This is basically a list of eco design principles devised by the well-respected IDSA organisation.
Right. So I would just like to take this opportunity to state for the record that Vayakora is committed to implementing all of these design practises for our entire range of products. But we fully intend to go one step further even than this; we are going to try to ensure that all of the materials used in the tooling, moulds and manufacturing processes we select will adhere to these guidelines as well.
Use ecodesign strategies appropriate to the product
- Reduce overall material content and increase the percentage of recycled material in products.
- Reduce energy consumption of products that use energy.
- Specify sustainably grown materials when using wood or agricultural materials.
- Design disposable products or products that wear out to be more durable and precious.
- Eliminate unused or unnecessary product features.
- Design continuously transported products for minimal weight.
- Design for fast, economical disassembly of major components prior to recycling, and
- Design products so that toxic components (electronics, etc.) are easily removed prior to recycling.
Perform comprehensive environmental assessment
- Consider all of the ecological impacts from all of the components in the products over its entire life cycle, including extraction of materials from nature, conversion of materials into products, product use, disposal or recycling and transport between these phases.
- Consider all ecological impacts including global warming, acid rain, smog, habitat damage, human toxicity, water pollution, cancer causing potential, ozone layer depletion and resource depletion.
- Strive to reduce the largest ecological impacts, and
- Conduct life cycle impact assessment (LCA) to comprehensively identify opportunities for improving ecological performance.
Encourage new business models and effective communication
- Support product ‘take back’ systems that enable product up-grading and material recycling.
- Lease the product or sell the service of the product to improve long-term performance and end-of-life product collection.
- Communicate the sound business value of being ecologically responsible to clients and commissioners.
- Discuss market opportunities for meeting basic needs and reducing consumption, and
- Present superior product quality claims (‘energy saving’, ‘contains less toxic waste’, etc.) along with other performance features.