Sustainable Design

Ecodesign
How to produce
Circular products

Joanna Oleśków Szłapka

Page 1
 What is Sustainable Design?
Safe guarding the world for ourselves and future generations by…

• Using energy & other resources in a way that minimises their depletion.

• Successful sustainable design reduces the environmental impact

throughout the products entire life.

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6R concept
 Life Cycle Assessment

Used to assess and evaluate the environmental impact of the product or packaging
‘from cradle to the grave’ through…

The extraction & The production phase Distribution Use Disposal

processing of raw of the
materials product

Page 4
 Life Cycle Inventory

Determines which raw materials are used and what emissions will occur during the life of
the product.

Including:

• Environmental inputs and outputs of raw materials & energy resources

• Economic inputs and outputs of products

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 Life Cycle Inventory

Example: Life Cycle Inventory of a Coffee Machine

• Reduce paper filter

• Reduce energy required to manufacture

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Manufacture
The analysis of existing manufacturing processes can identify areas that
can be modified to achieve more efficient and cleaner processes.

Designers can use processes with less environmental impact by:

• Using processes that use less energy

• Simplifying the product with fewer parts
• Reducing waste
• Using natural resources efficiently to minimise emissions
• Recycle waste material
• Enhancing quality control to reduce number of faulty items

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Distribution

Congestion on our roads and motorways is increasing and road haulage

companies are significantly adding to this.

Other forms of transport such as trains (especially electric trains) or

waterways are less polluting.

Distribution can use processes with less environmental impact by:

• Reducing or lightening packaging

• Reducing mileage of transportation
• Driving sensibly
• Using ‘alternatives to fossil fuels’

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Use & Maintenance

The designer’s responsibilities do not end after the product reaches the consumer.
Many products are designed so it is virtually impossible to access the internal component if
something goes wrong. This ‘built-in obsolescence’ means that the product cannot be repaired and
therefore has to be discarded and replaced.
Designers can reduce environmental impact by:

• Increasing the durability of product

• Encouraging refill consumables
• Promoting the efficient use of product
• Making component parts easy to replace
• Extend the life of product

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Disposal
There are six options to consider when deciding how to minimise waste production
at the end of the life cycle stage. The six Rs are as follows:

• Reduce • Rethink
• Reuse • Refuse
• Recycle • Repair

The six Rs should be considered by the designer, the manufacturer and the
customer. From a design perspective, to minimise waste and reduce the
environmental impact, the designer can:

• Make products easy to disassemble for recycling

• Limit the use of toxic materials
• Use biodegradable materials where possible
• Arrange collection of materials at end of life stage

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The 6 Rs - Reduce

Reduce the amount of materials Cost savings and improved profit

needed to package a product
Reduced environmental costs

Under the UK Producer Responsibly Organisations (Packaging Waste) Regulations

(1997), manufacturers are obliged to reduce packaging by:

• Considering the materials and design

• Examining the ways of eliminating packaging
• Optimise packaging - match packaging to level of protection needed

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The 6 Rs - Reuse

Minimises the extraction of raw

Reuse of a product
materials and the energy and resources
required for recycling

• Companies have adopted returnable or refillable containers for some products. An

example is the door step delivery of milk. However, whilst refillables appear to offer
environmental benefits they can often require greater use of resources so they can
withstand the rigours of reuse.

• If reuse is viable then the costs of collection, washing and refilling should be less
than producing a new container.

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The 6 Rs - Recycle

Recycling takes waste materials and

Recycling products and reprocesses them to
manufacture something new.

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The 6 Rs - Rethink

Rethink
Rethinking the way a product is
manufactured and redesigned can have
a positive impact on the amount and
type of materials used.

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The 6 Rs - Refuse

Refusing to use certain types of

Refusing materials with the design and
manufacturing process and using a
more sustainable material instead.

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The 6 Rs - Repair

When a product is broken, consider

whether it can it be repaired rather than
Repair being discarded. Repair can help save
on cost and minimise the use of non-
renewable materials and energy used in
the manufacturing process.

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 Eco design
Eco design consists in designing a
product -or service- so as to
minimize its impacts on the
environment.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 3-14 June 1992
www.wbcsd.ch
Eco-design applies at every stage in a product’s life: raw
material extraction, production, packaging,
distribution, use, recovery, recycling, incineration, etc.

Page 17
 Eco design
Carbon, Energy and Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)
The material consumption growth

Global Population
Material
Gross domestic intensity of GDP
product per = the amount
capita of material
consumed
per unit of GDP.

Page 18
 Eco design
Carbon, Energy and Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)
Then energy consumption growth

Energy intensity
Global of GDP = the
Population Gross domestic
product per amount of
capita energy
consumed
per unit of GDP.

Page 19
 Eco design
Carbon, Energy and Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)
Then Carbon emissions growth

Global
Population Gross domestic
Energy Carbon
product per intensity of
intensity of GDP
capita energy
= the amount
of energy
consumed
per unit of GDP.

Page 20
 Eco design
Carbon, Energy and Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)

Page 21
 Eco design
Some of the ways eco-design can
minimize environmental impact

1st stage
Raw materials. Manufacturing a product means first
exploiting raw materials. Extracting and processing these
constituent parts consumes natural resources, uses energy
and is a source of pollution.
Solutions: reduce quantities, choose the most appropriate
materials, transform waste into raw materials, prefer
renewable materials and products that use only one type.

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 Eco design
Some of the ways eco-design can
minimize environmental impact

2nd stage
Production. Manufacturing tends to consume large amounts
of energy because of the complex processes it involves.
Solutions: optimize production processes, use of renewable
energies, assemble products so they are easy to separate into
their different components for repair or recycling (design for
disassembly).

www.unep.fr/shared/publications/other/.../ecosign.pdf
Page 23
 Eco design
Some of the ways eco-design can
minimize impacts

3rd stage
Packaging. Bottles, boxes, cans and other packaging
currently account for over half the volume of household
waste in developed countries.
Solutions: concentrate products, reduce the amount and
volume of packaging to make savings along the chain, from
manufacturing to waste disposal.

Page 24
 Eco design
Some of the ways eco-design can
minimize impacts

4th stage
Transportation. Delocated production, cost-cutting and
liberalized markets all add up to one thing: products travel
thousands of kilometres before being used.
Solutions: choose manufacturing sites according to the
products’ final destination, use combined transport and
alternative fuels, optimize loads.

Page 25
 Eco design
Some of the ways eco-design can
minimize impacts

5th stage:
Use. Using products, operating appliances and maintaining
them in working order requires more or less energy, water,
etc. Usually designed to be frequently replaced, goods
today are increasingly fragile and hard to repair, which
encourages wastefulness and generates waste.
Solutions: design functional, energy-saving or autonomous
products that are lasting, use of renewable energy, safe and
easy to maintain or repair.

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 Eco design
Some of the ways eco-design can
minimize impacts

6th stage:
Disposal and recycling. Worn-out or damaged products
are more or less easy to recycle. The multiple components,
alloys and other combinations of materials from which they
are made render disassembling and processing a complex
and costly procedure.
Solutions: develop reusable or recyclable products and
components, select feedstock materials based on circularity potential
.

Page 27
 Eco design - opportunities
Environmental Aspects, some Dilemma's
Emissions Resources Potential Toxicity
Use of natural
gas instead of + - +
coal to generate (less CO2) (high entropy) (no ash)
energy

Plastics vs. + - -
Metals (less energy (recycling is a (additives)
needed) problem)
- - +
Leadfree solder (more energy (uses more (presence of
needed) scarce resources) lead)
+ -
Use of flame
retardants ? (less material
needed)
(production, end
of life issues)
Page 28
Embodied energy
The embodied energy (Hm) of a material is
the energy per unit mass (MJ/kg) that must be
produc
committed
1kg to
of material e
 Carbon (CO2) footprint
The CO2 footprint is the sum of all the
contributions to CO2 release (kgCO2) per unit
mass (kg) of usable material exiting the plant.

Possible contributes to CO2 release:

- Generation of electric power used by the plants;
- Transportation
- Shaping process
Embodied energy and Carbon (CO2)
footprint of materials
 Philips products with
recycled plastics
running 4 vacuum
cleaners:
25% to 47%
recycled BDP9600 :
plastics 50% recycled plastics
Launched

launched in 2011
Iron E3700:
30% recycled plastics
Senseo
Special edition:
50% recycled
plastics

AJ3570:
>30% recycled
plastics
Prof.Dr.Ir. Ab Stevels Applied EcoDesign, Design for sustainability Lab Delft University of
Technology
 Philips products with
recycled plastics
running
Challenges in

Availability Quality Price

Post Industrial recycled Philips chemical High quality recycled
Plastics (PIR) requirements (RSL) plastics are scarce.
(from industrial waste) too strict for recycled Suppliers tend to
• Offers choice, but materials ask price premium
availability is limited
Conflict in legislation:
Post Consumer recycled • WEEE requires
plastics (PCR) recycling and reuse
(from used products) • REACH requires full
• In principle high transparency of
availability, but difficult to materials
get high quality

Prof.Dr.Ir. Ab Stevels Applied EcoDesign, Design for sustainability Lab Delft University of
Technology
5

ECOdesign
Coca cola – sample activities
 WORLD WITHOUT WASTE - SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Coca-Cola launched World Without Waste in 2018​which centers around

three primary goals:

1. Design
2. Collect
3. Partner

Making 100% of its packaging recyclable globally by 2025—and using at

least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030 (Design); collecting
and recycling a bottle or can for each one that is sold by 2030 (Collect); and
bringing people together to support a healthy, debris-free environment
(Partner).
Coca-Cola Company together with other partners and foundations have
donated more than 1 million recycling bins over the past decade,
awarded more than $17 million in grants to The Closed Loop Fund and The
Recycling Partnership and other organizations to help expand curbside
recycling and provide recycling education to residents in more than
1,400 communities. These combined efforts have diverted more than
800 million pounds of recyclables from landfills.
61% of the equivalent bottles and cans Coca-Cola introduced into
the market in 2021 were collected and refilled or collected for
recycling.

. The company pledged to

collect and recycle a
bottle or can for every
one sold by 2030; to
make all of its packaging
fully recyclable by 2025;
and to make its bottles
and cans with 50%
recycled content by
2030.
90% of Coca-cola packaging is recyclable
globally
Coca-Cola is constantly evolving its packaging
to reduce its environmental impact by increasing
the use of recycled plastic (rPET), which has a
smaller carbon footprint than PET and single-
use plastic.
Coca-Cola is unveiling the first ever sample bottle made using
recovered and recycled marine plastics, demonstrating that, one day,
even ocean debris could be used in recycled packaging for food or
drinks. This sample is the first ever plastic bottle made using marine
litter that has been successfully recycled and reused in food and drink
packaging.

About 300 sample bottles have been

produced using 25% recycled marine
plastic, retrieved from the Mediterranean
Sea and beaches. A small step for now,
but the technology behind it has big
potential.
 Virgin plastic reduction goal

Coca-Cola has set a new goal to reduce the

use of virgin plastic derived from non-
renewable sources by a cumulative 3 million
metric tons over the next five years. In 2025,
depending on business growth, It is projected
that the company will use approximately 20%
less virgin plastic than we do today.

Beverage brands ranging from DASANI to Coca-Cola to Gold Peak have found
a home in PlantBottle packaging, which today accounts for 30% of the
company’s packaging volume in North America and 7% globally. By replacing
up to 30% of the petroleum used to make PET plastic bottles with material from
sugar cane and other plant matter, PlantBottle has avoided the CO2 emissions
equivalent of taking nearly 1 million vehicles off the road since 2009.
INVESTING IN PRODUCTS WITH ADDED
NUTRITION AND ENHANCED BENEFITS​
Coca cola fairlife brand is adding protein to Smartwater+ water enhancers

more diets while introducing new and vitaminwater gutsy

reformulated products that continue to
improve taste and nutritional profile. fairlife
removed nearly 2 million pounds of sugar
from the diets of those who drink fairlife
versus other milk.1 For those looking to
add even more protein to their diets,
Innocent Super Smoothie
fairlife’s Nutrition Plan™ shake offers 30
grams of protein with just 2 grams of sugar. Adez Barista
 WORLD WITHOUT WASTE​

New Reusable Packaging Goal

project: In February 2022, Coca cola
announced an industry-leading reusable
packaging goal. By 2030, the company
is aiming to have at least 25% of their
beverages worldwide by volume sold in
refillable/returnable glass or plastic
bottles or in fountain dispensers with
reusable packaging. This builds on the
company already strong track record
with refillable packaging, especially in
parts of Latin America, Europe, Africa
and Asia.
IKEA sample
actiities

Page 45
 "We have both a big
opportunity and a
big responsibility to
make a positive
difference with our
healthier and more
sustainable food and
home furnishing offer"

IKEA's work focuses on five areas

1. Energy
2. Air
3. Water
4. Food
5. Waste

Page 46
 "Our goal is to cut food production waste by 50% by
the end of 2022 in all IKEA stores globally"

IKEA has been developing an internal tool, the

Sustainability Score, in order to make more informed
decisions about the sustainability of products and
take measures to remove less sustainable materials
(such as non-rechargeable alkaline batteries and
replace them with LADDA rechargeable batteries).
IKEA has already achieved a 46% decrease in waste
when comparing FY21 with FY17.

Page 47
 "Today, water use in the home
makes up about
11% of global freshwater
consumption. By
continuing to develop and
improve the efficiency
of our water-using products
we’re enabling
customers to decrease their
consumption"

Page 48
 IKEA measures to avoid wasting water

New water-efficient Solutions with Flow IKEA joins the 50L Home
solutions Loop Coalition

Launch of showers and IKEA has partnered with The IKEA business has
taps that have a water Flow Loop to develop a joined the 50L Home
regulator. water recycling shower Coalition. The focus is on
solution. The aim is to changing the way we use
save up to 80% of water water in cities, looking at
use, and 70% of energy products and innovation,
use, when compared to but also ensuring those
average shower solutions. innovations are adopted
at scale.
Page 49
 Ensure access to
affordable, reliable,
sustainable and
modern energy for all
Bringing our solar Launching a new and Achieving 100%
panel offer to more more affordable way renewable electricity for
homes for people to save all IKEA units globally
At the end of FY21, the energy As of 1 January 2021,
IKEA home solar offer In FY21, they they secured 100%
was available in 11 introduced SOLHETTA renewable electricity
markets. They LED bulbs, which last for IKEA Industry and
supported customers in about 25,000 hours IKEA Components units
saving more than EUR and are, on average, in China, meaning that
11.7 million on energy more affordable and all operations globally
costs. By 2025, the 35% more energy by IKEA Industry and
goal is to have solar efficient than previous IKEA Components now
panels available in 32 IKEA LED bulbs only consume 100%
IKEA markets. renewable electricity.

Page 50
IKEA has been working on
affordable and well-performing
solutions to help people purify
the air in their homes and on
solutions that improve the air in
the long term. Such as An
affordable air quality sensor for
the home (detects particles from
various sources) and Affordable
air purifiers for the home (filters
about 99.5% of the smallest
airborne particles)

Page 51
 "Take urgent action
to combat climate
change and its
impacts."
During the year 2021, IKEA
managed to reduce its
climate footprint by 1.6 million
tons of CO2 eq in absolute
terms compared to the year
2016 - a reduction of 5.8%. This
means they are on track for the
2030 goal of a reduction of at
least 15% compared to FY16. t.

Page 52
 The IKEA business launched a new programme to accelerate
Accelerating IKEA suppliers’ suppliers’ transition to only consume renewable electricity. The
transition to 100% renewable programme supports over 1,600 direct suppliers and will first be
introduced in three of the largest purchasing countries: Poland,
electricity. China, and India. Achieving 100% renewable electricity in these
countries will save 451,000 tones of CO2 eq emissions per year.
That's equivalent to approximately 2% of the total climate
footprint of the IKEA value chain.

Page 53
LPP- sample activities
Bulk Boxes

LPP Standardized the

size and durability of
bulk cardboard boxes,
thereby increasing the
reusability of
packaging by 50%.
And only recycled
plastics are used in
the e-commerce
packaging of House,
Cropp, and Sinsay
orders.
Eco Ware
Production
LPP has a program
called Eco Ware
Production that
focuses on supporting
their suppliers in
implementing best
practices that reduce
the consumption of
natural resources.
ZDHC
Agreement
LPP is the first Polish
company to join the
Zero Discharge of
Hazardous Chemicals
(ZDHC) agreement,
which aims to ensure
chemical safety
in garment
production.
Achieving full
compliance with the
guidelines for the use
of chemicals in our
industry requires
cooperation with
Cotton Made in
Africa

In 2021, we joined the

Cotton made in Africa
partners of the Aid
by Trade Foundation.
The project aims
to implement an
internationally
recognized standard
for sustainable cotton
farming in Africa.
Responsible
Consumption

The collection of
second-hand clothes
in our shops, which is
then passed
on to disadvantaged
people, allows us
to fulfill our social
mission and reduce our
environmental impact.
Customers of selected
stores in Poland bring
clothes with any label
and leave them
in specially marked
containers.
After classes watch a talk -
How product design can change
the world | Christiaan Maats |
TEDxUniversityofGroningen