Responsible Design Flashcards
Carbon footprint
The total amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual, a community or an organisation
Sustainable development
In 1987 this concept was introduced by the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission)
Development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Has three strands:
Economic
Social
Environmental
Primary carbon footprint
Measures direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels, including transport and domestic energy consumption
Secondary carbon footprint
The secondary footprint is the sum of indirect emissions associated with the manufacture and breakdown of all products, services and food an individual or business consumes.
Environmental considerations of designers
Designers have the responsibility to design products that have minimal environmental impact they must consider:
How to conserve materials and energy
How to make products that are as sustainable and as environmentally friendly as possible
Primary and secondary carbon footprint
Product miles
Sustainable development - economic
Materials choice - cost of materials especially when they are finite
Processing implications - energy cost and costs of dealing with potential pollution.
Manufacturing - cost of ensuring good working conditions
Sustainable development - Social
Processing implications - such as pollution and the impact on people’s health
Manufacturing - such as working conditions
Sustainable development - environmental
Material choice - such as the use of finite resources, how the material is obtained and end of product life recycling
Processing and manufacture - energy use and pollution
Reducing the environmental impact of packaging
Making the packaging lightweight - reduced the material
Using recycled content
Making the packaging recyclable or reusable
Use of refills and concentrates
Using minimal packaging material
Charging for items such as supermarket carrier bags
Advantages of renewable energy
Sustainable - won’t run out
Renewable energy facilities generally require less maintenance than traditional generators
Fuel derived from natural resources reduces operational costs
Little or no environmental pollutants produced
Social and economic benefits - projects can bring benefits through employment and use of local services to an area
Disadvantages of renewable energy
An be difficult to generate the large quantities of energy produced by traditional fossil fuel generators
Often reliant on weather - potentially unreliable or inconsistent energy production
Cannot be stored in larger quantities for later use due to the impracticalities of having power plant back-ups
Currently more expensive than fossil fuel or nuclear
Circular economy
An approach that anticipates and designs for biological and technical nutrients to be continuously reused at the same quality, dramatically reducing the dependency on sourcing new materials
Cradle-to-cradle approach in a product life cycle rather than a traditional cradle-to-grave
Biological nutrients
Organic, non-toxic materials that can be composted and safely re-enter ecosystems without harming the natural environment
E.g. Products made from wood that can naturally degrade to provide compost or nutrients to the ground
Technical nutrients
Man-made materials designed to be used repeatedly at the same initial high quality with minimal energy and adverse environmental effects
E.g. Polymers and alloys
A circular economy will …..
Work against the unsustainable ‘take, make, dispose’ culture
Promote and drive greater resource productivity
Reduce the use of finite resources
Reduce waste
Avoid pollution
Deliver a more competitive UK economy
Help reduce the environmental impact of our product manufacture and consumption in
