Topic 8

Question 1

sustainable innovation

Answer 1

• Sustainable innovation facilitates the diffusion of sustainable products and solutions into the marketplace.

Question 2

what must designers balance to design sustainable products

Answer 2

aesthetic, cost, social, cultural, energy, material, health, and usability considerations.

Question 3

Triple bottle line sustainability

Answer 3

= Allowing economic activity to rise while reducing resource use and reducing environmental impact
- environmental, economic, and social benefits
- Pattern → economic prosperity increase = decrease in environmental quality

Question 4

decoupling

Answer 4

= disconnecting economic growth and environmental impact so that one no longer depends on the other
- Using resources more productively and redesigning production systems

Question 5

Kyoto protocol

Answer 5

The use of international and national laws to promote sustainable development
- An intentional treaty forcing industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – treaty agreed on 1997 and came into force in 2005

Question 6

Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero (1992)

Answer 6

Initiated by the UN → international and national laws to promote sustainable development + stop the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution

Question 7

International and national laws

Answer 7

Encourage companies to focus on aspects other than shareholder value and financial performance → transparency of corporate sustainability and transparent sustainability assurance

Question 8

Sustainability reporting

Answer 8

• 4 aspects of performance: economic, environmental, social, governance
• Reliability of report requires accurate data gathering over a long period of time

Question 9

sustainability reporting: benefits for manufacturers

Answer 9

• Builds trust - transparency about environmental impact can reduce reputational risks, and demonstrate leadership, openness, and accountability
• Many growing companies see sustainability reporting as means to drive greater innovation through their businesses and products to create competitive advantage → better reputation improves customer brand loyalty

Question 10

sustainability reporting: benefits for customers

Answer 10

Benefits for consumers: they want to know whether a company is performing in a globally responsible way from an env. perspective

Question 11

Product stewardship

Answer 11

= an env. management strat that means whoever designs, produces, sells, or uses a product takes full responsibility for minimizing the product’s env. impacts throughout all stages of product life cycle
- Requires all stakeholders involved in making, buying, selling, or handling equipment to take responsibility for minimizing env., health, and safety impact
- E.g. organic foods, bioplastics, and forest stewardship

Question 12

Product stewardship: manufacturers

Answer 12

• usually have the greatest ability so greatest responsibility → e.g. reducing use of toxic substances, designing for reuse and recycling, and creating take-back programs.
  Essentials to creating competitive advantage = maximum resource productivity and demonstrated corporate citizenship

Question 13

Product stewardship: retailers

Answer 13

• sector with th closest tie to consumers → have th ability to prefer product providers who offer greater env. performance to educating consumers on how to choose environmentally friendly products, enabling consumers return of products for recycling

Question 14

Product stewardship: consumers

Answer 14

The responsibility of using and disposing of products responsibly → without consumer engagement there is no “closing the loop” so they must take responsibility for buying choices, use, and efficiency of products.

Question 15

Eco-warriors

Answer 15

Actively demonstrate on environmental issues – protest anything damaging the env. (e.g. animal cruelty and pollution)
- Greenpeace = an env. organization that actively supports the protests and usually organize or join them (e.g. members chaining themselves to tress and throwing red paint on fur coats)

Question 16

Eco-champions

Answer 16

Battle env. issues within organizations → a team of counselors from all parties to listen to ideas and work together to tackle the probs
- Group usually looks into what we consume, what energy we produce and use up, how we get around, and how we can reduce and dispose of our waste

Question 17

Eco-fans (adopts)

Answer 17

Enthusiastically adopt environmentally friendly practices as consumers → someone who accepts all new tech advancements for green design on market
- Will but almost anything environmentally friendly & never buy a harmful product

Question 18

Eco-phobes (resents)

Answer 18

Resent talking about environmental protection → people who are against helping the env. And purposefully go against ecological movements
Believe ecological problems are irrelevant
- E.g. George Bush who refused to sign the Kyoto agreement

Question 19

Eco-labeling

Answer 19

A legal organization grants an eco-label to a product → label means that the product is very environmentally friendly
- Enable the customer to compare products and make informed decisions

Question 20

Eco-labeling: Advantages

Answer 20

Advantages of eco-labeling
- For consumers: the labels are easy to use and trustworthy
- For manufacturers: offers a competitive advantage → if it looks eco-friendly and doesn’t cost much more it’s more likely to be bought
- Labels encourage the raising of environmental performance → if all eco-friendly products sell well there will be more companies switching

Question 21

Eco-labeling: Disadvantages

Answer 21

Disadvantages of eco-labeling
- Manufacturers might be tempted to make exaggerated or misleading claims (making them look better than they are) so instead of raising standards it systematically undermines all eco-friendly products

Question 22

Energy labelling schemes

Answer 22

• European Union: if a company manufactures or sells household electrical equipment it must have the energy efficiency rating label
• Australia: “The Good Environmental Choice Label” is the only environmental labeling program → it indicates the environmental performance of a product during its life cycle

Question 23

Creating a market for sustainable products

Answer 23

• Largest opportunities to capture shoppers interested in green products; Building awareness, educating consumers, easier to find and recognize green products, enhancing in-store communication, and inspiring shoppers at store shelf
• Create a market for sustainable products
• Pricing considerations, stimulating demand for green products, and production of green products

Question 24

Pricing considerations

Answer 24

Green products are usually more expensive but can be decreased as more companies start using triple-bottom-line sustainability

Question 25

Stimulating demand for green products

Answer 25

• Businesses can use academics, pressure groups, and the media to highlight current environmental crisis → raises awareness to reduce overall consumption of environmentally damaging products
• Engage in open dialogue with public, consumers, and gov - how society vies consumption
• Encourage consumers to think about how lifestyle choices impact the env., recognize sustainability implications of consumption, and reduce reliance on products
• Pay attention to market niches and demand to decide which green products to promote
• Market green products as a way to build a responsible identity and lifestyle
• Consumers buy products as a way to fulfill needs so marketing them as “save the planet” encourages consumers to fulfill their needs

Question 26

Production of green products

Answer 26

Green plastic product = recyclable
Sustainable products use bio-plastic made from plants or mushrooms and is made locally in factories that use solar power instead of plastic made from nonrenewable resources

Question 27

Pressure groups

Answer 27

• Direct action: physically attempting to hinder an activity that is seen as wrong or draw attention to environmentally damaging activity through spectacular public actions
• Indirect action: promotion of issues through education, debate, and calculated lobbying → indirect action is usually behind direct action

Question 28

Lifestyle and ethical consumerism

Answer 28

Consumers becoming more conscious and informed of environmental factors doesn’t mean they will purchase sustainable alternatives due to;
- A preferred brand due to recognition/reputation
- Availability of products
- Price of product compared to green products
- Habit & trust
- Consumer lifestyle
- Company reputation

Ethical consumerism = buying products that were ethically produced and/or are not harmful to the environment and society.
- E.g. organic produce, energy-efficient light bulbs, electricity from renewable energy, recycled paper

Question 29

Take back legislation

Answer 29

Puts the force on manufacturers to deal with the product or waste at the end of its lifecycle → can mean providing opportunities for recycle, providing info about disposal, or directly dealing w the products

Question 30

Implications of tak-back legislation

Answer 30

Manufacturers and designers
- Companies get interested in disassembly and recyclability when they have to be the ones to do it
- Have to make design changes to reduce waste (improving recyclability and reusability), reducing material using, and downsizing products
- Have to think carefully about choice of materials, cost, and parts

Customers
- If cost of recycling is included in its price customer makes a more informed decision
- Some European country laws = store must accept packaging of new bought item → reduction in product packaging and customer saves money

Question 31

Green vs sustainable design

Answer 31

• G: products have little or no effect on env. – S: deals with TBL sustainability, economic, environmental, and social
• G: cradle to the grave approach – S: cradle to cradle approach
• G: shorter so easier and cheaper to address env. Issues in products – S: longer timescale so can affect R&D stage so increase in cost
• G: incremental idea-generating techniques used bc only small changed need to be made – S: idea generating techniques are more radical (have to rethink product nature and how it works)

Question 32

Datschefski’s 5 principles of sustainable design

Answer 32

• Cyclic: product made from organic materials and is recyclable or compostable or made from minerals that go in closed looped cycles – there should be 0 waste, the waste is food from something else
  E.g. metals can be recycled continuously OR biodegradable materials can be composted to provide nutrients to soil
• Solar: product uses solar energy or renewable energy that are cyclic or safe during use and manufacture – wave and wind power are also products of sun’s energy
  E.g. sun makes plants grow, plants are eaten, thus energy comes from sun → biomass can also be burned to generate heat energy
• Safe: product is non-toxic in use and disposal & the manufacture doesn’t release toxic gas or disrupt the env.
  The whole life cycle needs to be considered → the raw materials, extraction, manufacturing, transport, (mis)use, etc.
• Efficient: product efficiency in manufacture and use is improved by; 90% less material, energy, and water – can an equal or better product be made with less? Is the product economic or will it cause problems in the future (money)
• Social: product, its components, and raw materials are manufactured under fair and just operating conditions for the workers (human rights and natural justice)

Question 33

Complexity and timescale of sustainable innovation

Answer 33

Relies on cooperation between different stakeholders e.g. government and manufacturing
The huge timescale → sustainable innovations need radical change which is time-consuming and expensive

Question 34

Sustainable top-down strategies

Answer 34

The breaking down of a system into component parts → leadership level will determine goal and how each department contributes
- Designers prefer top-down strats for sustainability bc it means investments and resources are more reliable
- Top-down is controlled by government e.g. ban plastic bags in shops
- Provides targets and measures for sustainability

Question 35

Sustainable bottom-up strategies

Answer 35

• Piercing together of components to have a more complex system or product
• Leadership level determines overall goals but workforce will assist in developing the mechanism nd ideas to meet that goal
• Strategies implemented from the bottom - city or town
• Bottom up strats not cost effective so designers who choose it are rlly enthusiastic
• Problem for designers: the changing political scene and associated policies e.g. within the domain of renewable energy

Question 36

Government intervention in innovation

Answer 36

• Regulation: rules to avoid or limit environmental issues caused by undesirable technologies
• Education: providing customers w info and guidance in choosing products that are more sustainable
• Taxes: to penalize environmentally damaging technologies and influence consumer choice of sustainabl products
• Subsidies: to stimulate and support sustainable innovations

Question 37

Macro and micro energy

Answer 37

Macro energy:
- Influenced through international treaties and energy policies, instruments for chang and disincentives, and policy change when gov changes
- Macro sustainability = a large systematic addressing of sustainability

Micro energy
- Influenced by the gov raising awareness and changing attitudes, promotion of individual and business action towards energy sustainability

Question 38

Energy securing (energy demand)

Answer 38

Responsibility on those that generate and manage the flow of energy to understand when peaks and drops in energy use happen → to create an efficient energy supply

Question 39

Smart grids

Answer 39

An electricity supply network that uses digital communications technology to detect and react to local changes in usage → used to improve efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity
- International grids allow energy to be generated in one country and transported to another

Question 40

Advantages and disadvantages of smart grids

Answer 40

Advantages:
- Integration of Renewable Energy
- Energy efficient
- Customers can check uses and modify

Disadvantages:
- High initial cost
- Failures and blackouts
- Privacy concerns about usage viewing