Sustainability. What does it mean for design technology? rethink, reuse, reduce, repair, refuse, recycle.

In your end of year assessments you will need to identify and discuss the social, cultural, moral and environmental issues of the products you are designing. The following slides give you some prompts and ideas you should be considering when you are annotating your design work and justifying your ideas.

Textiles Fabrics and fibres from animals and plants. Natural dyes from plants and fruits and flowers instead of chemicals that pollute rivers and are harmful to those who produce the fabrics. Throw away fashion is cheap and mass produced. Fabrics and fibres from animals and plants. Organic wool and cotton Bamboo, hemp and linen Recycled polyester from drinks bottles Fashion uses more water than any other industry other than agriculture. Eco friendly / green designers think about the environment when designing their products Product life cycle. What materials are used? how is it made? What happens when its finished with? Textiles Recycle – buttons, fabrics etc Reduce – amounts of water used in fashion production. Reuse – fabric/clothes to make new products. Refuse – shopping habits, buy when you need to. Rethink – child labour in mass production, poor wages and working conditions in third world countries = cheap clothes Repair – clothing and products Eco fabrics made from recycled plastic (fleece) Eco fabrics made from renewable fibres - wood pulp makes viscose Organic fibres like cotton Fair trade fabrics like cotton

Product design Cultural issues of design. Product life cycle. Different tastes in design Different meanings of colours eg red means good fortune in China but mourning in Africa Product life cycle. What raw materials are used to manufacture? Some products designed in order to fail so people have to re buy – huge waste, moral and social issue End of life – how do we dispose of product/or reuse or recycle Product design 6 Rs Reduce, Repair, Rethink Refuse, Recycle, Reuse Manufacturing methods. Use of robots – quicker and more accurate, more efficient and cost efficient. Less people employed but some higher skilled programming jobs. greater pollution potential Mass production in some countries could mean child labour, low wages and poor working conditions. Packaging. What materials are used? Re useable packaging – eg coffee jars, washing powder containers Recyclable packaging Size of packaging – is it wasteful/too much? Shipping costs/size – Apple packaging is very small so more cost effective and less material used.

Food Health issues Cultural foods Are your products healthy an balanced? Why are fats and sugars only a small part of your diet? Obesity – heart disease, high blood pressure etc Lack of vitamins and minerals causes health problems Too much sugar in fizzy drinks causes tooth decay and weight gain. Cultural foods Foods from other countries Foods eaten for special occasions and festivals Foods eaten by different religions and groups. Diets for vegans, vegetarians, low fat diets, gluten free etc Take away and ready meals high in salt and sugar. Make your own. Food Food waste Only buy what you need and use left overs to make something else Moral issues Free range products – animals kept in better conditions and have better diets – expensive to buy Organic products do not use any chemicals or pesticides - better for you – expensive Buy Red Tractor, RSPCA approved, Fairtrade products you know the animals are well cared for. Cheap food often produced using cheap labour and poor working conditions. Seasonal food Food miles. Foods that travel from other parts of the world use large amounts of fuel, cause pollution, and aren't always ripe and ready to eat. Foods grown locally use less pollution, help the local economy. Why is it best to eat food in season?

Resistant materials Product life cycle. What raw materials are used to manufacture? Some products designed in order to fail so people have to re buy – huge waste, moral and social issue End of life – how do we dispose of product/or reuse or recycle Resistant materials Reduce - think about the materials you are using Repair – can you repair instead of buying again? Rethink – are there any moral, ethical, environmental issues you should be thinking of? Refuse –Don’t buy or use any materials or products that you don’t need Recycle – could the materials or product have another life as something else? Reuse - how can you use materials and products again to extend their life? Manufacturing What materials are used? Are they sustainable – wood, plastic and metal. Chemicals etc used in manufacturing. Do they harm the environment? Mass production in some countries could mean child labour, low wages and poor working conditions.