Product Sustainability

Question 1

What does sustainability mean?

Answer 1

Sustainability means not causing permanent damage to the environment and using up finite resources

Question 2

What determines how sustainable a product is?

Answer 2

1. What materials are used to make it, for example:
   
   • Do they come from non-finite resources or finite
     ones?
   • Are they recyclable or biodegradable or will this
     product permanently take up space in a landfill?
2. The processes used to make the product, for
   example:
   
   • Does the process need a lot of energy?
   • Does it create lots of waste or pollution?
3. The design of the product, for example:
   
   • How long lasting and efficient will the product
     be?

Question 3

What is a carbon footprint?

Answer 3

A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by making, using and eventually reusing, recycling or disposing of something at the end of its lifetime

Question 4

What in terms of a products lifetime increases carbon footprint? (3)

Answer 4

1. Transportation - when a new product is made it is transported, therefore this mileage causes the release of carbon dioxide because generally fossil fuels are burned to provide the energy for this transport
2. Manufacture - gases are released when products are made and in its eventual disposal
3. Usage - carbon dioxide is usually released when a product is used (e.g. when you charge your phone)

Question 5

How can we reduce our carbon footprint?

Answer 5

1. Make/use products that can be or have been recycled or that will break down when sent to landfill
2. Don’t make products with several different components because it’s difficult to separate them before you can recycle them (‘design for disassembly’ helps with this problem so products can be taken apart at the end of their lifetime)

Question 6

What does obsolete mean?

Answer 6

Useless

Question 7

Give an example of planned obsolescence

Answer 7

A disposable razor becomes blunt after a few uses and its blade can’t be sharpened or changed. This is done so that people will go back and buy another one

Question 8

How is built-in obsolescence bad for the environment?

Answer 8

More materials and energy are used to make replacement products and more products get sent to landfill

Question 9

What is designed for maintenance?

Answer 9

Products are designed to last and have less of an impact on the environment. This involves making the product durable and designing it so that it can be maintained and repaired or replaced

Question 10

Give an example of a product that has been designed for maintenance

Answer 10

Washing machines can be maintained (e.g. cleaning filters) and they can be repaired by training technicians when they break, e.g. by installing a new part rather than having to replace the whole thing