Life Cycle Management

A Design Perspective on Sustainability

 The Impact Equation
Paul Erlich* first suggested that environmental impact
can be demonstrated by the multiple of three variables:

I = P*A*T

Where:
I = Environmental Impact
P = Size of the Population
A = Level of Affluence
T = Technological efficiency of resource

*Author of ‘The Population Bomb’ 1968

 The Impact Equation
• So far, the level of environmental impact has
roughly matched the size and growth of the global
economy.

• In order to continue to grow in the future we need

to decouple economic growth from
environmental impact. This means:

1. Consume more efficiently

2. Consume differently
3. Consume less
 Solutions?
Green Design
• This is an incremental attempt to reduce the
environmental impact of the goods and services we
provide.
• In general the environmental impact is addressed from
one perspective, for example designing a car that is
lighter and more aerodynamic and hence uses less fuel.
• The problem with adopting a green design strategy is that
the problem is often simply moved in time or distance,
and any environmental impact reduction is minimal. It is
often used as a marketing ploy (see ‘Greenwashing’).
• I.e. The incremental improvements delivered by a Green
Design approach will only ever go so far, they rely on the
underlying paradigm being sustainable
 Solutions?
Eco Design
Eco-design is an improvement on green design in that the
environmental impact over the whole life cycle of the product
is considered when making environmental impact decisions.
One method of assessing the environmental impact
throughout the life cycle of a product is to use a technique
known as a M.E.T Matrix.
This technique generally considers a range of environmental
impacts over all stages of a products life cycle including
extraction, transportation, production, use,
servicing/maintenance and disposal.
 MET Matrix
• An MET matrix usually considers Materials, Energy and
Toxic waste at each stage of the lifecycle.
• However you can use other metrics as well depending on
your objectives, e.g. CO2
• As a general rule the objective is to minimize all
environmental impact elements at each stage in the life
cycle of the product but to recover materials and energy
at the “disposal” stage
• A MET matrix is a good way to get an early, qualitative
idea of the environmental impact of a product or service
MET Matrix - Example
 10 Guidelines for Ecodesign
1. Do not design products, but life cycles
2. Natural materials are not always better
3. Energy consumption: often underestimated

4. Increase product life time

5. Do not design products, but services

 10 Guidelines for Ecodesign
6. Use a minimum of materials
7. Use recycled materials
8. Make your product recyclable
9. Ask stupid questions
10.Keep up to date!
 Solutions?
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design takes eco-design a stage further.
Whereas eco-design looks at products, systems and
services on the basis of existing technology,
sustainable design introduces the principle that the
product, service or system will still be available to
the individual, but the technological means of
delivering it is likely to change

I.e. it focuses on function, not form

 Solutions?

• Green design, eco-design and sustainable design seek to

main the status quo with regard to the individual, the free
market and personal choice.

• There is increasing evidence, particularly in countries like

Germany, that individual choices are affected by
ideological considerations; if a consumer is concerned
about the environment then that individual is likely to
make choices that will have the least environmental
impact.
 Solutions?

• However these choices are still based on the

market economy and the freedom of the
individual to make a choice. If environmental
impact is to be reduced to sustainable levels as
a whole, then a much more radical approach is
needed to address environmental issues.
 Solutions?
Sustainable Innovation
• Sustainable innovation addresses the concept of
sustainability in a more radical way.
• Instead of simply addressing the practical functions of a
product to improve efficiency, reduce material resources
and minimize toxic waste, sustainable innovation
requires that sociological issues are addressed if there is
to be a sustainable future for succeeding generations.
• This will mean a complete and comprehensive rethink
and re-engineering of the society in which we currently
live and the behaviour it, and its products encourage.
 Sustainable Societies
A society can be said to be sustainable if:
• Its rate of use of renewable resources
does not exceed the rate at which such
resources are produced and/or replenished;
• Its rate of use of non-renewable resources
does not exceed the rate at which alternative
renewable substitutes are developed;
• Its rate of waste emissions does not exceed
the rate at which such wastes can be
assimilated by the environment
 Edwin Datschefski’s 5 Principles
1. Cyclic: The product is made from organic materials,
and is recyclable and can be composted, or is made
from minerals that are continuously cycled in a closed
loop.
2. Solar: The product uses solar energy or other forms
of renewable energy that are cyclic and safe, both
during use and manufacture.
3. Safe: The product is non-toxic in use and disposal,
and its manufacture does not involve toxic releases or
the disruption of ecosystems
 Edwin Datschefski’s 5 Principles
4. Efficient: The product's efficiency in manufacture and use
is improved by a factor of ten, requiring 90% less
materials, energy and water than products providing
equivalent utility did in 1990. The fourth requirement is
based on the need to maximise the utility of resources in
a finite world.
5. Social: The product and its components and raw
materials are manufactured under fair and just operating
conditions for the workers involved and the local
communities. The fifth requirement recognises that all
companies have an impact on the people who work for
them and the communities within which they operate
Ecodesign Strategy Wheel
 Recap
So far we know about:
• The Impact Equation
• Green Design
• Eco Design
• Sustainable Design
• Sustainable Innovation
• Datschefski’s 5 principles
• Techniques including: Eco-it software; MET
matrix; Ecodesign strategy wheel
What does this mean for the Designer?
• The bottom line is that design is a commercial
activity. It follows that those who employ designers
do so to make money
• In each country there is legislation covering
environmental pollution so design has to comply
with legislation, for example:
• ISO14040 – Life cycle assessment:
http://lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/lcainfohub/lcaPage.vm
• However, truly sustainable design needs to go
further/deeper than just the legal obligations
What does this mean for the Designer?
For a design to be sustainable, its
results have to take account of the
triple bottom line –
– People
– Profit
– Planet.
• In order to be successful, it needs to
work on these three separate, yet
dynamic principles.
What does this mean for the Designer?
To be successful requires Consideration of the following:
• materials
• dematerialisation
• design for disassembly and subsequent recycling of parts
• reducing energy consumed by the product in use and
during its manufacture
• extending the useful life of a product
• minimising the distance transported and choosing
efficient forms of transport
 What does it mean for Business?
• Businesses need a sustainable revenue stream,
this means it needs to be aware of the changing
market in terms of environmental impact,
technology, and user behaviour, and to create
products/services that can continue to meet
demand
• This means that there is an increasing need for
designers who are aware of broader trends and
needs in society
 Some food for thought..
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk1oClYJE58

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJgTKx-rg18

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgoPfNCWI6Q
 The End

Any Questions?