Life Cycle Based Eco-Design as Core Design Practice

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LeNS, the Learning Network on Sustainability: Asian-European multi-polar network for curricula development on Design for Sustainability focused on product service system innovation. Funded by the Asia-Link Programme, EuroAid, European Commission.

course:System design for sustainability

learning resource:

Life Cycle Based Eco-Design as Core Design Practice

contributors:Leyla AcarogluOrganisation for the Promotion of Environmnetal Knowedge (OPEkN)Director, Eco Innovators Melbourne, Australia

Leyla AcarogluEco Innovators, Melbourne Australia


Why should a designer care about sustainbaility?...



Source: Global Footprint Network (2007) www.footprintnetwork.org



The mass production and consumption of goods requires the continual extraction of natural resources that has exceeded the earths carrying capacity



Americans and Australians consume about 10 tonnes per person each year of raw materials.

US raw material consumption - 1900-1995 (Matos & Wagner)



Market Research

Indentifying Product

Characteristics

Generating Product

Concepts

Refining Product

Concepts

Product Manufacture

Use End of Life Management

Raw Material

Extraction

Material Production

Develop Market Strategy

Product Marketing

Design for Environment / EcoDesign/ Life Cycle Assessment

Big Picture Sustainability Questions and Long Term Environmental Implication

Cleaner Production

Ecolabelling Consumer Information

Consumer Education

Recycling , remanufacturin

g and reuse

“

lockin”ofenvironmentalimpact Freedomto effect gross

impacts of product

70 - 80% of the total products environmental impacts are determined and ‘locked-in’ in the design phase by the

decisions made by the designer (USA EPA)



2. Close the Loop Society traditionally works on a liner system with raw materials entering the cycle and wastes exiting



Progressive Production System



Designers have to power to influence how a product will be produced, used and disposed off



But, things are not always as simple as they appear to be....



Which is more sustainable?

Plastic Wood BioStarch



3. Environmental folklore Folklore – the unwritten lore that guides us all

We make decisions (personally and professionally) based on assumptions and our folklore

But how do we know what is actually better or best?

Life Cycle Assessments have shown us that some of our assumptions are not always right (paper good – plastic bad)



What is the most environmentally damaging thing about a fridge?

Is it...The way it is made?The energy it uses during its lifetime?The chemicals used during manufacture?The food it contains?What happens to it when it is thrown away?



Bread7.3%

Vegetables8.0%

Meat60.0%

Sof t drink5.8%

Dairy products11.1%

Beer2.0%

Wine and spirits2.4%

Running f ridge3.3% Making f ridge

0.1%

Based on typical household expenditure data from Australia Bureau of Statistics



How can we integrate eco-design into core design practice and reduce the impacts of our products?



o Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)o A methodology for assessing the whole-of-

life implications of a producto What is life cycle assessment?o “a technique for assessing the

environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product” ISO 14040

A Life Cycle Approach



By understanding the environmental impacts across the life of a product, system or service, we can make decisions at the design stage that reduce these impacts across the entire life of the product.



Leyla Acaroglu

1. Know the Life Cycle Stages Resource Extraction

Manufacture

Packaging & Transportation

Use

End of Life


o Everything comes from nature at some stage o Mining (minerals, metals, oil,

gas, coal etc) o Farming foods (livestock, crops

require nutrients, water etc) o Harvesting natural products

(trees, seafood, coral, seaweed ect)

o Energy used to extract resources

o Pollution caused

Resource Extraction

Min in Newman, Western Australia 2007 (source: Edward Burtynsky)



Manufacturing

o Manufacturing products as well as

o Processing raw materials into useable products such as:o Ore into steelo Oil into petrolo Trees into paper

Phone manufacturing in China 2005 (source: Edward Burtynsky)



Packaging and Transportationo Packaging at every stage along

a products life o Transport happens at ever life

cycle stage o Different methods have different

levels of impactso For long distances cargo

ships are better the air transport

o Trains work of electricity (coal to be burnt)

o Trucks, cars, vans etc all very energy intensive

Cargo ship (source: http://www.sellwholesale.com/)



Use

o Energy use during life o Consumerables o Cleaning, upgrading o Stand by timeo Maintenance serviceso Services/infrastructure

required to use (mobile phones, Tvs etc) Power socket (source: www.tuxgraphics.org)



End of Lifeo Landfill, litter or recyclingo Recycling still requires

energy for re-manufacturing and collection of goods

o Preference re-use o Plastic gets a bad rap, but

can be recycled over and over again, paper can only be recycled a max of 5 times

o Biodegradable products do not degrade in landfill – they must go in a compost

Plastic toy waste in China 2004 (source: Edward Burtynsky)



Life Cycle Thinking in Design 1. Always ask questions

a. What materials and processes have reduced negative environmental impacts?

b. How can we promote value, functionality and longevity in the product?

c. How can we reduce materials, packaging etc

• Map the life cycle impacts of your product or main material selections at the start of the design process.



1. Always question the need, functionality and service offered by the product

2. Understand the environmental impacts across the life of the product you are designing

3. Seek to minimise impacts across the products entire life

4. Be careful of being guided by environmental folklore

5. Design longevity into your products6. Close the production loop to reduce waste7. Design value into your products

Concluding Points




Thank you for your time

OPEkN [email protected]

Eco [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Life Cycle Based Eco-Design as Core Design Practice

Technology

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