Topic 3: Green Design (9 hours)

Green design involves taking a “cradle to grave” approach to the design of a product by considering the

adverse impacts of the product at all stages of its life (pre-production, production, distribution, including

packaging, utilization and disposal) and seeking to minimize those impacts.

3.1 Principles of Green Design

2 hours

	Assessment statement	Obj	Notes	References
3.1.1	Define green design, renewable resources and non-renewable resources	1	Considering the adverse impact of the product on the environment at every stage ( design, production, use, disposal) and minimizing these effects.	Design: Green E4S Step Green Biz Green Clean Intro
3.1.2	Outline the reasons for green design.	2	Consider consumer pressure and legislation	Green Activity
3.1.3	List design objectives for green products	1	Objectives include: • increasing efficiency in the use of materials, energy and other resources • minimizing damage or pollution from the chosen materials • reducing to a minimum any long-term harm caused by use of the product • ensuring that the planned life of the product is most appropriate in environmental terms and that the product functions efficiently for its full life • taking full account of the effects of the end disposal of the product • ensuring that the packaging and instructions encourage efficient and environmentally friendly use • minimizing nuisances such as noise or smell • analysing and minimizing potential safety hazards.	Clean Technology Green Issues Responsible Design Strategy and Analysis
3.1.4	Discuss the impact of “take back” legislation on designers and manufacturers of cars, refrigerators and washing machines	1		Knowledge Car Take Back Lets Recycle Eco Label Waste Online
3.1.5	Explain how people can be broadly classified according to their attitudes to green issues.	3	People’s attitudes to green issues vary. Eco-warriors actively demonstrate on environmental issues. Eco-champions champion environmental issues within organizations. Eco-fans enthusiastically adopt environmentally friendly practices as consumers. Eco-phobes actively resent talk of environmental protection.	Responsible Design Slide Show
3.2 GREEN DESIGN: LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS 5 hours
3.2.1	Define life cycle analysis.	1	The assessment of the effect a product has on the environment from the initial concept to disposal.	Enviro Wise
3.2.2	Describe how life cycle analysis provides a framework within which clean production technologies and green design can be evaluated holistically for a specific product.	2		Slide Show
3.2.3	List the key stages in life cycle analysis.	1	Pre-production, production, distribution including packaging, utilization and disposal.	Winds of Change
3.2.4	List the major environmental considerations in life cycle analysis	1	Water, soil pollution and degradation, air contamination, noise, energy consumption, consumption of natural resources, pollution and effect on ecosystems	Slide Show
3.2.5	Describe how the life cycle stages and the environmental considerations can be organized into an environmental impact assessment matrix.	2	Each stage of the life cycle analysis mapped against water relevance, soil pollution and degradation, air contamination, noise, consumption of natural resources, and the effects on ecosystems on a matrix – see resources	Winds of Change
3.2.6	Analyse the environmental impact of refrigerators, washing machines and cars using an environmental impact assessment matrix.	3	Use the environmental impact matrix	Clean Tech Green Issues
3.2.7	Explain why elements of the matrix may differ in importance according to the particular design context.	3	For example in the case of cars the larger part of energy consumption takes place in the use rather than the manufacture.
3.2.8	Identify the roles and responsibilities of the designer, manufacturer and user at each life cycle stage of a product	2		Slide Show Sony Recycling
3.2.9	Describe one example of a situation where life cycle analysis identifies conflicts that have to be resolved through prioritization.	2
3.2.10	Explain that life cycle analysis is targeted at particular product categories.	3	Life cycle analysis is targeted at products with a high environmental impact and in the global marketplace. It is then impossible for companies to argue that their products are being made uncompetitive. Life cycle analysis also targets companies with the resources to invest in R&D.	Winds of Change
3.2.11	Explain why life cycle analysis is not widely used in practice.	3	Life cycle analysis is not used for many products. However, in the re-innovation of the design of a product or its manufacture, specific aspects may be changed after considering the design objectives for green products. Thus the materials selected may be changed to make them more environmentally friendly, for example, wood from sustainable forests or the selection of a less toxic varnish. A product may be distributed differently or its packaging may be redesigned.
3.2.12	Describe the reasons for the introduction of eco-labelling schemes.	2		Eco label members Greenbiz Treehugger
3.2.13	Explain how eco-labelling reflects life cycle analysis of certain product categories.	3
3.2.14	Compare the objectives of two different eco-labelling schemes.	3	Consider approaches to eco-labelling in Europe, Australia and the United States (US).	DEFRA HKfep Green Seal
3.2.15	Explain how eco-labelling and energy-labelling schemes can help consumers to compare potential purchases.	3		Environmentally Conscious
3.3 GREEN DESIGN: STRATEGIES FOR GREEN DESIGN 2 hours
3.3.1	Define design for manufacture (DfM).	1	Designers design specifically for optimum use of existing manufacturing capability	Co-Design Sony
3.3.2	Describe why DfM can be a dominating constraint on the design brief and state that it can be conveniently split into design for materials, design for process and design for assembly.	2		Sony
3.3.3	Define design for materials, design for process and design for assembly.	1	DFM – designing in relation to materials during processing DFP – designing to enable the product to be manufactured using a specific manufacturing process. DFA – designing taking account of assembly at different levels
3.3.4	Discuss three strategies that designers could employ for DfM.	3	Strategies include: minimizing the number of components, using standard components, designing components that are multifunctional or for multi-use, designing parts for ease of fabrication, minimizing handling, and using standard sub-assemblies.	Sony
3.3.5	Describe how designers can modify the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of their product through careful consideration at the design stage.	2		EnviroWise
3.3.6	Define reuse, repair, reconditioning and recycling.		Reuse – use again in the same or different context Repair – the reconstruction or renewal of a part of an existing structure Reconditioning – rebuilding to make as new. Recycling – using materials from obsolete products to create other products	wasteonline Sony Recycling Strategy and Analysis
3.3.7	Describe how reuse, repair, reconditioning and recycling contribute to the optimization of resource utilization.	2		Sony Recycling
3.3.8	Describe how the strategies of reuse, repair and recycling can be applied to the design of products, including packaging.	2	For example, consider disposable cameras, vacuum cleaners and car tyres.	Sony Recycling
3.3.9	List three material groups that can be easily and economically recycled	1	Consider thermoplastics, metals and glass, textiles and paper.	Patagonia
3.3.10	Describe how many products comprise several different materials, and state that these materials have to be separated to enable recycling.	2
3.3.11	Discuss the issues underpinning the economic recycling of materials.