Design for Reusability

By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on September 30th,2010%
book

I was on the Treehugger site recently and noticed an article entitled Free Book:Design for Reusability. I thought,fantastic,we need to educate engineers on designing for products for reuse. But the book is for architects. If “greener”architecture interests you you can download the book at Design for Reuse:Public architecture.

If architects are beginning to focus on designing products that do not come from raw materials shouldn’t mechanical and plastic designers? Buildings last a great deal longer than most of our commodity materials.

The problem with design for reuse is the inherent problem with durability . . . →Read More:Design for Reusability

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Sustainable Design –A Work in Progress

By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on August 9th,2010%

I was watching shows about the history of food in America today. Something that stuck with me was the difficulties processed food developpers initially faced because of a lack of packaging that suited the needs of the product. As technologies improved and packaging materials were invented,product was better preserved and better suited to be transported long distances.

source:20100805 104132HiloFoto

When thinking of sustainable design it is important to remember that plastics companies are putting a lot of resources towards developing greener alternatives. Like processed food packaging fifty years ago,if what . . . →Read More:Sustainable Design –A Work in Progress

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An example of Eco-Design

By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on July 31st,2010%
Coke Product Line in Proposed Packaging

Companies seeking to improving their commitment to the environment can do so without eliminating the convenience of their product for their consumers. Designing and re-designing products with a reduced impact in mind can reduce cost and improve the environment.

Andrew Kim has created an example of smart design as part of a freshman midterm project.

By eliminating Coca-Cola’s signature hourglass curves,a bottle is created that can be packed much more tightly in shipping containers. A cavity at the bottom of the bottle allows the bottles to be stacked one on top of the other.

. . . →Read More:An example of Eco-Design

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Challenges of Sustainable Medical Plastics Design

By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on July 29th,2010%

By:SABIC Innovative Plastics

Although we mostly think of plastics as a disposable commodity product,a quick visit to a medical facility will demonstrate the importance of plastics in the health care industry. Medical devices have their own set of regulations,standards,and concerns. Because the safety and health of the patient are paramount,sustainable design is not generally a concern.

While an individual may have environmental concerns,patients are generally unconcerned about the carbon footprint of the ventilator they are currently attached to.

by:someday this will all be replaced by . . . →Read More:Challenges of Sustainable Medical Plastics Design

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Why Invest in Sustainable Design?

By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on July 26th,2010%

Creating consumer products is not only about designing a fantastic product that work for the customer,it is also about making a profit. It is understandable why companies may be reluctant to invest in producing a “greener”product. Especially because so many of the steps taken to reduce a product’s environmental impact are not visible to the end user.

untitled by CIMMYT

The good news,sustainable design in these early stages can actually save a company money. Here are some design aspects:

Appropriate material selection to optimize part properties. Material choices that require less . . . →Read More:Why Invest in Sustainable Design?

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