Book Synopsis

Earth’s natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce, yet the drive for ever-newer products could not be greater. The strain on our natural resources is therefore increasing, but it is our contention that sustainable engineering design must be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Sustainable design incorporates the standard design process with the sustainable sourcing, use, reuse, and disposal of materials ensuring a minimum effect on the planet’s resources. The normal design process merely selects materials for manufacture often with no thought as to the source of the material or the method of disposal after the products life has expired, let alone the possibility of renewed or extended life through easy maintenance. Sustainable design incorporates eco-sourcing at the beginning of the design process and eco-dismantling on the end of the design process. It also incorporates an improvement in product life cycle by designing-in ease of repair and renovation.

Central to this theme is the argument that the ultimate responsibility for sustainability in components, products, and systems belongs with the design function; just as Taguchi suggested the same function also controls quality.

If goods and products are to be produced to use resources efficiently and with low cost, then it is important that awareness, knowledge, and ability are generated in our new graduate designers, and this book proposes and details some useful tools and approaches that can be incorporated into a standard designer’s armoury to ensure that their output moves the planet toward rather than away from a sustainable future.