilt obsolescence
- it is built into the design, so that the product becomes obsolete within a few months or few years
- driven by cutting costs in construction or material choices, resulting in products of lesser quality with shorts lives
benefits and issues with planned obsolesence:
FOR CONSUMERS
BENEFITS:
- products are cheap/affordable
- products are easily replaced
- consumers feel up to date
ISSUES:
- products don’t last
- products cant be repaird are are difficult to repair
- replacements costs are high
- can become out of date quickly
benefits and issues with planned obsolesence:
FOR PRODUCERS
BENEFITS:
- business can keep evolving
- more products sold
- staff can be upskilled
ISSUES:
- need to invest in re skilling and new technology (costly)
- constant attention to the product development process
benefits and issues with planned obsolesence:
ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND WORLDVIEW ISSUES
BENEFITS:
- increased employment and wealth
-increased level of hygiene through the disposal of products
ISSUES:
- increase in waste - more in landfill
- contributes to pollution
- uses up resources (water, materials)
- requires a lot of energy
functional obsolescence
- what results when manufacturers choose lower quality materials and construction processes knowing that the product will be less durable
- belief that there is no point creating a high quality, long lasting product because technology is constantly evolving
- reason why is cost - quality materials are more expensive to source and use
- a certain level of quality must be mainted for future sales and the companies reputation
