Professional Documents
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Materials
& Design
Materials and Design xxx (2005) xxx–xxx
www.elsevier.com/locate/matdes
Short communication
Abstract
There are major challenges for the designer to now include Sustainable Development aspects into his/her design; particularly
related to the social and wider economic impacts. The designer must, more than ever before, take into consideration the views
and concerns of all the Ôinterested partiesÕ – stakeholders. There are many topics – issues and concerns to consider and often they
can be conflicting. The need is to examine the Sustainable Development risks and benefits associated with any particular design so
improvements can be made. Both a ÔconceptÕ model and a Bournemouth University practical model are described which allows this
risk/benefit assessment to be made in a structured manner on a wide range of topics. The assessment can examine the product, the
company manufacturing the product and the manufacturing site. The major social, economic and environmental risks and benefits is
tabulated or presented graphically for ease of evaluation in order to modify the design and so improve the Sustainable Development
aspects.
Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Environmental performance (E); Sustainable Development; Product design; Design model; Sustainable Development assessment
0261-3069/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2005.03.016
ARTICLE IN PRESS
2. Sustainable Development and design Financial influences are wide ranging from individ-
ual/company tax to levies on products and imposi-
2.1. There are some major challenges facing us all tion of tariffs like sugar in Europe and cotton in
USA [8].
Environment
Impact of climate change, resulting in changing
weather patterns, increasing sea level and flooding 2.2. Designer and Sustainable Development needs
will mainly affect the agricultural industry, but will
also cause more disease and ill health in the poorer The designer first needs an awareness and under-
countries. Production of steel, aluminium, glass and standing of complex and wide ranging issues when ap-
paper require high electricity usage, generating CO2 plied to a new product. Equally important is to be
and increasing global warming. aware of the views and concerns of the people in-
Use of resources was one of the key concerns at the volved with the product. These are the interested par-
recent Johannesburg Summit and the need to reduce ties or ÔstakeholdersÕ and for the designer, Fig. 1
both consumption and production of products. One illustrates a typical range. It is a very daunting task
way is to prevent and minimise waste arising in the to try to bring to the design concept all these very
whole of the supply chain [2]. complex and often conflicting issues and concerns,
Decline of biodiversity has been a result of both plus trying to understand the views of particular
human population increase and the growth and effi- stakeholders and finally to change customer behav-
ciency of the agricultural industry. The impact has iour. One way is to identify the risks and benefits/
been global and local – for example, the elephant opportunities.
population has decreased 10-fold in the last 50 years
[3] and it has been estimated some 21 species are lost 2.3. Risks and benefits
each day – for ever [4].
Overseeing risk management within an organisation
Social is one of the key responsibilities of the Directors of
Population growth has been predicted to double in the organisation. This is far more important in to-days
the next 50 years, but now experts are suggesting a climate when companies are no longer trusted by the
50% increase to 9 billion. Typical population growth general public, investors etc., as a result of scandals
in the UK is 0.3%, compared with 70% growth over for example in Enron. There is now a demand to Ôshow
the last two decades in China [5]. meÕ your company is behaving in a responsible manner
Provision of fresh water and sanitation to over a in the whole range of its activities including design,
third of the worlds population has been identified use of materials, product performance, safety etc. The
as a key programme following the Johannesburg potential risks can be related to the product, company
Summit [2]. operations or management.
Human rights were first defined in the UN Declara- The product could contain hazardous materials
tion in 1948 with some 30 articles [6]. The most recent which cause harm when disposed into landfill at the
concern has been the use of child labour to provide end of the productÕs life. The basic raw materials could
cheap products for the developed countries. be supplied using child labour to keep costs low. It may
Exclusion from earning a living or being part of soci- even be difficult to reuse or recycle the product or its
ety affects many people locally and globally, for components when the product becomes waste. It is to
example the homeless, religious persecution, ethical be expected that the manufacturing operations are effi-
cleansing etc. cient, but ÔincidentsÕ will still occur – accidents, spillages,
fires, explosions, Ônear missesÕ, complaints from neigh-
Economic bours and customers etc. Manufacturing often have leg-
Poverty applies to over a third of the worldÕs pop- ally set ÔconsentÕ conditions in which to operate which if
ulation with these people living on less than $1 a exceeded will result in fines or closure of the plant and
day. equipment by the regulators. Changes in design, such
North south divide is dramatic – USA has $34,320 as additional energy requirements or raw material mod-
GDP per capita compared with Sierra Leone of ifications, can result in non-compliance to these consent
$470 GDP per capita. In the poorer countries, life conditions. If the professional designer is unaware of the
expectancy can be 35 years compared with 78 years latest legal requirements, for example – UK Packaging
in UK [7]. Essential Requirements Regulations or EU Waste
Behaviour of International organisations is impor- Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive then
tant as many have a greater turnover than the GDP non-compliance may occur when new products are
in a number of developing countries. introduced.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
MANUFACTURERS COMMUNITY
PRODUCT
LOCAL COUNCIL DESIGNER WASTE
CONTRACTORS
EMPLOYERS
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
PROFESSIONAL MATERIAL
INSTITUTIONS SUPPLIER ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Benefits or opportunities will provide added value to holder views and specific issues. Their design should
an organisation in the following ways then be more sustainable.
3.2. Assessment
3. Sustainable product development model concept
The actual assessment of the product, company and
This is an attempt to provide a tool for designers in site needs to define the following
order to present the Sustainable Development issues re-
lated to their product in a more manageable form, which (i) A generic list of issues/concerns – topics.
will allow them to identify the importance of stake- (ii) Ability to add additional specific issues/concerns.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
(iii) More detail on these issues to check and revise the explore a specific topic in far more detail if necessary.
level of understanding. A typical link would be the UK Environment Agency
(iv) Level of importance of these topics/issues. site (see Table 1).
(v) The sustainable development aspects – environ-
mental or social or economic or a combination? 4.2. Worksheets
(vi) Are these impacts high, medium or low?
(vii) Are the impacts a risk or a benefit? There are three worksheets – one each for product,
company and site. The structure for each worksheet is
the same – a list of topics (issues and concerns) with
3.3. Analysis ability to add topics at any time. Each topic needs
to be given score (0–10), defined if the impact is re-
Will need the ability to analyse the above assessment lated to the social, environmental or economic or
in various ways, but the key to any decision is based on combination of these aspects with a rating of high,
the balance between risks and benefits. The key risks medium or low on each impact, then finally indicating
and benefits need to be identified, tabulated or graphed if it is a risk or benefit. There are some 109 topics
so it is possible to compare the environmental, social identified in these work sheets; but students can also
and economic impacts separately or together as Sustain- add any other topics they feel important. It is not nec-
able Development. This can be completed for the prod- essary to complete all three worksheets. Students are
uct, company or site or all three together. Finally, encouraged to add comments as to the reason for
having seen these tables and graphs there must be the selecting a particular score, aspect etc. at the time of
ability to go back into the assessment and change the de- assessment (see Fig. 2).
tail on the score, impact aspect and level of importance
etc. 4.3. Analysis
Table 1
Product, company and site worksheet example
Topics Score Element Comments
Social Economic Environmental
Risk or High, medium Risk or High, Risk or High, medium
benefit? * or low? * benefit? * medium benefit? * or low? *
or low? *
Raw materials
Hazardous 5 Risk Medium Few chemicals in product
Source 6 Benefit High Benefit Medium Local community
Use of child labour 3 Risk Low Little from 3rd world
Costs 8 Risk High Valuable raw materials
Transportation 6 Risk Medium Local
Non-renewable 0 None used
Energy used 10 Benefit High Benefit Medium Site energy not major
Emissions 8 Risk High Paint shop high levels
Discharges 6 Risk High Strict consent condition
Nuisances 6 Risk High Risk Medium Risk Medium Close to local community
Health and safety 7 Benefit Medium Benefit High Few dangerous site jobs
Other
Other
Raw material risks total score 6.75 11.00 22.50
raw material benefits total 6.00 16.50 12.00
Design *
Material selection 10 Benefit High Metals and plastic
Material amounts 10 Benefit High Benefit High Amounts need to be low
Disassembly 7 Benefit Low Benefit High Legal requirement
Costs 10 Benefit Low Must satisfy costs
Energy usage 7 Risk Medium Benefit Medium Fuel and user performance
Waste generated 6 Risk Low Risk Medium Reuse and recycle essential
Reuse 8 Benefit Low Benefit Medium More reuse
Recycling 6 Benefit Low Benefit Medium More recycling
Life cycle assess. 5 Benefit Medium Materials and use key
Other
Other
Other
Design risks total score 1.50 3.50 3.00
Design benefits total score 5.25 12.50 40.00