Week 8 SI Flashcards
What is “Design for Recovery” in sustainable design?
Design for Recovery aims to create products that can be easily disassembled, recycled, or repurposed at the end of their life, reducing waste.
Explain “Design for Disassembly” and its benefits.
Design for Disassembly involves creating products that can be taken apart easily, allowing materials and components to be reused or recycled effectively.
Why is “material purity” important in Design for Recovery?
High material purity (minimal mixing of materials) simplifies recycling and ensures that recovered materials retain their quality.
Describe the concept of a “product take-back program.”
Product take-back programs allow consumers to return used products to the manufacturer for recycling or repurposing, supporting a circular economy.
What is the role of modular design in Design for Recovery?
Modular design allows parts to be easily replaced, repaired, or upgraded, extending product life and facilitating easier recycling.
How does extended producer responsibility (EPR) support Design for Recovery?
EPR holds manufacturers accountable for the end-of-life disposal of their products, encouraging designs that are easier to recover and recycle.
What is “remanufacturing,” and how does it differ from recycling?
Remanufacturing restores used products or components to like-new condition, preserving more of the original material and energy than recycling.
Why is labeling materials important for product recovery?
Labels provide information about the materials used, facilitating proper sorting and recycling, which improves recovery rates and quality.
Define “closed-loop recycling” in the context of product recovery.
Closed-loop recycling involves continuously reusing materials in the same or similar products, reducing the need for virgin resources.
Explain “downcycling” and why it’s less sustainable than upcycling.
Downcycling reduces material quality with each cycle, limiting future use, while upcycling maintains or improves material value for prolonged reuse.
What are some common barriers to Design for Recovery?
Barriers include complex product assembly, mixed materials that are hard to separate, lack of recycling infrastructure, and additional design costs.
Describe an example of a product designed for recovery.
Some smartphones are designed with removable batteries and modular parts, making them easier to repair, upgrade, and recycle at the end of life.
What is “cradle-to-cradle” certification, and how does it relate to Design for Recovery?
Cradle-to-cradle certification assesses a product’s potential for safe, continuous cycles of reuse and recovery, aligning with the principles of Design for Recovery.
How does designing for material reduction support sustainability?
By reducing material use, products require fewer resources to produce and generate less waste, simplifying recovery processes.
