Abstract
The environmental limits show us clearly that not a single design activity can be carried out without taking into consideration the impact a product will have on nature. The environmental requirements should be considered necessary from the very first stage of product development, along with the costs, performance, legal, cultural and aesthetic requirements.
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Notes
- 1.
Cf. the definition of sustainable development in Chap. 1, Part I.
- 2.
For further details about the environmental effects, Cf. Chap. 4, Part II and Appendix 2.
- 3.
LCA is described in Chap. 13, Part III.
- 4.
The term product Life Cycle can cause some misunderstanding, since it is already used in the management field to point out the different phases characterising the entrance, the stay and the exit of a product on the market.
- 5.
For this purpose, refer to Life Cycle Costing.
- 6.
Some researchers created methods and tools to assess the social impact on the life cycle.
- 7.
Biosphere is the sum of living organisms, or, more precisely, the external part of the Earth surface, on which exist favourable conditions for vegetable and animal life.
- 8.
Geosphere is the total sum of water and land masses.
- 9.
These topics are mentioned again and articulated in the chapters speaking of specific design strategies.
- 10.
For example, the process of transformation of iron into steel under the form of laminate or ingot, of bauxite into aluminium under the form of extruded pieces, or the refining of crude oil and the following synthesis (polymerization) of the obtained monomers into granules of extruded plastics.
- 11.
This matter belongs to the topic of secondary raw materials; its characteristics and problems are delved into more thoroughly in Box 10.1 in Chap. 10.
- 12.
For example, concrete is processed in the truck while being transported to the building yard.
- 13.
Articles of food are consumed; meanwhile, the TV set is used for a certain amount of time.
- 14.
Maintenance comprises the activities of periodic prevention and light adjustment.
- 15.
Upgrading adjusts semi-durable products, substituting parts that have become obsolete.
- 16.
These arguments will be dealt with in depth in Chap. 8, Part II.
- 17.
Re-manufacturing is an industrial process whereby worn-out products are partly processed to return their characteristics to a similar level to what they were initially. For further details, cf. Chap. 8, Part II.
- 18.
Usually occurs with post-consumer materials.
- 19.
For the logical rigour, in reality, these activities, resource consumption and generated emissions, should be counted in the pre-production stage of the product system that is going to exploit the recycled materials. In fact, if the transportation and extraction of primary raw materials are part of it, so should the secondary raw materials that are extracted from the scraps and discards and later transported to the re-manufacturing sites.
- 20.
Illegal landfills present both environmental and social dangers; in fact, there exists a market for toxic waste run by organised crime.
- 21.
Taking, for example, coffee machine, with the function to make good coffee. Without descending into the reasons behind our desire to drink coffee, but instead underlining the possibility to drink it, not only because the coffee machine can make it (in accordance with used energy), but equally due to access to water and coffee. Now we have to calculate the input–output processes of coffee and water as well as the disposable coffee filters. In other words, their production, transportation and disposal have to be included accordingly to the life cycle of coffee machine.
- 22.
Tomas Maldonado speaks of ‘environmental neo-functionalism’; acts of the Design, didactics and environment seminar, CIR.IS Politecnico di Milano, ANPA, 1998.
- 23.
Cf. Keoleian and Menerey (1993), Manzini and Vezzoli (1998).
- 24.
Cf. Lanzavecchia (2000).
- 25.
Cf. Mangiarotti (2000).
- 26.
Some emitted substances can actually have no effect, or a very low effect, even though they come in great quantities, and thus, they would not arise any concern; others (as toxic substances) can be responsible for bad impacts even in small amounts.
- 27.
This topic will be dealt with in Chap. 13, Part III.
- 28.
For further details, cf. the Box Design for Disposal.
- 29.
E.g. it rarely happens that the same manufacturer is the same actor who takes care of disposal.
- 30.
Designed from 5–15 years ago, thus without any strategy to ease their disposal.
- 31.
Incremental modifications exclude significant changes in material flows or production organisation.
- 32.
Radical modifications are those that entail a considerable makeover of the production system.
- 33.
Of course, this is a generalisation, while for certain products, other environmental priorities can exist. Throwaway syringes, for example, are preferable in order to minimise the circulation of viral diseases.
- 34.
Eco-efficiency is a term proposed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and refers to the relation between the value of the product (supplied satisfaction) and its environmental impact (pollution and resource consumption); it indicates the degree to which the reduction in the environmental impact during production, distribution, use and disposal, and the increase in the quality of the goods and services are joined.
- 35.
It is important to observe that these last strategies, more than the first two, go against the industrial and consumption culture dominating the contemporary industrially mature societies. In fact, even though many interesting examples are not following the main lead, the general trend is still to have short-lived products (whose extreme is disposable items) and scarce responsibility by the manufacturer on the product disposal phases. The topic of economic constraints and opportunities will be widely discussed in Chap. 11 of this Part.
- 36.
E.g. using recycled polymers (for less impact) will clash with the guideline to reduce the overall weight of a product. In fact, in order for a recycled component to have equal endurance, it has to be heavier.
- 37.
For further details about the operational criteria and tools to define priorities, cf. the ‘Environmental Strategic Priority Indicators’, Chap. 15, Part III.
- 38.
E.g. substitute throwaway packaging with reusable packaging.
- 39.
E.g. substitute one-piece toothbrushes with ones that have a replaceable bristle brush.
- 40.
E.g. furniture or bicycles.
- 41.
E.g. greater energy efficiency of washing machines that has been raised in recent years by about 40–50% or the standby and timer functions of the electronic appliances.
- 42.
These topics are dealt with in Part III of this book.
- 43.
Cf. the ‘Opportunities and constraints of Life Cycle Design’ paragraph.
- 44.
These topics are dealt with in Part III of this book.
- 45.
Cf. the ‘Opportunities and constraints of Life Cycle Design’ paragraph.
- 46.
For further details, cf. Chap. 15 of this Part.
- 47.
In Part III, criteria and methods to assess environmental impact and the tools to integrate environmental requirements in the product development process are illustrated.
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Vezzoli, C. (2018). Life Cycle Design. In: Design for Environmental Sustainability. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-7364-9_3
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