Among the many ways that sustainability has been defined, the simplest and most fundamental is: "the ability to sustain" or, put another way, "the capacity to endure."
Today, it is by no means certain our society has the capacity to endure – at least in such a way that the nine billion people expected on Earth by 2050 will all be able to achieve a basic quality of life. The planet's ecosystems are deteriorating and the climate is changing. We are consuming so much, and so quickly, that we are already living far beyond the earth's capacity to support us. And yet nearly a sixth of our fellow humans go to bed hungry each day: both an unnecessary tragedy and a source of social and political unrest. Meanwhile, our globalized world is more interconnected and volatile than ever, making us all more vulnerable.
While sustainability is about the future of our society, for today's industries and businesses, it is also about commercial success. The mandate to transform businesses to respect environmental limits while fulfilling social wants and needs has become an unparalleled platform for innovation on strategy, design, manufacturing and brand, offering massive opportunities to compete and to adapt to a rapidly evolving world.
The change we needTo endure, we as a society must transform our markets – both how we produce and consume, and the very ways in which we define and measure value and progress.
This is a big challenge, and not just for business and economics. It is a call for massive social, political, technological, cultural and behavioral transition. We will need governments to set incentives, targets and rules for a level playing field, civil society actors to hold us to account and to experiment with new ways of delivering social impact, and each of us to take actions in our own lives to reward sustainable business models and to eat, work, travel and play more sustainably.
Life Cycle Analysis
Life cycle analysis (LCA) gives an overview of the energy and raw materials use of a product from cradle to grave. It considers also how much solid, liquid and gaseous waste and emissions are generated in each stage of the product’s life. (GDRC 2009)
The scope definition is very crucial in LCA. It defines what is included in the analysis. For example are transports or mining of the raw materials included, does the analysis concentrate on a specific life cycle phase, or is the whole life cycle is considered. The energy resources used in the operation phase is very important to be defined. Usually, the energy use in operation phase causes the largest environmental impacts of the whole life cycle, especially when it comes to energy-using products, such as lighting equipment.
The LCA is a useful tool in environmentally conscious product design. The results of the LCA can be used to compare products or technologies, and the results indicate on what to concentrate in ecodesign. The results of an LCA are often given as environmental impact categories or as the so called single scale indices. Environmental impact categories are for example primary energy, toxicological impacts, global warming potential and acidification potential. These allow the comparison from the point of view of a single type of environmental impact.
The LCA is a useful tool in environmentally conscious product design. The results of the LCA can be used to compare products or technologies, and the results indicate on what to concentrate in ecodesign. The results of an LCA are often given as environmental impact categories or as the so called single scale indices. Environmental impact categories are for example primary energy, toxicological impacts, global warming potential and acidification potential. These allow the comparison from the point of view of a single type of environmental impact.
Life Cycle Inventory
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) analysis involves creating an inventory of flows from and to nature for a product system. Inventory flows include inputs of water, energy, and raw materials, and releases to air, land, and water.
To develop the inventory, a flow model of the technical system is constructed using data on inputs and outputs. The flow model is typically illustrated with a flow chart that includes the activities that are going to be assessed in the relevant supply chain and gives a clear picture of the technical system boundaries. The input and output data needed for the construction of the model are collected for all activities within the system boundary, including from the supply chain (referred to as inputs from the technosphere).
The data must be related to the functional unit defined in the goal and scope definition. Data can be presented in tables and some interpretations can be made already at this stage. The results of the inventory is an LCI which provides information about all inputs and outputs in the form of elementary flow to and from the environment from all the unit processes involved in the study.
These include
To develop the inventory, a flow model of the technical system is constructed using data on inputs and outputs. The flow model is typically illustrated with a flow chart that includes the activities that are going to be assessed in the relevant supply chain and gives a clear picture of the technical system boundaries. The input and output data needed for the construction of the model are collected for all activities within the system boundary, including from the supply chain (referred to as inputs from the technosphere).
The data must be related to the functional unit defined in the goal and scope definition. Data can be presented in tables and some interpretations can be made already at this stage. The results of the inventory is an LCI which provides information about all inputs and outputs in the form of elementary flow to and from the environment from all the unit processes involved in the study.
These include
- Environmental inputs and outputs of raw materials and energy resources
- Economic inputs and outputs of products, components or energy that are outputs from other processes
Cleaner Design and Technology
Sustainable product design requires the consideration and reduction of the environmental impact throughout its life cycle: the following need to be considered at each stage of the production life cycle
It is also now just as important to design for RECYCLING
It is easy to say that designers can specify materials and processes but what about how things are made?What do we mean by this?
There are 6 main aspects that designers need to consider so that they can help end users with recycling?
- Raw Material Used
- Waste Production
- Energy Consumption
- Emissions
It is also now just as important to design for RECYCLING
It is easy to say that designers can specify materials and processes but what about how things are made?What do we mean by this?
There are 6 main aspects that designers need to consider so that they can help end users with recycling?
- Easy to Dismantle
Easy to Separate different materials for recycling
Easy to remove components that must be treated separatetly for repair
USe as few different materials as possible
Mark the materials/Polymers to enable sorting
Avoid surface treatments to keep materials clean
The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products
by Edwin Datschefski
Sets out 5 factors that make up product sustainability
1. - Cyclic - Products that are made from biodegradeable organic materials that can be continually recycled will reduce waste, polluction and save natural resources eg biopol or recycled paper
2. - Solar - Products that in manufacture and in use consume only renewable energy which is cyclic and safe
3. - Safe - All releases to the environment are 'safe'... No toxins, pollutants, chemicals are released in to atmosphere, water courses, land
4. - Efficient - Using much less power and materials in manufacture and in use
5. - Social - Products whose manufacture and use supports basic human rights
Consider the following:-
How can you apply 'cleaner' principles to design in the following stages?
Design, Raw Materials, Manufacture, Distribution, Use
Design
For reducing environmental impact
For recycling
Raw Materials
Reduction or Recyclable
Reduce environmental Impact
Manufacture
Minimising waste and enaergy use
Simplifying Processes
Efficient use of natural resources
Distribution
Reduce or Lighten Packaging
Reduce Mileage of Transport to the customer
Alternatives tom fossil fuels
Use
Repair Vs Replacement
Minimising Waste Production
What do we mean by Reduce, Reuse, Recover, Recycle?