Whether companies have a genuine interest in the state of the environment or they are merely jumping on the ‘green bandwagon’ for the sake of their public image, sustainable design has become a necessary part of any modern day business plan.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: “the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability.” [1]
Humanity must recognise and learn to live with the limits of our environment and follow the principles of sustainable design. It is the responsibility of designers and businesses to ensure that they comply with these principles of sustainability.It’s all well and good that companies are increasing recyclable materials in their products, but it is also important for them to promote the benefits of recycling.
According to NOKIA: “100% of the materials in your phone can be recovered and used to make new products or generate energy. But, according to our latest study, only 9% of people recycle their old phones even though they’d be far better off recycled.” [2]
Environmental responsibility lies with the designer
It is important that the design process not only involves the design of the physical product, but also its ‘cradle to grave’ lifespan, represented by its Life Cycle Analysis:
This is particularly important in the electronics markets, where rapid advances in technology result in fast growing electronic waste (including plastic casing). A mobile phone, for example, will have a maximum lifespan, for most users, of 24 months. This means that the greatest impact upon the environment lies in the disposal of the product, so it is up to phone companies to examine the amounts and mixtures of materials from which their products are made in order to minimise the impact at disposal and dismantling.
Alongside sustainable companies with genuine green credentials, we also get those marketing their products under the pretense of sustainability.
GREENWASHING: “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.” [4]
By using green marketing campaigns a company can create the perception that they are environmentally friendly, whilst actually putting no effort into being green at all.
An example taken from www.businesspundit.com:
"In 2009, Banana Republic launched an “It’s Easy Being Green” promotion that requires using their reusable bag to get 10 percent off your purchases. Reusable shopping bags are green, yes? Not always so, and especially not when Banana Republic is manufacturing thousands of bags made from conventional cotton that takes tons of pesticides to produce. BR also required consumers to buy a new bag to be part of the promotion, denying smart eco-minded shoppers who brought their own." [5]
Another tactic used by companies to part consumers of their cash with little regard for the effects upon the environment is PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE, which is a business strategy in which a product is designed with the intention of becoming unfashionable or unusable. This is done so that the consumer is compelled to upgrade as the manufacturer brings out replacements for the old ones.
An early example of this is the incandescent light bulb. In the early 1900’s bulbs were being designed to last as long as possible, and in the 1920’s they were being advertised as running for 2500 hours. The leading manufacturers however realised it would be more profitable to limit the lifespan, so a cartel was set up to control lamp production and cap the lifespan at 1000 hours. [6]
So sustainable design requires the designer to think of the entire lifespan of the product, with a view to increasing the time that the user might find it useful, whilst also being honest about the peripheral processes to creating the product which may have adverse effects on the environment.
This is summed up quite nicely in a blog post by product design engineer, Michael Aldridge:
"Ultimately if a product is loved, it will be used frequently, kept for years and keep on functioning. A great example of this is my Swiss Army Knife, it has worked faultlessly since I got it when I was 12 and it has great sentimental value to me. So much so that when I discovered I had left it on a picnic bench when hiking, I hiked hours back to find it again to my great relief. It has had a hard life, but I have taken care of it so have no doubt it will be with me for many years to come. I don’t care how it was made, what materials it’s made from, but I would argue this is a ‘green’ product because it will endure where others find themselves in landfills or rusting underneath some picnic bench.
Bottom line… green design must be sustainable, inclusive and most importantly good design (valued/useful/functional/practical/durable/ergonomic/user friendly)." [7]
3 Rules of Sustainable Design
THINK ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE
Currently at number 3 in Greenpeace’s guide to Green Electronics, [8] Nokia has adopted a design strategy of lifecycle thinking to improve their materials sourcing and energy consumption.
"The company has a strict substance management programme, and is moving towards recovery of 65-80% of materials at the end of the phones' life. The 3110 Evolve sets new benchmarks by making the cover from 50% biopolymers." [9]
SOURCE MATERIALS RESPONSIBLY
The RD4 chair from Cohda Designs is made from 100% plastic waste, with no additive colouring. All colour comes from the waste materials themselves. [10]
DESIGN TO LAST
Designed by the French designer Marc Berthier for Lexon in France, the Tykho radio bucked the trend for tough thermoplastics in electronic goods' casings by using rubber, a renewable and synthetic material. This alternative material also provides shock resistance and weather-proofing not provided by the usual casing, giving the product a possible extended lifespan. [9]
On top of this, Tykho was designed in 1997 and still its design feels relevant and would not look out of place in a modern home.
[2] http://www.nokia.com/global/about-nokia/people-and-planet/sustainable-devices/sustainable-devices/
[9] The Eco-Design Handbook by Alastair Fuad-Luke : ISBN 978-0-500-28839-9
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