Environmental factors Flashcards
What is sustainability in product design?
Creating products that are environmentally friendly by reducing resource usage, energy consumption, and waste during their lifecycle
What are the 6 R’s in sustainability?
Reduce: Minimize material and energy usage.
Reuse: Use parts or products again without reprocessing.
Recycle: Process used materials to create new products.
Repair: Fix broken products instead of discarding them.
Refuse: Avoid harmful materials or wasteful products.
Rethink: Redesign products to be more efficient and sustainable.
What is the product lifecycle?
The stages a product goes through, from raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal/recycling.
What are the stages of the product lifecycle?
Raw material extraction: Mining or harvesting the materials.
Manufacturing: Processing the raw materials into products.
Use: The product is used by consumers.
End-of-life: Disposal or recycling of the product.
What is the environmental impact of raw material extraction?
Habitat destruction
Water pollution
Depletion of natural resources
Greenhouse gases
What is the environmental impact of manufacturing?
Manufacturing consumes energy and raw materials, generates waste, and produces emissions, all of which contribute to environmental degradation
What are the environmental impacts of product use?
Product use impacts the environment through energy consumption, waste production, and emissions during its use phase
What is the environmental impact of disposal?
Disposal can lead to products ending up in landfills, which can take years to degrade, releasing harmful chemicals into the soil and water
What are the benefits of recycling products?
Recycling reduces waste in landfills, conserves raw materials, saves energy, and reduces pollution from extraction and manufacturing processes.
What is a circular economy?
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products
How can we reduce energy consumption in product use?
We can reduce energy consumption by using energy-efficient designs, renewable energy sources, and by encouraging products that consume less power
What is the importance of designing for recyclability?
Designing products for recyclability ensures that materials can be easily separated and processed after the product’s use, minimizing waste and reducing environmental impact.
What is the environmental impact of packaging?
Packaging often uses non-recyclable materials and contributes to waste in landfills. Reducing packaging or using eco-friendly materials helps minimize the environmental impact.
What is the environmental impact of transport?
Transporting goods contributes to carbon emissions, air pollution, and energy consumption. Reducing the need for transport or using electric/hybrid vehicles helps lower the impact.
How does energy efficiency contribute to sustainability?
Energy efficiency reduces the amount of energy required to perform a task, which decreases overall energy consumption, cuts costs, and reduces the environmental impact.
What is the significance of using renewable materials?
Using renewable materials, such as bamboo or hemp, ensures that resources are replenished naturally and don’t contribute to resource depletion, unlike non-renewable materials.
What is cradle-to-cradle design?
Cradle-to-cradle design is a sustainable design philosophy that creates products that can be fully recycled or repurposed, reducing waste and environmental impact.
How can the 6R’s be applied in product design?
Reduce: Minimize material usage by designing smaller, more efficient products.
Reuse: Use modular designs that allow parts to be reused.
Recycle: Use materials that are easy to recycle at the end of the product’s life.
Repair: Design for easy disassembly and repair.
Refuse: Avoid using hazardous materials or overly complex designs that increase waste.
Rethink: Redesign products to be more sustainable and efficient in use.
