1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is sustainability?
What 2 reasons would there be for our
lifestyle not to be sustainable?
Name the 5 stages in a product’s lifecycle
Name 3 non-renewable energy sources
Name 3 renewable materials
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is sustainability?
What 2 reasons would there be for our
lifestyle not to be sustainable?
Name 2 Greenhouse gases
What is global warming?
Name 3 negative effects of global warning
Sustainability
Meeting the needs of the present,
without losing the ability to meet
needs in the future.
Sustainability Intro
Why would our lifestyle not be
sustainable?
1.We run out of something
2.We all die
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name 2 Greenhouse gases
What is global warming?
Name 3 negative effects of global warning
Name the 5 stages of a product’s lifecycle
Why are these stages important when
considering sustainability?
Name the 6R’s
Which of the 5 stages are removed by
recycling a product?
Describe the 3 types of recycling
Explain 3 problems with recycling
Product
Lifecycle
EXTRACTION OF RAW MATERIALS
PRODUCT MANUFACTURE
DISTRIBUTION
PRODUCT USE
DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable
What do these words mean when we
are talking about Sustainability?
Non-Renewable
• When you use it, it has gone forever
• Energy
– Fossil fuels (Coal & Oil)
– Nuclear
• Materials;
– Metals
– Plastics
These things are
unsustainable
Renewable
• When you use it, it will come back again within…
50 years
Renewable
• Energy
– Wind
– Solar
– Wave
• Materials;
– Wood (Sometimes)
– Leather
– Cotton and Natural fibres
– Cork
– Rubber
– Bamboo
These things are
sustainable
What is a Carbon Footprint?
• “The amount of greenhouse
gases and specifically carbon
dioxide emitted by something
(as a person's activities or a
product's manufacture and
transport) during a given
period”
Why are greenhouse gases bad?
They create a layer in the atmosphere that traps the Sun’s rays,
these heat up the Earth and can cause very harmful effects;
- Rise in sea level so land shrinks
- Plants die and land becomes desert
- Animals have nothing to eat and die
- Weather becomes more extreme – tsunamis, hurricanes
droughts etc.
What makes Carbon Dioxide?
BURNING
STUFF!!
Why do we burn stuff?
1. To make heat
In Industry – Extracting natural resources
(metal), making synthetic materials (plastics)
At Home – Cooking food and
heating rooms and offices
Why do we burn stuff?
2. To make electricity
Why do we burn stuff?
3. To make movement
In Industry – Moving products around the
globe (planes, trains, lorries, boats etc.)
At Home – Moving people around
(cars, motorbikes, buses, trains etc.)
Why do we burn stuff?
4. To get rid of it
Incineration is a main way of disposing of waste
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Where does CO come from?
What negative effects could there be
because of global warming?
List 5 negatives/problems with wind
turbines
Name the 6R’s
Which of the product lifecycle stages are
removed due to recycling?
Explain 3 problems with recycling.
Describe the 3 different types of recycling
2
So what can we do?
• As Designers we need to think about how to
reduce the carbon footprint of products and
people.
“How can we reduce our
Carbon Footprint?”
The 6R’s
• Recycle
• Reuse
• Reduce
• Refuse
• Rethink
• Repair
Recycle
• Take an existing product that has become
waste and reprocess the material so it can be
re-used in a new product.
• Recycling Freerunning ad
RECYCLE = REUSE A PRODUCT
The 3 types of Recycling
1. Primary
– Giving/selling something
you don’t use anymore
to someone else to use
The 3 types of Recycling
2. Secondary or Physical recycling
–
Taking waste and physically reprocessing it to form new
material that can be used to make stuff
3. Tertiary or Chemical Recycling
– Taking waste and chemically reprocessing it to form new
material that can be used to make stuff
• You need to know the main materials that can be recycled
by reprocessing
–
–
–
–
Plastic
Metal
Cardboard/Paper
Glass
Recycling materials
Recycling Advert
Recycling Logos
This is called the Mobius loop and means;
‘this product is capable of being recycled’
Recycling Logos
These logos are put on different types of
plastic
Recycling Logos
Glass = Put in bottle bank
Recyclable Aluminium
Recyclable Steel
Product made from Recycled Materials:
The Jimi Wallet
Product made from Recycled Materials:
The Pet Pod
Disassembly
•
•
It’s very difficult to recycle a product if you can’t get the
materials or components it’s made from apart
To help the recycling process, designers should make it easier
for products to be disassembled by making components easier
to take apart and made from single materials
Recycling Conclusion
•
Positives;
–
–
•
Negatives;
–
–
–
•
Prevents carbon dioxide emitted in Extraction stage
Prevents carbon dioxide emitted in Disposal stage
Carbon dioxide (NEVER JUST PUT ‘CARBON’ – this would be
wrong!) is still emitted in reprocessing from waste to new
material
Recycled material is often lower quality than virgin material
Recycling can be difficult unless products are easy to
disassemble into separate materials
If this happened every time someone recycled, the
world would be a more sustainable place! 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name 3 renewable materials
Name the 5 stages in a product’s lifecycle
Why are these stages important when considering
sustainability?
Explain the 2 types of ‘reduce’
What is built-in obsolescence?
What types of products are usually repaired?
What should we refuse?
Why is ‘re-think’ the most confusing of the 6R’s?
Why does Mr Pearce think ‘re-use’ is the best of the
6R’s?
Reduce
Minimise the amount of material and energy you use.
7% less
material
97% less
material!
Reduce
Reduce the amount of waste produced.
Low quality materials and joints
= breaks quickly
High quality materials and joints
= Lasts longer
Reduce Built-in obsolescence
• Designing products so they fail or become redundant
after a certain amount of time
Non-replaceable
battery lasts 2 years
A car’s engine lasts about 100 000 miles
(8 years before it needs new parts)
Repair
• When a product breaks
down or doesn’t work
properly, try to fix it.
What types of products are not usually repaired?
If your cheap electrical goods break
then it is more expensive and more
hassle to get them repaired than to
buy a new one
What types of products are usually repaired?
Expensive items are usually repaired
Refuse
• Don’t use a material or buy a product if you
think you don’t need it or if it’s unsustainable.
Also, the exam says
that designers should
Refuse to use
materials, energy
source, materials
processing which are
not environmentally
friendly. Or refuse to
design a product which
will not be
environmentally
friendly in use or when
disposed of after use
Refuse
• Don’t buy things that you don’t need!
• Say "NO" to bottled water
Materials we should refuse to use
• The product may be made unnecessarily from manmade rather than natural materials
• Toxic chemicals may be used in the product
• Has the manufacturing process respected safety
regulations? Have the workers been treated properly
(working conditions/pay)?
• What packaging has been used and what are the
transport distance and costs?
• It might not be good for you – e.g. High fat content
Rethink
• Ask whether we
can sustain our
current way of
life and the way
we design and
make.
Also, the exam says that designers
should Rethink the product to use
less materials, reduce energy
consumption, reduce transport
requirements (eg flat pack or stack
ability)
Rethink
• How can waste created during the different stages of a
product’s lifecycle be re-used? – very similar to ‘Re-use’
and ‘Primary recycling’
• How and why are products used
by consumers? Could this be
changed so they are
more sustainable?
Reuse
• Take an existing product that has become
waste, and use the material or parts for
another purpose, without processing it.
• This is the same as primary recycling so don’t
get confused!! 
• Printer vs. bin
Reuse
• Some products can be re-used for the same purpose
Reuse
• Some products can stay the same but be re-used with a
different purpose
Reuse
• Some products can be changed and then re-used with a
different purpose
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Explain the 2 types of ‘reduce’
What is built-in obsolescence?
What should we refuse?
What are anthropometrics?
Give 3 examples of designs that have been changed
because of ergonomics
What does ETI stand for?
Give 5 ways a company can operate ‘ethically’.
What logo would you see on products that are made
and sold in an ethical way?
COSHH…What does that stand for?
Product Analysis &
the Design of Products
Sustainability Theory Part 2
Social Issues (Thinking about people)
• Social Development
– Listening to the views of others when designing
products
– Inclusive design = Designing products so ‘less-able’
people can use them to.
Social Issues
• Anthropometrics
– “The measurement of humans”
Social Issues
• Ergonomics
– Using anthropometric data to design products so
they are easier and more comfortable for humans
to use
Social Issues – The Design Process
Product Designer
Basic Product
Ergonomically
designed chair
Anthropometric Data
Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI)
•This is an organisation that sets out a code of
minimum requirements for working conditions.
•These basic rules should be used by companies all over
the world to make sure their workers are treated fairly
The ETI basic code
1. Employment is freely chosen
2. Freedom of association and the right to collective
bargaining are respected (trade unions)
3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
4. Child labour shall not be used
5. Living wages are paid
6. Working hours are not excessive
7. No discrimination is practised
8. Regular employment is provided
9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
C.O.S.H.H.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
The COSHH Regulations (2002) states general
requirements on employers to protect
employees and other persons from the hazards
of substances used at work by risk assessment,
control of exposure, health surveillance and
incident planning. There are also duties on
employees’ to take care of their own exposure
to hazardous substances and prohibitions on
the import of certain substances into the
European Economic Area.
Fairtrade
• This UK organisation rewards
companies who treat their
workers fairly and produce their
products ethically.
• They allow these companies to
put the Fairtrade logo on their
UK products so consumers can
make a moral judgement to buy
things that are made fairly.
Cultural Issues
• Consider and respond to needs and values of
others when designing products
The Indian auto market is
dominated by hatchback
segment cars, as more than
70% customers prefer small
cars. In order to get hold of
major share in this peculiar
market, Ford launched a
new hatch back car, the Ford
Figo, with a competitive
price tag and features that
suited the Indian road and
traffic conditions.
Cultural Issues
• The impact of different cultures on modern
products
You need to be aware that
traditional manufacturing
techniques and knowledge
from different areas in the
world can be used in modern
products
Rug making in Nepal
Environmental Issues
• Understand and be able to select materials
that are both ‘suitable’ and ‘sustainable’
– Wood (if it takes less than 50 years to mature)
– Cotton
– Leather and Wool
– Rubber
– Cork
– Bamboo!!
Environmental Issues
• You also need to know about ‘modern’ materials like
potatopak or plastic made from corn.
“This is plastic that can
biodegrade… yay!!” 
Environmental Issues
• You also need to know about ‘smart’
materials
• Smart materials react with their
environment and can be changed by;
• Pressure
• Light
• Heat
• Smart material examples
• SMAs – Shape Memory Alloys
• Photochromatic paint
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What does ETI stand for?
Explain what COSHH is all about it. What does it
stand for? What is it? Give examples.
What is a smart material? – give an example.
What is a fancy word for when material rots?
What greenhouse gas is given off in a landfill site?
Give 3 examples of materials that can harm the
environment.
Explain what is meant by ‘carbon offsetting’.
Explain what is meant by ‘Eco-design’.
What kind of product would have a ‘CE’ logo on it?
“Biodegradable”
• Simply means an item that has the ability to break down, or
decompose back into the natural environment without causing
harm.
• For example, when a substance biodegrades into carbon dioxide,
water and other naturally occurring minerals, the substance
seamlessly mixes back into the earth, leaving no toxins behind.
• Many materials do break down in a more harmful manner,
leaving chemicals or other harmful substances in the soil.
• In terms of environmental benefits, a biodegradable material
will break down quickly, not take years, leave nothing harmful
behind and save landfill space.
How long to Biodegrade?
Tin FoilPlastic Bottles –
Glass Bottle Disposable Nappies Plastic BagAluminum Can Batteries –
Leather Wood Cardboard BoxOrange PeelWool ClothingPaper-
Does not biodegrade
Do not biodegrade
1 Million years
500-600 years
up to 500 years
200-500 years
100 years
up to 50 years
10-15 years
4 weeks
2-5 weeks
1-5 years
2-5 months
Environmental Issues
• Toxic chemicals are used in lots of products at the moment,
these can poison and kill plants and animals.
– Bleaches
• Highly irritating to skin and eyes
• Very dangerous to aquatic life
– CFCs
• Chlorofluorocarbons
• Used extensively in refrigerants, aerosols, and solvents until the 1980s
when scientists realised it was a main factor in destroying the ozone layer
– Toxic materials
•
•
•
•
heavy metals in electronics
flame retardants in furniture and clothing
pesticides in food
harmful chemicals in plastics
Environmental Issues
• Lots of companies are now trying to replace toxic materials with
non-toxic ones which are better for the environment
• Some toxic materials need to be used as their properties cannot
be matched by anything else – particularly in the electronics
industry
Environmental Issues
• The need to dispose of redundant products and their
packaging in a safe and environmentally friendly way
– Toxic materials can either release nasty chemicals into the
air if they’re burnt or into water systems if they are buried
in landfill
Carbon Offsetting
• Carbon Offsetting is a method that companies can
use to make up for the negative impact on the
environment that their products have (the Carbon
Dioxide made in the manufacture and use of
products)
• There are a number of different ways of carbon
offsetting
– Contributing to ecological research
– Sponsoring renewable energy schemes
– Reforestation - planting new trees if you cut some down
Environmental Issues
Forest Stewardship CouncilIf you see the FSC logo on a
product it means any trees
used came from managed
forests where trees are
replanted (reforestation)
If you see the Der Grune Punkt (THE
GREEN DOT) logo on a product it means
the manufacturer has given money to
support recycling centres to help improve
the sustainability of products.
Environmental Issues
Carbon Footprint logo
This symbol is placed on
products to remind users not to
dispose of the item in a normal
wheelie bin whose contents will
eventually end up as landfill.
Design Issues
• Identify how good design and product choice
improves the quality of life
Design Issues
• Examine the way that designers respond to
changing styles, taste, technological advances,
and environmental pressures
Eco Design
• This involves the whole system of looking at an end
product, from design to finished article, and its use
of materials and energy
• Eco-design is the process of designing a product from
scratch with the environment in mind, and trying to
minimise the damage caused to the environment by
the product’s life cycle.
• To do this designers must think through the main
stages of a new product’s development in order for it
to be considered eco-designed.
Eco Design
Main Stages
• Product Planning
– Market Research
– Product Analysis
• Product Development
• Design Process
– Specifications
• Functionality
– What does it do?
• Safety
• Ergonomics
– Easy to use
• Technical Issues & Requirements
– Battery Life
• Design Aesthetics
– Styling
European Eco Label
• This is awarded to a
product that has been
designed to have a
smaller environmental
impact than similar
products. It considers
materials, energy in
manufacture, energy in
use, and ease of disposal
European Confirmité Logo
• This is awarded to a product that has met the
necessary European standards for quality and
safety to be sold in the EU