EcoRedesign was a task that basically made us think of of a product and the amount of impact it has on the environment during its lifecycle.
Our Group dissected a kettle into sub-assemblies then analysing its materials, manufacturing processes and transport emissions.
Our group results are posted on Wawen Chan's Blog
Saturday 19 March 2011
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Task 2b: Sustainable Consumption
I can safely say that watching two simple animations on how “electronic waste” and “bottled water” has demonstrated the impact on our culture, environment and economic societies through organizations lack of ethical sustainability.
The fact that 95% of waste purchased in a week is thrown out reflects our sustainability morals. I would like to think that I do my bit in recycling and perhaps, re-use certain items. In many ways I am naïve in what is being processed around me especially electronic waste. I was unfamiliar that an abundance of electronic waste each year is transited to developing nations resulting in unsafe practices of removing the few valuable materials and indulging in harmful human and environmental contaminates such as lead.
Our small field trip to a western Sydney Injection molding factory, as nice and new as it was, made me think, does it really have satisfactory benefits to the environment. I don’t think so. I was told today by this particular person that any rejected mold would be sent to china for recycling. However, prior we visited a similar plastic manufacturing company who in fact do recycle their rejected plastics on site. To put in perspective one did and one didn’t. I thought how shipping rejected plastic parts can be cheaper to send to china then to find out that it returns granulated. Would it be more sustainable, more efficient and smarter economics to recycle locally, knowingly understanding that this is becoming driving industry in Australia.
Another topic I came across in my video presentation was the story of bottled water. Ok, I doubt the fact that you can ever stop the production of plastic water bottles or bottles in the first place. However I do believe it comes down to attitude. Attitude I saw whilst travelling overseas through Europe. Yes, many countries through Europe have high bottle purchase rates just for the fact that many countries have poor water systems. At the same time many ancient cities have fountains where you can top up for free. I have seen this system been erected in my local council as well. The short video of the “story of Bottled Water” explained that empty water bottles are shipped to India from the US, shifting the problems across the world. Pretty much out of sight, out of mind.
I personally see the future in plastic goods, and I also see the future in creating local sustainable industries. I do believe that firstly it’s a cultural attitude and understanding the real effects of human, environment and ultimately monetary benefits have on our community. The quicker the big corporations get involved and see local benefits too, the quicker we can transform the globe.
The fact that 95% of waste purchased in a week is thrown out reflects our sustainability morals. I would like to think that I do my bit in recycling and perhaps, re-use certain items. In many ways I am naïve in what is being processed around me especially electronic waste. I was unfamiliar that an abundance of electronic waste each year is transited to developing nations resulting in unsafe practices of removing the few valuable materials and indulging in harmful human and environmental contaminates such as lead.
Our small field trip to a western Sydney Injection molding factory, as nice and new as it was, made me think, does it really have satisfactory benefits to the environment. I don’t think so. I was told today by this particular person that any rejected mold would be sent to china for recycling. However, prior we visited a similar plastic manufacturing company who in fact do recycle their rejected plastics on site. To put in perspective one did and one didn’t. I thought how shipping rejected plastic parts can be cheaper to send to china then to find out that it returns granulated. Would it be more sustainable, more efficient and smarter economics to recycle locally, knowingly understanding that this is becoming driving industry in Australia.
Another topic I came across in my video presentation was the story of bottled water. Ok, I doubt the fact that you can ever stop the production of plastic water bottles or bottles in the first place. However I do believe it comes down to attitude. Attitude I saw whilst travelling overseas through Europe. Yes, many countries through Europe have high bottle purchase rates just for the fact that many countries have poor water systems. At the same time many ancient cities have fountains where you can top up for free. I have seen this system been erected in my local council as well. The short video of the “story of Bottled Water” explained that empty water bottles are shipped to India from the US, shifting the problems across the world. Pretty much out of sight, out of mind.
I personally see the future in plastic goods, and I also see the future in creating local sustainable industries. I do believe that firstly it’s a cultural attitude and understanding the real effects of human, environment and ultimately monetary benefits have on our community. The quicker the big corporations get involved and see local benefits too, the quicker we can transform the globe.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Task 2a: Recycling
Task 2a: Understanding Recycling
Recycling, re-using and “giving packaging a new life”, in many ways is seen as a resurrection of life that is often under appreciated. Commercialism is brought by the ever increasing demand of products and services that fuel “our” lifestyles. It is “our” way of life that sparks these wants and needs through organic materials and processes such a wood/paper, plastics, glass and metals.
My experience in Germany while I visited during September 2010 changed my perception on what I thought was a very conservative nation. After watch the Duales Systems “Giving Packages a New Life” it has strengthened my experience and perception of Germany as a forward thinking, state of the art and sustainable nation. The German government has encourages recycling by providing a rebate credit on every recyclable product, i.e. glass bottles, PETE bottles, can etc.
The way that the government is pro-active with furthering sustainability in many ways is inspiring and encouraging as it is killing two birds with one stone. It is not only saving the environment in landfill but also producing less energy to recycle a product then creating it from virgin materials, i.e. recycled aluminium is 95% is more energy efficient than comparable raw aluminium. In hindsight after experiencing firsthand the bottle recycling process at the German supermarkets and walking past all the renewable initiatives on the streets I understand why they have done so, money. It has creating a new clean industry, provided jobs and decreased the amount of imported raw goods, while still upholding a self sufficient advanced lifestyle.
It is said that we are phasing into the 6th wave of innovation, founded by Russian economist Nikolai Kondratiev, known as the Kondratiev law of innovation/economy. This 6th wave suggests that our trends and lifestyle is environmentally driven, and more focused on sustainability. Opportunities will arise, as seen in Germany’s recycling programs, technology and systems, demonstrating new force of lifestyle and wellbeing through better and safer goods.
I can safely say that materials and its lifecycle will definitely be in mind when conceptualising new designs. These short segments have demonstrated that there are social and environmental benefits throughout its process being the catalyst for future needs and technological innovations, i.e. the introduction of the steam engine to transportations in railways to communications and recently seen, sustainability.
Overall I personally have seen the impact on sustainability, developing technologies and social benefits of good design using fundamental resources aiding our wellbeing and lifestyle through simple measures of recycling products like glass, metals, paper and woods.
Recycling, re-using and “giving packaging a new life”, in many ways is seen as a resurrection of life that is often under appreciated. Commercialism is brought by the ever increasing demand of products and services that fuel “our” lifestyles. It is “our” way of life that sparks these wants and needs through organic materials and processes such a wood/paper, plastics, glass and metals.
My experience in Germany while I visited during September 2010 changed my perception on what I thought was a very conservative nation. After watch the Duales Systems “Giving Packages a New Life” it has strengthened my experience and perception of Germany as a forward thinking, state of the art and sustainable nation. The German government has encourages recycling by providing a rebate credit on every recyclable product, i.e. glass bottles, PETE bottles, can etc.
The way that the government is pro-active with furthering sustainability in many ways is inspiring and encouraging as it is killing two birds with one stone. It is not only saving the environment in landfill but also producing less energy to recycle a product then creating it from virgin materials, i.e. recycled aluminium is 95% is more energy efficient than comparable raw aluminium. In hindsight after experiencing firsthand the bottle recycling process at the German supermarkets and walking past all the renewable initiatives on the streets I understand why they have done so, money. It has creating a new clean industry, provided jobs and decreased the amount of imported raw goods, while still upholding a self sufficient advanced lifestyle.
It is said that we are phasing into the 6th wave of innovation, founded by Russian economist Nikolai Kondratiev, known as the Kondratiev law of innovation/economy. This 6th wave suggests that our trends and lifestyle is environmentally driven, and more focused on sustainability. Opportunities will arise, as seen in Germany’s recycling programs, technology and systems, demonstrating new force of lifestyle and wellbeing through better and safer goods.
I can safely say that materials and its lifecycle will definitely be in mind when conceptualising new designs. These short segments have demonstrated that there are social and environmental benefits throughout its process being the catalyst for future needs and technological innovations, i.e. the introduction of the steam engine to transportations in railways to communications and recently seen, sustainability.
Overall I personally have seen the impact on sustainability, developing technologies and social benefits of good design using fundamental resources aiding our wellbeing and lifestyle through simple measures of recycling products like glass, metals, paper and woods.
Thursday 3 March 2011
Ecological Footprint
Task 1
How many planet earths do you need to support your daily consumption? Questionably my answer is 5.71 earths compared to the global average of 1.5 earths.
With evermore curiosity, education and government initiatives our global impact will inevitably increase due to global population growth. I can understand my position by supposably living beyond my means however I believe this document is only a reference with many unexplained variables, such as it doesn’t consider motorbike transport, how big your garden is, how many trees or square meters of grass in your dwelling and it averages per household energies without taking into account kilowatt per hour usage.
Although that the principles are set, I do believe that my environmental impact is considerably lower as I ride a motorcycle, have a large garden that compensates for carbon and a shared household, empty during the day.
http://myfootprint.org/en/your_results/?id=1168736
How many planet earths do you need to support your daily consumption? Questionably my answer is 5.71 earths compared to the global average of 1.5 earths.
With evermore curiosity, education and government initiatives our global impact will inevitably increase due to global population growth. I can understand my position by supposably living beyond my means however I believe this document is only a reference with many unexplained variables, such as it doesn’t consider motorbike transport, how big your garden is, how many trees or square meters of grass in your dwelling and it averages per household energies without taking into account kilowatt per hour usage.
Although that the principles are set, I do believe that my environmental impact is considerably lower as I ride a motorcycle, have a large garden that compensates for carbon and a shared household, empty during the day.
http://myfootprint.org/en/your_results/?id=1168736
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