2.5: Green design

green design

green design

the designing of products to have a reduced environmental impact throughout its life.

What is the difference between clean and green design?

Clean design prioritizes simplicity and efficiency, while green design focuses on environmental sustainability from production to disposal.

Design objectives for green design:

Materials

• Ensuring that the packaging and instructions encourage efficient and environmentally friendly use (this can fall under pollution category as well) materials.

  • Minimizing the number of different materials used in a product.

  • Labelling of materials so they can be identified for recycling.

  • Increasing efficiency in the use of materials and resources.

Energy

• Increasing efficiency in the use of energy.

Pollution and waste

• Ensuring that the planned life of the product is most appropriate in environmental terms and that the product functions efficiently for its full life.

  • Analysing and minimizing potential safety hazards (not sure where this goes).

  • Reducing to a minimum any long-term harm caused by use of the product.

  • Reducing or negating environmental damage or pollution from the  materials selected.

  • Reducing or negating noise or smell pollution.

  • Consider the effects of the disposal of the end of life of the product.

Drivers for green design

• consumer pressure

• legislation

consumer pressure

Collections of individuals who hold a similar viewpoint on a particular topic, for example the environment, who take action to promote positive change to meet their goals.

• The public have become aware of environmental issues through media focus on issues such as the destructive effect of chlorofluorocarbons on the ozone layer; acid rain in Northern European forests and the nuclear accident at Chernobyl.

• Increased public awareness has put pressure on corporations and governments through voting and purchasing power.

• The consumer will seek out products that are energy efficient which will be cheaper to run this providing savings for the consumer.

legislation

Laws considered collectively to address a certain topic.

• Environmental legislation has encouraged the design of greener products that tackle specific environmental issues, for example, eliminating the use of certain materials or energy efficiency.

• Raised awareness of environmental issues is increasing legislation in many countries. This can lead to financial penalties on companies who do not demonstrate environmental responsibility. Many people will not behave responsibly unless forced to do so, therefore, legislation forces the issue.

whats an example of legislation?

McDonald chains in several MEDCs (more economically developed countries) were banned from using Styrofoam containers that contained CFCs and were forced to find alternatives to their old packaging

green legislation

Green legislation encourages incremental rather than radical changes:

• for example, legislation requiring car manufacturers to install catalytic converters for cars (end-of-pipe technology) which tackles the environmental issue of car emissions.

what is the designer’s role?

To carefully consider the environmental impact of the production of a product, its use and disposal at the design stage.

Incremental strategies for green design

incremental: Products which are improved and developed over time leading to new versions and generations.

• This may include changes to:

  • Materials

    • use recycled or recyclable materials. Composite materials can be difficult, expensive or cant be recycled.

    • material optimisation.

    • limit the number of materials. A tetra pak has multiple layers of materials which, in the past, made it difficult to recycle.

  • Manufacturing techniques – using clean technology such as end-of-pipe.

  • Introduce design for disassembly.

Radical strategies for green design

radical: Where a completely new product is devised by going back to the roots of a problem and thinking about a solution in a different way.

• This may include

  • making big and courageous whole changes to the design of a  product or service.

  • complete overhaul of the manufacturing process.

  • using radical clean technology systems

Strategies for designing green products

• When evaluating product sustainability consider the following:

  • Raw materials used:

    • dematerialization.

    • low environmental impact materials (eg bio plastics, recycled paper, etc).

    • use of recycled or recyclable materials.

    • Packaging:

      • same as above on ‘raw materials used’.

    • Reduce incorporation of toxic materials or VoCs:

    • End-of-life disposal issues:

      • make it last – reduce obsolescence

      • enhance recyclability – design for disassembly

    • Energy in production and use (see next point):

    • Production methods:

      • Clean production.

      • energy efficiency.

    • Atmospheric pollutants

What is a reasonable general timescale to implement green design?

5 years

• cost effective

• allows designers to plan + develop design objectives

Principles of environmental law

• the prevention principle

• the precautionary principle

the prevention principle

The avoidance or minimization of producing waste in relation to the production, use and disposal of a product.

• Actions should be taken before damage occurs.

• This is usually based on a past catastrophe or prior scientific data/research.

the precautionary principle

The anticipation of potential problems in relation to the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of a product.

• Actions should be taken so that the risk of damage is avoided.

• There maybe an uncertainty (scientific evidence but perhaps not conclusive) about the risk of environmental harm.

• This allows protective measures to be taken without having to wait until the damage materialises.

• For example, we know that air pollution can cause respiratory illness but how much air pollution is acceptable.