This document summarizes a presentation on ecodesign and maximizing resource value. Some key points: - Ecodesign considers the full life cycle of products and aims to design out the biggest sustainability impacts. - It focuses on creating goods with higher overall quality and value by considering issues like durability, recyclability, use of non-toxic materials. - Ecodesign embraces new business models like product-service systems to enable more transformational use cycles for resources rather than a "take, make, waste" approach. - The goal is innovative design through a shift in mindset from waste to resources, and consumption to need and use. Ecodesign is about good design that

1. maximising
resource
value
through
ecodesign
@frank_oconnor
Director
@ecodesigncentre
CIWM
New
Members
Network
Event
April
2013

2. to
believe
in
something,
and
not
to
live
it,
is
dishonest.
Mahatma
Gandhi

3. make ecodesign happen

4. we
over
consume

5. source: ads-ngo.com
98%
of
products
are
thrown
away
within
6
months
source:
Edwin
Datschefski
&
United
NaQons
University

6. Image www.castlereagh.gov.uk
we
live
in
a
throwaway
society
…………
but
there
is
no
away

7. every design choice has
a consequence
image
source:
Chris
Jordan
bad design
is a social crime

8. source:
Banksy
disconnect
between
people
…..
and
between
planet
and
people

9. ‘commandments
of
industrialised
society’
1) create
more
desire
(perceived
needs)
2) thou
shalt
consume
(=
good
life)
culture
of
consumpQon
-­‐
devaluing
of
culture
!
source:
Henry
1949
cited
in
Jones
1987

10. source: miscell. web sites
iPo[y
real
need?

11. ..
collecQve
unconscious
behaviour
…..
with
catastrophic
unintended
consequences
!

12. air
pollu:on
kills
3
million
people
each
year,
mostly
in
poor
countries
source: WHO / BBC
responsibility
polluQon

13. between
100
and
1000
species
become
ex:nct
each
year,
because
their
habitats
are
changing
or
being
destroyed.
source: UK Government
responsibility
degradaQon

14. population growth
source: engine group and UNFPA
source: engine group and UK statistics
ageing population

15. emerging economies
1billion
of these people are
living in slums, squats &
unofficial settlements
source: UNHABITAT

16. ~4000children die each day
from diseases associated
with lack of access to safe
drinking water, inadequate
sanitation and poor hygiene
water access
source: UN / flickr

17.
…...individuals
act
primarily
on
issues
that
impact
their
personal
well-­‐being,
their
family,
and
their
immediate
community.
..
unless
those
needs
are
tended
to,
most
individuals
won't
commit
to
causes
that
promise
to
benefit
the
world
at
large.
Catherine
Greener
source: WHO / BBC
!

18. we
ALL
have
to
change
!

19. what
approach to design that considers
the materials, processes & practices
of a company from a full life cycle
perspective.

20. why
it helps identify layers of waste &
layers of value

21. 80%of impact

24. recent business response
• 50% of companies have redesigned products or
processes in response to rising materials prices
• 66% sought different sourcing options
• 40% of companies have substituted some inputs
with cheaper alternatives

25. how
ecodesign considers all life cycle
impacts, adressing the biggest
impacts and designs these out

26. designers interact
between industry, users
and other actors
industry
consumers
design

27. designers can influence
how people consume,
use, behave …
industry
consumers
design

28. !
our mission is to make ecodesign happen
through collaboration along the life cycle

29. current collaborative work in Europe

33. Bio-based plastics
PhotoVoltaics
Electronics PCBs Semi-conductors
Smart Textiles
Industrial Machines Sensors

35. image
source:
Fuse
/
Ge[y

36. design for…. durability
longevity, durability, desire
image source: dualit, kitchenaid

37. image source: Panasonic
design for….
disassembly
recycling, servicing, end-of-
life, upgrade, lean
manufacturing, cleaner
production, down-cycling,
material segregation,
image source: from
Panasonic

38. design for…. low impact materials
recycled, recyclable, bio materials, compatibility, compostable,
renewable, sustainable
image source: inhabitat, Worn Again, Moscardino, Remarkable, Sony

39. design for…. renewable power
human powered, solar, wind, bio, re-chargeable
image source: Philips, Freeplay, Solio

40. design for…. eco-packaging
natural, returnable, reusable, multifunction, biodegradable

41. design for….
product systems
returnable, remanufacture,
re-use, closed-loop, end-of-life,
product-service-system
image source: RSA

42. design for…. fair &
just production
health and safety, employees
rights, unions, forced labour, child
labour, discrimination,
source: martin charter / CFSD

43. the
single
biggest
problem
in
communicaQon
is
the
illusion
that
it
has
taken
place
George
Bernard
Shaw

44. source:
Apple
1989

45. source:
Apple
1993

46. design
2010

47. source: wiki.umd.edu / getty images source: Chris Jordan

48. neodymium
source: Harman & wiki
car
speaker

49. source: hybridcars.com
polluQon
true
cost

50. source: dailymail.co.uk
toxicity,
health
true
cost

51. recovery
true
cost
source: retrench.co.uk

52. source: mywindpowersystem.com
low
carbon
/
high
on
criQcal
materials

53. criQcal
materials
in
WEEE
• the
WEEE
discarded
in
the
UK
over
the
last
decade
contained
– £5
billion
of
gold
– £1
billion
of
silver
– £1
billion
of
palladium
• very
liRle
recovered,
only
22%
collected
for
recycling
source: miscell.

54. NO
MAGIC MATERIALS

55. way
forward?

59. source: ZIPcars

61. Cradle to Cradle
“remake the way we
make things” thinking about the materials we use, how
our products are designed and assembled, and their cycles
of use with our customers.
No matter how good your products are, there comes a time
when their first useful life comes to an end. In considering
product life cycles Cradle to Cradle asks us to re-think the
commonplace approach of “take, make & waste” and this
prompted us to act.
During the early stages of the design of Ara we established a
relationship with one of Cradle to Cradle’s authors, renowned
industrial chemist Micheal Braungart. Throughout the
development we have been working with EPEA, Micheal’s C2C
organisation based in Hamburg.
We’ve always very carefully considered the materials that we use
in our products but our aim in working with EPEA is to ensure
that what we’re using is truly safe, for humans and the
environment alike, and successful in technical cycles of reuse.
This means looking in much more detail at every chemical
ingredient in the materials we use; to determine which inhibit
this aim and need to be substituted or remove as a result.
Cradle to Cradle is an approach to design which looks to make
us truly environmentally effective, by developing products for
closed loop systems in which all the materials used are safe and
beneficial - either to biodegrade naturally or to be fully recycled
into high quality materials for subsequent product generations,
again and again. In order for us to maximise the value of the
materials used in your chair we’d like to get them back once
you’ve finished with them. It’s pretty simple, all you need to do
is visit our website at www.orangebox.com/endoflife.htm
Returning your ARA at ‘End of Life’
Armsupportthat’sthereonlywhenyouneedit.
Ourgoalwastodesignanewarmpadthatwasmorecomforta
thanever,usingmaterialsthatcouldbesegregatedeasilyandrecyc
moreeffectively.ThetraditionalPUisreplacedbyaflexiblepolym
withaseparateinsertmadefromrecycledfoam.Theresultis
armrestthat’srobust,easytouseandprobablythemostcomforta
we’veevermade.
Dosomethingreallysimple;makethechairbase100%
recyclable.
Notthemostcomplicatedpartonataskchair,granted,butweas
ourselvesthequestion-somelookmuchbetterthanothersbut
plasticchairbasesareprettymuchthesame,aren’tthey?Wellin
sensetheyare,andwithveryfewexceptionstheyallhaveam
collarmouldedintotheplastictostopthegasliftcreepingthroug
thebase.Greatfornotdraggingyourchairacrossthecarpetbut
notsogreatwhenyoucometorecycleit,asthecollarcanbever
difficulttoremove.
Smartdesignandcarefulmaterialselectionhasenabledustocre
abasewithoutacollarinsert.Asimplepointbutunlikealmost
otherplasticbasesoursis100%recyclable.Andrestassuredwe
testeditlikemad.
Weknowthatpeoplecomeinallshapesandsizes.That’swhy
smartengineeringinsidethemechanismmeanstheridecanbe
tunedandbalancedtoyourpreciseneeds,usingadjustment
controlsthatareeasytooperateandlabelledclearly.
disassembly
end of life
cradle to cradle
ecodesign
is
good
design

63. ecodesign
consideraQons
considera:on
of
full
life
cycles
/
system
considera:on
of
all
‘sustainability’
issues
/
focus
on
greatest
impact
no
shiX
of
pressure
between
stages
of
life
cycle
/
true
cost
crea:on
of
goods
and
services
with
higher
overall
quality
and
value
/
transforma:ve
use
cycles
embrace
new
models
of
business
&
ownership
!
1

64. ecodesign
criteria
long-­‐life
non-­‐toxic
localise
renewable
energy
!2

65. innovaQon
through
mindset
changes
–
think
…
‘resource’
instead
of
‘waste’
‘need’,
‘use’
instead
of
‘consume’
how
to
transform
‘stuff’
&
not
destroy
wider
life
cycle
/
circular
economy
team
!3

66. think
….
collaborate
&
co-­‐develop
(shared
responsibility
&
empathy)
new
responsible
business
models
journey
without
a
fixed
des:na:on
!3
(contd.)

67. innovaQon
in
waste
industry
• provision
of
service
based
life
cycle
solu:ons,
e.g.
resource
stewardship
• access
new
markets
&
new
knowledge
• crea:on
of
value
along
chain
• (e.g.
help
design
at
front
end
and
close
loop
at
back
end)
!
4

68. innovaQon
in
waste
industry
• develop
new
skills
&
partnerships
• co-­‐create
goods
with
transforma:ve
use
cycles
• new
technologies
to
secure
resources
• move
beyond
legisla:on
to
value
crea:on
!
4
(contd.)

69. waste
industry
opportuniQes
material
exchange
/
markets
knowledge
exchange
market
new
materials
formula:on
new
products
from
secured
resources
!5

70. waste
industry
opportuniQes
increased
value
&
role
for
organics
landfill
mining
new
energy
sources
from
secured
resources
branding
/
communica:on
!5
(contd.)

71. do
not
accept
‘that’s
the
way
it
is’
!

72. we
ALL
have
to
change
!

73. a
world
where
ecodesign
is
the
norm
!

74. designed,
made,
remade.
zero
waste.
only
resource
!
passport
source:
Habufa

75. thanks:
@CIWM
&
Waste
Strategy
Branch
@WelshGovernment
&
you
&
good
luck.
ecodesigncentre.org
@ecodesigncentre
@frank_oconnor