Module 3:

Sustainable Design and

Communication
 Sustainable Design

Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on

the environment.

Sustainable design acts as a philosophy that is applied

by different companies, governmental entities, and non-
governmental organizations to achieve a better future
for the human race through the wise and low-volume
consumption of Earth’s resources.

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 Sustainable design principles are
guidelines for creating buildings and
products that minimise the environmental
impact and enhance the social and
economic benefits123.Some of the main
sustainable design principles are
➢Reducing the use of non-renewable
materials and energy.
➢Minimizing waste and promoting recycling
➢Using environmentally preferable products
and materials
➢Protecting and conserving water and
improving water quality
➢Improving indoor air quality and creating
healthy and safe environments

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 Principles of Sustainable Design

Form: Renewable Energy:

• Visual shape of the product • Not carbon energy, may be solar or
• The design should save energy wind energy
consumption, packaging and transporting Durable Design Solutions:
cost • Should reach zero waste
Function & Usability: • Decrease the dependence on Earth’s
• It helps consumers use the product in less resource
time with less energy Design for Reuse and Recycling:
• Less waste and throwaways • Afterlife of the product
Cost-Effective Solution: Bio mimicry:
• Reducing the cost of current sustainable • redesigning industrial systems on
products biological lines
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 LCA

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique to assess environmental impacts associated

with all the stages of a product's life from raw material extraction through materials
processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or
recycling.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology for assessing environmental impacts

associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial product, process, or
service. It is a systematic analysis of environmental impact over the course of the entire
life cycle of a product, material, process, or other measurable activity2. LCA is used to
evaluate the environmental impact associated with a product, process, or service
throughout its entire life cycle

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 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

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 The 4 steps of LCA methodology

1. Goal and scope:

• ensures the LCA is
performed consistently.

2. Inventory analysis:
• look at all the environmental inputs and
outputs associated with a product or
service

3. Impact assessment:
• environmental impacts, impact
on human health

4. Interpretation:
• Check that your conclusions are
well-substantiated
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 Bio mimicry
Bio mimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to
human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.

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 Biomimicry is the science of applying nature-inspired
designs in human engineering and invention to solve
human problems. It draws inspiration from the natural
world to create innovative solutions. Here’s how it
works: 1.Learning from Nature:
Biomimicry involves studying and understanding the
strategies used by living organisms. Designers, known
as biomimics, observe how nature has solved various
challenges over millions of years.
They learn from biological processes, structures, and
behaviors found in plants, animals, and ecosystems.
2.Emulating Nature’s Strategies:
Biomimics emulate these strategies in their designs
and technologies. By doing so, they aim to create
sustainable solutions that align with nature.
Examples include designing materials, systems, and
architecture based on biological principles.

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 3.Positive Outcomes:
Biomimicry has led to remarkable innovations:
Landscape Permaculture: Inspired by natural
ecosystems, permaculture minimizes waste and
maximizes productivity in agriculture. Practices like
rainwater harvesting and rotational grazing enhance
land efficiency.
Architecture: The Eastgate Center in Zimbabwe
mimics termite mounds. It self-regulates internal
temperatures using construction materials with high
heat capacity, reducing the need for air conditioning.
Transportation: Japan’s Sanyo Shinkansen bullet
train imitates the kingfisher bird’s beak shape, reducing
noise and vibrations during high-speed travel

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 5.Hope and Sustainability:
Biomimicry offers an empathetic understanding of life’s
workings. It reminds us that nature holds solutions to our
challenges.
By integrating nature’s wisdom, we can create a more
sustainable future2.
In essence, biomimicry allows us to learn from nature’s
brilliance and apply it to human innovation, fostering
harmony with our planet

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 1.Cockroach Legs Inspire Robotic Hand's Grip Action

2.Sharkskin = Swimsuit

3.Kingfisher bird=Bullet Train etc..

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 Schematic overview of making a sustainable design

Ref: Engineering for sustainabilitya practical guide for sustainable design gerald
16 jonker and jan harmsen, university of groningen
 RECYCLING

⪢ Recycling is the recovery of materials or

components from products for processing.
⪢ The recycling of metals has been an established
process for many years.
⪢ It is generally done through one of two
methods: shredding and separation to recover
both ferrous and non ferrous metals, and
disassembly and recycling to recover metals
and some other materials.
⪢ Plastics recycling is not as well established.

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 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – these three 'R' words are an
important part of sustainable living, as they help to cut
down on the amount of waste we have to throw away.
It's Really simple! Reduce the amount of waste you
produce. Reuse items as much as you can before
replacing them.

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 Plastics can be recovered using a variety of technologies.
• The mechanical recycling of plastics involves melting, shredding
and granulation of waste plastics. Plastics must be sorted prior
to mechanical recycling into polymer types and/or color. The
plastic is then melted down directly and moulded into a new
shape or melted down after being shredded into flakes and then
processed into granules called regranulate.
• Some components such as PCBs, batteries, CRT require
specialist recycling. Many PCBs found in e-waste have a low
intrinsic value and therefore are not economic to recycle.

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 Generally, only those found in IT and telecommunications equipment
have any intrinsic value. These can be processed to recover materials
such as: silver, lead, copper, and gold using a process called Pyrolytic
treatment (smelting) which extracts the precious metals from the
boards.
Design for Recyclability
In the wake of concept of sustainable development, there has always
been a thrust on environment preservation in the manufacturing
sector. Various government regulations and circulars have been issued
to employ the concept of design-for-recycling. The design guidelines
for“green” products and processes can be summarized as:
• Increase efficiency of energy use, while considering environmental
impact.
• Minimize the amount of materials used.
• Use recyclable and biodegradable materials where possible.
remanufacturing
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 Five Benefits of Recycling
1.Recycling reduces waste sent to landfills and
incinerators.
2.Recycling prevents pollution.
3.Recycling conserves natural resources.
4.Recycling conserves energy.
5.Recycling creates jobs, producing economic benefits.

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 ECODESIGN AND DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Over the years environmental philosophies have evolved from green design
to eco-design through to design for sustainability.

Table: Differentiation of environmental design philosophies

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Ecodesign is a sustainable design approach. Whilst
sustainable product design focuses on both social and
environmental sustainability – Ecodesign focuses only on
reducing environmental impact at every step of your
product's life cycle.
 • Good design will ensure a product contains a
rationalized number of materials and components;
that consumer health and safety issues are
considered; that it functions appropriately and
effectively and communicates this function clearly;
that it is ‘styled’ appropriately; is ergonomically
correct and complies with legislation
requirements.
• Eco-design goes further by aiming to reduce the
environmental impact of each stage of the product
life cycle.
• As illustrated in Figure, in product development
terms, the product life cycle covers the whole life
of the product from ‘cradle to grave’, including: the
extraction of the raw materials to make the
product, the manufacturing process; its
distribution, its use and what happens to it at the
end of its life.
• Eco-design is concerned with improving the
environmental impact at each of these stages.
26 Figure: The different elements affecting the product lifecycle
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 ✓ Design for sustainability goes further still to include the
consideration of social issues such as usability, socially

“
responsible use, sourcing and designing to address human
needs.
✓ However many of these issues are often considered under a
range of other banners such as ergonomics, inclusive
design, design for the aged, and design against crime rather
than under the overall remit of design for sustainability.
Furthermore,
✓ Some social issues such as sustainable procurement, ethical
finance, and ethical labour sourcing fall outside the remit of
the designer as they need dealing with at a strategic level.
✓ Alternatively, design for sustainability can be approached in
28 a completely different way by focusing on needs.
Social Innovation
“Social innovation is the process of developing and deploying
effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and
environmental issues in support of social progress”.

Social innovation refers to the design and implementation of new

solutions that imply conceptual, process, product, or
organisational change, which ultimately aim to improve the
welfare and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

29 https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/centers-initiatives/csi/defining-social-innovation
 Charter Schools
Recent Examples of Social Innovation
Publicly funded primary or secondary schools that operate free from some
of the regulations that typically apply to public schools. Administrators,
teachers, and parents thus have the opportunity to develop innovative
teaching methods.

Emissions Trading

A pollution control program that uses economic incentives to reduce

emissions. A cap is set on the total amount of a certain pollutant that can
be emitted, and permits to pollute are issued to all participating businesses.
Those with higher emissions can buy credits from businesses that have
reduced their emissions. Over time, the cap is reduced.

Fair Trade

An organized movement that establishes high trade standards for coffee,

chocolate, sugar, and other products. By certifying traders that pay
producers a living wage and meet other social and environmental
standards, the fair trade movement improves farmers’ lives and promotes
30 environmental sustainability.
 Social Innovation Drivers

The three key mechanisms that are driving

contemporary social innovation:

⪢ Exchange of ideas and values

⪢ Shifts in roles and relationships
⪢ Integration of private capital with public and
philanthropic support

Ultimately, the most difficult and important

problems cannot be understood, let alone solved,
without involving the nonprofit, public, and private
sectors.

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Thanks! 32