Ethics in Design and Technology Learning Objective: To revise the key issues surrounding ethics in design “There are professions more harmful than design, but only a very few of them.” Victor Papanek; Design for the Real World 1985

How green are these products? Task: - Rank these products according to their environmental and social impact.

6 - Toyota Prius A ‘Hybrid’ car, but the manufacture and use of cars still has a huge impact on the environment. A 2001 study by the Institute for Life Cycle Environmental Assessment found that even a fully electric vehicle generated almost as much CO2 over its life cycle as a normal car, if the original power source used at the factory, and to recharge the batteries, came from coal.

5 - iphone Mobile phones contain components and materials sourced from around the world, many of which are rare and difficult to obtain. Columbite-Tantalite (CT) is a mineral vital in the production of mobile phones, it is mainly found in the Congo, Africa, where it is mined by hand. Some miners earn a good wage, but often have their money stolen by the militia who control the area. Some miners are children.

4 - Wind-up radio Although materials and manufacture are conventional, there is no need to provide batteries or a power source for the radio while it’s being used.

3 – Fleece Jacket Patagonia’s fleeces are made from100% recycled plastic bottles. They are also made in factories that pay fair wages and ensure good working conditions.

2 – Self assembly chair This chair, as well as being made from a recyclable and sustainable material, is designed to be cheap to transport and is even made from its own packaging.

1 - Coat hanger light Locally made in a small workshop from a reused waste product. = A very low environmental and social impact.

Lifecycle Analysis Lifecycle analysis (LCA) is used to work out the environmental impact of a product throughout its whole life (from extraction of materials through to final disposal). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gO8RJPwJHo&feature=related

Raw Materials What a product is made of and where the materials come from can make a huge difference in environmental and social impact. Extraction: Consider the energy needed to extract oil, ores and timber. Look at the environmental impact of mining deforestation and other issues related to the extraction of raw materials. Transportation: Where are raw materials made? How are they transported nationally and internationally? Processing: What are the environmental and energy requirements of transforming the raw materials by chemical or physical processes into usable materials?

Manufacture Most products will require machine processing. The manufacturing industry requires energy for machines, lighting, heating etc. Textile products are often dyed during manufacture: The chemicals used my have an environmental impact. Some manufacturers do not pay their employees a fair wage. Working conditions in developing countries can be very poor when compared to factories in Europe or America.

Transportation and Packaging How a product is transported, what kind of packaging is used and the distance it travels can sometimes have the greatest environmental impact. Is the product heavy or light, large or small? Is there minimal packaging, and what is the packaging made from?

Using the Product Some products require no further energy in usage. Many products such as cars washing machines and dishwashers use significant amounts of energy. Some products, such as milk bottles are reused; energy is used for cleaning before refilling. Detergents used may have an environmental impact.

Disposal Recyclability and reuse are critical elements in the environmental impact of consumer products. For this reason it is important to maximize clean recycled and recyclable content and design products for easy disassembly. It is also key to give consumers ‘end-of-use’ options so they can responsibly dispose of products they no longer need. Collection of waste requires energy. Incineration centres use energy to dispose of waste and can emit atmospheric pollutants, although many reclaim the energy created by incineration for useful purposes. Landfill systems often impact on the environment.

Carbon Footprint At each stage of the product lifecycle, energy is used to process, transport and dispose of the product. The energy needed to produce the product releases carbon dioxide. The carbon footprint is the calculation of the carbon dioxide produced throughout the product’s life.

Lifecycle Analysis Task Look at the product you have been given, Try to analyse it’s environmental and social impact at each stage of its lifecycle. Life cycle analysis - example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gO8RJPwJHo&feature=related

What can we do? - The Six Rs Rethink what materials and energy we use and the way we use it. Reduce the materials we use and try to create products that are multifunctional. Reuse materials or products. Repair existing products rather than buying new ones; don’t design for obsolescence. Recycle materials where possible; try to use recycled materials in new products. Refuse to use certain materials or to buy certain products if they are not needed.

Design task: Try to use the six Rs to improve the design of your chosen product. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMasgfo1BdA

Key Words The _____ _______ is the calculation of the carbon dioxide produced throughout the product’s life. If a product is designed to be unusable after a certain time, it is know as ___________. _________ _______ (LCA) is used to work out the environmental impact of a product throughout its whole life. A s__________ product is one which is designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. E______ design is important because it ensures people are treated fairly during the design and manufacture of the product.