Sustainability Tools

Question 1

What are the 5 steps in the classic life of a product?

Answer 1

1. Resource extraction and refining.
2. Manufacturing.
3. Packaging and distribution.
4. Use.
5. End of life.

Question 2

How can we ensure a sustainable design process?

Answer 2

We need to consider every step of this life cycle.

Question 3

What 5 things can designs affect?

Answer 3

1. The way things are made
2. The materials they are made from.
3. The processes used to shape these materials.
4. The energy required to use a thing.
5. What happens to things when they are no longer required..

Question 4

In 2001 what did 69% of British companies agree?

Answer 4

That designer for sustainability will become more important in the next five years.

Question 5

What % of a product, service or system’s environmental cost is determined at the design stage?

Answer 5

80%.

Question 6

What % of the UK consumers carbon emissions are from products and services they consume?

Answer 6

75%.

Question 7

What does the Ozone layer protect us from?

Answer 7

Harmful UV radiation.

Question 8

What are the pros and cons of polystyrene cups?

Answer 8

Oil derived, can recycled but isn’t in many places.

Question 9

What are the pros and cons of paper cups?

Answer 9

Produce more CO2 in production than polystyrene.

Paper is bleached, heavier to transport and costs more to move.

Question 10

Is wood carbon neutral?

Answer 10

No - you need more petrol to make a paper cup than a plastic cup.

Question 11

How many times would you have to use a paper cup to break even for energy compared to a plastic cup?

Answer 11

31 times.

Question 12

Define LCA.

Answer 12

Life cycle assessment.

Question 13

What is lifecycle assessment?

Answer 13

A technique to assess the environmental impacts of a product’s life from extraction of raw materials through to the end of it’s life.

Question 14

Give an example of a product of globalisation.

Answer 14

Boeing 787 Dreamliner - components made in at least 8 different countries.

Question 15

What are the benefits of Life Cycle Assessment?

Answer 15

It is comprehensive and objective, but can be perceived as specialist and very large and hard to understand.

Question 16

How many more times energy does it take to make a paper bag than a plastic one?

Answer 16

4 x more

Question 17

What are plastic bags made from?

Answer 17

Waste products of oil refining.

Question 18

What do paper bags require?

Answer 18

Forests to be cut down.

Question 19

What are the cons of paper bags?

Answer 19

The manufacturing process of the paper bag produces a higher concentration of toxic chemicals.

Question 20

Give a pro and con for cotton and polyester.

Answer 20

Polyester is derived from non-renewable carbon reserves (coal, petroleum, natural gas).

Cotton is a cup that requires high levels of herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers and irrigation for profitable yields.

Question 21

How can we recycle polyester?

Answer 21

1. Hand me downs.
2. Second hand markets.
3. Mending.
4. Recycling and repurposing clothes.

Question 22

What encourages fast fashion?

Answer 22

Low prices of goods from the far East encourages us to repeat buy and throwaway culture in more affluent societies.

Question 23

What are the 7 components of the LiDs wheel?

Answer 23

1. Innovation.
2. Low impact materials.
3. Optimised manufacturing.
4. Efficient distribution.
5. Low impact use.
6. Optimised lifetime.
7. Optimised end of life.

Question 24

Give 4 new concept developments for eco-friendly design.

Answer 24

1. Dematerialisation.
2. Shared use.
3. Integration of functions.
4. Functional Optimisation of Product (Components).

Question 25

How does Boeing’s 787 dreamliner result in environmental degradation?

Answer 25

Because the components are manufactured in multiple different places, a lot of energy will be used transporting them back and forth. This releases CO2 into the air.

Question 26

Give the 3 main drivers for environmentally friendly design.

Answer 26

1. Economic.
2. Market.
3. Legislative.

Question 27

What are the main issues with existing tools of eco design as maintained by Lofthouse?

Answer 27

“Many existing tools fail as they do not focus on design but instead are aimed at strategic management or retrospective analysis of existing products”.