Keynote for TSB on role of design in the circular economy, November 2012

1. good
design
and
the
circular
economy
@frank_oconnor
Director
@ecodesigncentre
!

2. to
believe
in
something,
and
not
to
live
it,
is
dishonest.
Mahatma
Gandhi

4. we
live
in
a
throwaway
society
Image www.castlereagh.gov.uk
…………
but
there
is
no
away

6. every design choice has
a consequence
bad design
is a crime
image
source:
Chris
Jordan

7.
98%
of
products
are
thrown
away
within
6
months
source:
Edwin
Datschefski
&
United
NaKons
University
source: ads-ngo.com

8. 80%
of environmental
impacts
can be locked-in at
the design stage

9. designers interact
between industry, users
and other actors
industry
design
consumers

10. designers can influence
how people consume,
use, behave …
industry
design
consumers

11. !
our mission is to make good design happen

14. image
source:
Fuse
/
GeNy

15. the
single
biggest
problem
in
communicaKon
is
the
illusion
that
it
has
taken
place
George
Bernard
Shaw

16. source:
Nathan
Halle6

17. image
source:
jubbling.com

18. source: ZIPcars

20. source:
Apple

21. neodymium
car
speaker
source: Harman & wiki

22. polluKon
true
cost
source: hybridcars.com

23. toxicity,
health
true
cost
source: dailymail.co.uk

24. recovery
true
cost
source: retrench.co.uk

25. low
carbon
/
high
on
criKcal
materials
source: mywindpowersystem.com

26. NO
MAGIC MATERIALS

27. way
forward?

35. 1
Cradle to Cradle
“remake the way we
make things” thinking about the materials we use, how
our products are designed and assembled, and their cycles
of use with our customers.
No matter how good your products are, there comes a time
when their first useful life comes to an end. In considering
product life cycles Cradle to Cradle asks us to re-think the
commonplace approach of “take, make & waste” and this
prompted us to act.
During the early stages of the design of Ara we established a
relationship with one of Cradle to Cradle’s authors, renowned
industrial chemist Micheal Braungart. Throughout the
development we have been working with EPEA, Micheal’s C2C
organisation based in Hamburg.
We’ve always very carefully considered the materials that we use
in our products but our aim in working with EPEA is to ensure
that what we’re using is truly safe, for humans and the
environment alike, and successful in technical cycles of reuse.
This means looking in much more detail at every chemical
disassembly
tested it like mad.
other plastic bases ours is 100% recyclable. And rest assured we
a base without a collar insert. A simple point but unlike almost
Smart design and careful material selection has enabled us to cre
difficult to remove.
not so great when you come to recycle it, as the collar can be ver
the base. Great for not dragging your chair across the carpet but
collar moulded into the plastic to stop the gas lift creeping throug
sense they are, and with very few exceptions they all have a m
plastic chair bases are pretty much the same, aren’t they? Well in
ourselves the question - some look much better than others but
Not the most complicated part on a task chair, granted, but we as
recyclable.
Do something really simple; make the chair base 100%
we’ve ever made.
armrest that’s robust, easy to use and probably the most comforta
with a separate insert made from recycled foam. The result is
more effectively. The traditional PU is replaced by a flexible polym
than ever, using materials that could be segregated easily and recyc
Our goal was to design a new arm pad that was more comforta
Arm support that’s there only when you need it.
controls that are easy to operate and labelled clearly.
tuned and balanced to your precise needs, using adjustment
smart engineering inside the mechanism means the ride can be
We know that people come in all shapes and sizes. That’s why
ingredient in the materials we use; to determine which inhibit
this aim and need to be substituted or remove as a result.
end of life Returning your ARA at ‘End of Life’
cradle to cradle
Cradle to Cradle is an approach to design which looks to make
us truly environmentally effective, by developing products for
closed loop systems in which all the materials used are safe and
beneficial - either to biodegrade naturally or to be fully recycled
into high quality materials for subsequent product generations,
again and again. In order for us to maximise the value of the
materials used in your chair we’d like to get them back once
you’ve finished with them. It’s pretty simple, all you need to do
is visit our website at www.orangebox.com/endoflife.htm

36. 2
30% part reduction
30% faster assembly
37% weight
dematerialisation

37. local eol dematerialise

38. 20 kg 15 kg

41. 1
!
mindset
changes
think
‘resource’
instead
of
‘waste’
think
‘need’,
‘use’
instead
of
‘consume’
transform
‘stuff’,
don’t
destroy
it
think
people,
think
‘share’
ensure
you
are
contribuCng,
relevant

42. 2
!
circular
economy
consideraKons
consideraCon
of
full
life
cycles
/
system
consideraCon
of
all
‘sustainability’
issues
/
focus
on
greatest
impact
no
shiF
of
pressure
between
stages
of
life
cycle
/
true
cost
creaCon
of
goods
and
services
with
higher
overall
quality
and
value
/
transformaCve
use
cycles
embrace
new
models
of
business
&
ownership

43. 3
!
good
design
criteria
long-­‐life
non-­‐toxic
localise
renewable
energy

44. !
designed,
made,
remade.
zero
waste.
only
resource
passport
source:
Habufa

45. !
a
world
where
good
design
is
the
norm

46. thanks.
good
luck.
ecodesigncentre.org
edcshare.org
@ecodesigncentre
@frank_oconnor