NOTES

• sustainable design:

  • Sustainable design aims to reduce any negative impact on the environment, people and the planet
  • this can be applied across all fields of design such as architecture, product and even systems design
• responsibility:

  • Consumers, manufacturers and designers have a responsibility to buy and create designs that are as sustainable as possible
• six Rs:

  • The six Rs are a set of strategies used to help make more sustainable decisions as a consumer and as a designer:
  • Refuse
  • Rethink
  • Reduce
  • Reuse
  • Repair
  • Recycle
• recycling:

  • primary recycling is reusing without modification e.g. reusing a shopping bag
  • secondary recycling is modifying a product for a different purpose e.g. making a bird feeder from a plastic bottle
  • tertiary recycling is reprocessing material from a product e.g. pulping paper and card to make new materials
  • primary and secondary recycling involve re-use
• miniaturisation:

  • Modern materials and composites are often lighter and stronger than traditional materials so less material is needed
  • Micro and nano technology means that electronic products are getting smaller and can be housed much more efficiently
• upcycling:

  • These products are revamped to celebrate past fashions, industrial aesthetics and retro styling
  • Upcycled products are diverted from landfill and reduce the demand for new products
• planned obsolescence:

  • Some designers and manufacturers make products that are only built to last a short amount of time
• WEEE directive:

  • Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK
  • The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) sets targets for the recycling of electrical items in the UK
• role of consumers:

  • As consumers, we have little control over the design and manufacturing decisions made in industry
• design decisions:

  • To develop an idea into a final outcome, choices or design decisions need to be made
• case study - Nike:

  • The Nike Better World ethos aims to create products with lower environmental impact
  • Nike jerseys are made from recycled polyester which reduces environmental  impact and diverts waste from landfill
  • Nike Grind manufactures new products from old shoes and waste materials Nike Flyknit trainers have knitted uppers which reduces waste during manufacture
• hierarchy of sustainability:

  A) best

  B) worst