AQA GCSE 4 The six Rs Design and Technology 8552 Unit 4 Common specialist technical principles 4

Objectives Be aware of the role that consumers play in reducing waste and the demand on finite resources Understand the hierarchy of options in responsible and sustainable design

What is sustainable design? Sustainable design aims to reduce any negative impact on the environment, people and the planet This can be applied across all fields of design such as architecture, product and even systems design What do the products below have to do with sustainability?

Our responsibility Consumers, manufacturers and designers have a responsibility to buy and create designs that are as sustainable as possible What will happen if we don’t take our responsibility seriously? Why do consumers and designers still make unsustainable decisions?

The six Rs The six Rs are a set of strategies used to help make more sustainable decisions as a consumer and as a designer: Refuse Rethink Reduce Reuse Repair Recycle

Worksheet 4 Task 1 Match the six R words to the correct definitions The six Rs will help you to design and analyse products

Recycling Primary recycling is reusing without modification e.g. reusing a shopping bag Secondary recycling is modifying a product for a different purpose e.g. making a bird feeder from a plastic bottle Both of these involve re-use

Tertiary recycling Tertiary recycling is reprocessing material from a product e.g. pulping paper and card to make new materials

Miniaturisation Modern materials and composites are often lighter and stronger than traditional materials so less material is needed Micro- and nano-technology means that electronic products are getting smaller and can be housed much more efficiently Which R word does this relate to?

Upcycling There is a growing trend for upcycled products These products are revamped to celebrate past fashions, industrial aesthetics and retro styling Upcycled products are diverted from landfill and reduce the demand for new products

Planned obsolescence Some designers and manufacturers make products that are only built to last a short amount of time Why would designers do this? Why is this particularly common in electronic products?

WEEE Directive Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive sets targets for the recycling of electrical items in the UK Why is dealing with WEEE waste, such as batteries, important? How does WEEE link to planned obsolescence?

The role of consumers As consumers, we have little control over the design and manufacturing decisions made in industry What actions can we take to reduce waste and the demand on finite resources? Does it really make a difference?

Worksheet Task 2 Do I really make a difference? A recent study shows that an individual’s actions can have a significant impact on climate change

Design decisions To develop an idea into a final outcome, choices or design decisions need to be made What aspects of a product do you consider when designing? What if sustainability was your top priority?

Sustainable choices Both of these products are designed to get you from A to B Discuss which ‘R’ words are relevant to each? Which do you think is the most sustainable solution? Why?

Worksheet Task 3 Both these products are designed to provide water to the user Carry out a comparison of these two products using the six Rs Which ‘R’ words are relevant here? Which do you think is the most sustainable solution? Why?

Case study: Nike The Nike Better World ethos aims to create products with lower environmental impact Nike jerseys are made from recycled polyester which reduces environmental impact and diverts waste from landfill Nike Grind manufactures new products from old shoes and waste materials Nike Flyknit trainers have knitted uppers which reduces waste during manufacture

Hierarchy of sustainability This system ranks the six Rs from worst to best in terms of their impact on the environment Which of the six strategies would make the least environmental impact?

Hierarchy of sustainability Working our way down this hierarchy we can make more sustainable design and buying choices Why are Refuse and Rethink placed at the top? What’s so bad about recycling?

Plenary Worksheet Task 4 Match up the different design choices and lifestyle choices to the hierarchy of sustainability Add your own ideas for sustainability and match them to the hierarchy