Designing and manufacturing products –

Ecological issues
Making a product uses resources, such as raw materials and energy. This has an impact on the environment.

Raw materials are sourced through:

• Mining
• Drilling
• farming
Ecological issues

Deforestation Destroying natural habitats

Water pollution Air pollution

There are a number of things that a designer might think about to reduce environmental impact:

• The material used to make the product.

• The life of the product.
• What happens to the product at the end of its life.

Some products are made from lots of components and different materials. This can make it awkward to recycle.

Design for disassembly helps with this problem.

What do you think is meant by design for disassembly?

Why is design for disassembly a good thing for the environment?

Biodegradable

Capable of being broken down (decomposed) rapidly by the

action of microorganisms (bacteria).

Able to decay (break down) naturally and in a way that is

not harmful to the environment.

What are the advantages of biodegradable materials?

Biodegradable materials include:

• Paper
• Cardboard • Cornstarch Polymer
• Wood
• Cotton

• Potatopak
Some products are designed to become obsolete (useless) quickly.

• Products that break easy

• Products which are very expensive to repair
• Products which become unfashionable

This is called planned obsolescence.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of planned obsolescence?

Some products are designed so they can be fixed or cleaned easy.

This is known as designed for maintenance.

Some products would be really expensive or inconvenient to keep replacing.

Think about road signs….

- Easy to clean

- Easy to repair