Sustainable product design reading summery

This articles talks about the ways designers can create products that are more sustainable and safer for us and the environment. A product must have "total beauty" meaning that not only is the product aesthetically pleasing, but it is also good for people, profits, and the planet. There are 5 general solutions that help create a product that has total beauty. Cyclic, Solar, Safe, Efficient, and Social.

Cyclic

This is basically referring to how well the products stays in a loop, whether that be a organic loop, or a man-made closed loop. If the product is made from compostable organic materials the product can go through its life-cycle then be decomposed and later introduced into a new life-cycle. This is also referred to as "Cradle-to-Cradle". If a product is to be part of a man-made closed loop, then it must be made from materials that can be continuously recycled and kept in the loop. This can be done by recycling, re-using, or remanufacturing.

Solar

This means that when a product is manufactured and in use should only use energy that is renewable and safe. There are many types of energy sources that meet the renewable and safe criteria other than just solar power. Although most of their origins are solar power, they create other ways of harnessing and using energy that is safe. Photovoltaics harness the sun's energy directly using solar panels. Biofuels are also a very important form of energy. Biodiesel is made from rapeseed oil and can be used in a normal diesel engine with minor modifications. Although is gives of CO2 when burnt, the CO2 is part of the current carbon cycle. Ocean waves are also a very useful but overlooked form of energy. Currently Scotland is using the ocean to create electrical power and OSU has been doing research in this area. Muscle power is always an option as well, it just means that people have to be less lazy.

Safe

This can be a very general term but in this context it means that a product "cannot chemical or physically disrupt people or other life". If products are not designed with a specific takeback, full re-use, or cyclical system, then it is considered a toxic release and is not safe. This toxic release will affect air, water, land and space.

Efficient

There has been great strides in finding new ways of create more efficient products. This can mean that the product is manufactured using less energy, which translates to saving money and time, or that the product has been creatively designed so that it has a longer use. If you can use fewer materials, have products that are multi-functional, and create a system of sharing and renting between people, you can create a more efficient product.

Social

We can't forget about the people that are actually making the products. Every designer should know where their product is being manufactured and by whom, and that the manufacturers abide by the laws and regulations that treat workers fairly. The principles of the SA8000 standard strive to create a safer and fairer work environment for the employees of the company. This includes safe and healthy work environment, proper compensation, allowing the workers to still attend school, not forcing them to work long hours, and overall respect for those working.

This reading also goes into rating certain materials and how much impact they have. This rough system created by the author uses a "UglyPoint System", (1, 5, 15, and 50) to rate certain materials, low (1) include materials such as bioplastics and ceramics while Very High(50) include things such as batteries and metals such as lead and Nickel.

The reading also goes into some depth about noteworthy materials, types, and trends. It does include a warning that simply changing the material of a product doesn't necessarily make the product safer or better. All aspects of the product should be considered while being designed.