Essay About Examination Of A Product And End Of Life Of A Product

Sustainability Models
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Sustainability models:Design for the environment (DfE): DfE strategies aim to reduce the impact of sourcing materials, use less hazardous materials and packaging, and reduce waste and pollution.Life cycle assessment (LCA): An LCA is the examination of a product from the sourcing and processing of the raw material, through manufacture, distribution, use and disposal. It is a scientific approach, not one based on guesswork and opinions.‘Cradle to cradle’ concept: This concept involves a recycling process for the end of life of a product, so that the materials continue to be reused in some way.Design for disassembly (DfD): DfD takes the entire product – including its parts and components and how they are joined – into consideration in the design stage. It aims for easy repair, minimal different types of material in a product and easy identification of materials, so that recycling is easy.Extended producer responsibility (EPR) / Product stewardship: EPR, or product stewardship, is an approach, which recognises that manufacturers, importers, governments and consumers have a shared responsibility for the environmental impacts of a product throughout its full life cycle.Obsolescence:A product becomes obsolete when it is:No longer useful or useableOut of dateCannot be used with current technologyReplaced by another product that is more efficientPlanned obsolescence is when manufacturers design a product to be obsolete within a few months of few years.Some benefits and problems of planned obsolescenceConsumerProducerEnvironment and SocietyBenefits:- Products are cheap.- Products are easily replaced- Consumers feel ‘up to date’- Products can be more efficient and labour saving- Economic benefits for manufacturers and retailers- Business can keep evolving- Staff can be up skilled- Increased employment and wealth for the community- Increased level of hygiene through use of disposable products-Many products make life easier and more enjoyable for people.Problems:- Products are cheap- Products are easily replaced- Consumers can feel ‘up to date’- Products can be more efficient and labour saving- Need to invest in re-skilling and new technology- Constant attention to the product development process- Increase in waste – more rubbish in landfill- Contributes to pollution of air, water and land- Uses up resources – materials, water, etc.- Requires a lot of energyFunctional obsolescence is when manufacturers choose lower-quality materials and processes, knowing that the product will be less durable.Technical obsolescence is when products become obsolete when a new technology or design feature/function is developed.Style obsolescence can be explained as adapting to a changing of trends and fashions. An example of this could be relation to 80’s and 90’s fashion trends compared to the trends in the present day.Scale and types of manufacturing:One-off manufacturing involves the customer or designer that requires a unique article or a large product made to a specific design.Low-volume production involves designing and producing a very low number of products as they are made for a specific situation and not massed produced.