1. Real sustainable solution is where designs approach the
whole system of the product, and address the (full) life cycle of the product.
The whole system and lifecycle, encompasses the beginning process of extracting
raw material, using of these materials and manufacturing the good, distribution
by transport, retail and purchase, usage of the product by the consumer,
disposal and product reaching end of life.
2. Sustainable designs should begin with identifying the big
issue with the biggest impact on the environment within that whole system and
lifecycle. Probably need of extensive research to identify this problem, may
require finding through other professionals, scientists, engineers, marketers,
and consumers.
3. Tackling the largest impacting issue in the system with
strategies, and addressing the entire lifecycle with improvements. So by doing that,
the solution can be labelled as innovation design. Designers repeating the
process of improvement using the two principles of the whole systems and the lifecycle
thinking, can result in innovative solution, to help the world.
Conclusion
Many designers look to improve with a solution of reducing
material and cost for sustainable design, or, creating higher performance
improvement for better efficiency. But
these solutions may just be minimal improvement and does not actually address
the problem at hand. The video does bring to light and ring the bells for what
is the most likely better way of designing a sustainable solution, and it’s to
look at the whole system:- the extraction, manufacturing, distribution,
consumption, disposing, recycling, and the entire lifecycle of the product.
Because each level of the product lifecycle have impact on the environment,
e.g. land deterioration in extraction, carbon emission in manufacturing, air
pollution in distribution, litter in consumption and disposal, water and high
energy use in recycling. Viewing this video, I feel I have finally understood
what is a truly sustainable and innovative design meant. As a design student I
think the lesson from the video is noteworthy – it’s the whole system and the
lifecycle that requires the effort of designs. Not the product itself.
(2) Video: Autodesk:
Improving product lifetime
1. Better design is recyclable materials, disassemble,
durable and longer lifespan, good end of life –e.g. biodegradable effortlessly
and harmlessly, or turn product to be re-useable at after-life.
2. Repair and upgradeable are recommended. Keywords: “Extending
useful life”. Designers and companies to adopt take-back-programs.
3. The concept of sustainable reduces the use of virgin
materials and reduce waste at landfills, via recycling, reusing, and repair;-
and the hope to stop extracting resources and zero contents to the landfill.
Conclusion
The video is a great learning about the scarcity of our
earth and it serves a well reminder to designers, manufacturers, business and
consumers. The design process and considerations have become increasingly
relevant, as today’s society is very conscious of our own actions and
inactions, on what we are doing to our resources and the environment. It is a
nice thing to think if a concept can be achieved when a product can be
manufactured beautifully again, without the need of anymore resources and there
could be no more landfills.
(3)Video: Autodesk:
Lightweighting
1. Lightweight can be relevant for sustainability and
innovation. Due to use of less material in manufacturing, and obviously this
would be good for sustaining resources, less negative impact from production to
disposal, and lower costs.
2. There are strategies to reduce material usage, the maximising
the strength of the material/product, such creating ribs in plastics, trusses
and hollow parts in steel, and other more solutions to improve the geometry of
the product.
3. Lightweight principle should not be used if it becomes
liable to users, and/or prove harmful.
Conclusion
Certainly making lightweight solution for a product is
beneficial to also transportation of these goods, and will benefit consumers,
especially to users who have disability conditions, e.g. arthritis and
muscle/nerve tremors. It may be beneficial to consumers because of lower
purchase cost, increase portability for handheld products and improve
performance and efficiency for heavy duty and capital goods. Lightweight is a
definite good sustainable strategy and should be noted by designers.
(4)Video: Autodesk:
Green materials selection
1. Consider all materials and select the most greener one.
The greener material will usually be the most abundant –e.g. bamboo, and requires
less energy to manufacture.
2. Every material put to production, will have embodied
energy and it is ideal to select material that have lower embodied energy,
which mean less use of water, electrical power and other resources.
3. Sustainable design means also to consider the origin of
the material and its ecological impact; - it is encouraged to get materials
from certified suppliers, because they have the best program for sustainable
resources and they conform to regulations.
Conclusion
It is always best to find an alternate material that could
provide the wanted performance, and also become the better sustainable outcome
for the manufactured goods. Greener materials, such as bamboo, corn-starch,
natural rubber, and even the recycled aluminium is very efficient, as the
embodied energy of a recycled aluminium is 90% less than production of virgin
Aluminium metal. So using recycled materials should always be an option for all
designers.
(5)Video: Autodesk:
Energy efficient design
1. Understanding the use of energy, the origin and the loss.
Sustainable designs to use energy efficiently, to reduce the loss of energy,
e.g. with friction – use smooth material, wheels, lubricant.
2. Loss of energy in heat, friction and fluid flow
(drag)(resistance). Sustainable designs can require the knowledge of physics
and mechanics.
3. Sustainable design using efficient energy, saves – time,
cost, material, and the product will reap higher performance.
Conclusion
Many commercial products in the market and the energy use to
produce them are probably not well considered by designers and businesses. The
ones that could be thought to have design consideration for energy saving are
television, refrigerators, microwave, washing machine, toilet, some automotive
vehicles. So only a few products manufactured adopt energy saving programs. It
seems very complex to understand the principles of energy, even for a student
like me. It seems good understanding or physics, research and maybe
collaboration with engineers are important when designing products for complex
goods, such as household appliances. Though one example, where incineration of
rubbish wastes in plants can produce energy which in turn converts to
electricity to provide power to mechanics, however it is not a sustainable
process. Perhaps in the future energy that are lost, e.g heat, friction and
fluid flow, those energy could be redirected to be use to make energy, and
today concepts are being generated to see to these.
(6)Video: Greenfly
1. Transport and distribution is a large player in negative
impact. And will demand high usage of energy if there is long distance of
travel.
2. Water usage in production is high compared transport and
use of the product.
3. High wastes results from manufacturing and transport.
Recycling can reduce solid waste.
Conclusion
Using the analysis of Greenfly on my Project One Accessible
packaging design, of a Honey container, the data has taught me that there is a
need of solution for the high energy use by transport. And I don’t think there
are any solutions out there to address about transport directly. There is a
large waste from transport and manufacturing. If to make a more sustainable
design for my project I will not focus on transport mode, and manufacturing material
and process, and come with a more efficient way, to reduce energy, solid waste,
and water usage.
1 comment:
It's good to see you've done the videos this early. I'm sure they will help your understanding of lifecycle impacts.
Post a Comment