The Role of Sustainability in New Product Development
Design plays an integral part of everyday life. Every product we own has been designed in some way.
It is estimated that over 80% of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase of a product. This emphasises just how important it is to consider sustainability as a high priority during the product development process.
In many ways the advancement of technology has been hugely beneficial to the environment by allowing products such as books, films and music to be accessed digitally or as a service rather than physically. However, keeping up with the ever-changing tech world leads to consuming products made from unsustainable sources with large carbon footprints.
Smartphones for example are one of our most used tech products as well as our most replaced. The leading brands design phones with the components glued together, resulting in them being difficult to repair and recycle. They also create unsustainable consumer habits encouraging replacement every few years.
Fairphone are an example of the exception to this rule. They design modular phones, built to be repaired and upgraded as technology advances. All materials are sourced sustainably, ensuring workers are paid ethically. The company was founded to raise awareness for sustainable and ethical manufacturing within the smartphone industry with the hope that the market leaders will follow suit.
So, what exactly can be done in order to design products that are more sustainable?
Throughout the product development process there are a number of decisions and approaches that can be taken in order to improve the sustainability of the final product. Some of these are highlighted below.
Human Centred Design
Adopting a human centred design approach can ensure the products developed provide enriching experiences resulting in consumers being less likely to want to replace them.
Design for Disassembly/ Remanufacturing
Avoid using mixed materials and glue where possible.
Reduce the number of parts within the assembly.
Remanufacturing restores a used product back to at least its original performance by replacing and upgrading components. Products must be designed to be easily disassembled/ repaired to allow for this.
Durable Design
Designing products to last in order to lengthen their lifespan. This can be achieved through quality materials and timeless design.
Sustainable Packaging
Product packaging should ideally be made from recyclable or biodegradable materials such as cardboard.
Design the packaging to be as minimal as possible and consider how it could be reused or repurposed.
Products as a service
Another view of how to make products more sustainable is to change the way we consume. Instead of owning products they can be provided as a service. A good example of this would be the adoption of e-scooters in large cities. Instead of an individual owning a scooter they use the service to get them from A to B. This also means the consumer is not burdened with paying for maintenance or dealing with the product at end of life.
Raw Materials
Materials should be chosen from renewable sources as well as local suppliers to reduce shipping distance
Manufacturing
When choosing the manufacturing process the main objectives for sustainability should be to minimise material and energy use.
Manufacturing using renewable energy sourced should also be prioritised.
Transport
Ideally the product should be manufactured in the country its going to be sold to reduce the carbon emissions generated by transport.
Disposal
Choose materials that can be fully recycled
Removing the responsibility of disposal from the consumer and give the option for the product to be returned/ repaired.
Making the shift to sustainable design is not a quick and easy process. It tends to be the case that choosing the sustainable option comes at a higher cost and this can lead to the less sustainable option being chosen. However, prioritising sustainability could lead to higher sales with consumers becoming increasingly more conscious of their environmental impact.
It’s extremely important that as designers we are aware of sustainable design processes. We have a responsibility to ensure the products we produce are designed effectively in order to ensure lower consumption of resources and less waste. For products produced in high volumes even a small change to make the product more sustainable can have a significant impact overall.