Introduction
Profession arrangements aimed at developing and implementing sustainability and ecological policies are getting more significant in today’s environment. The society being more focused towards environmental problems, the designers play a prominent role by participating regarding the sustainable measures. Here, in this blog, you get to learn what sustainable design is all about, what it entails and how you can apply green solutions in your designs.
What is Sustainable Design?
Definition
Sustainable design works to develop items, structures via building and space and their constituents and utilization in a manner that considers the environment and resources in the latest creation process and in the future. It ranges from the choice of the materials to be used, the methods through which these materials are processed, how they are used and even methods of disposal.
Key Principles
- Resource Efficiency: Efficiency in the use of the materials and energy that are available to the firm.
- Low Environmental Impact: Conserving energy and natural resources, controlling of emissions and wastes.
- Renewable Resources: Preference usually given to those which are renewable from the existing natural resources in the future.
- Longevity and Durability: Developing products that don’t wear out, or wear out slower than another product that is being replaced frequently.
Why Sustainable Design Matters
Environmental Benefits
Picture: Type in “sustainable environment”.
Description: A green-behind-the-ears environment conducive to ecological practices to illustrate the societal advantages of sustainably.
Alt Text: An area with a dense vegetation to depict sustainability and proper designs in the building projects.
It minimizes environment pollution, conserves resources and decreases green house gases. This in turn preserves the environment for use by the generations to come; the earth is kept green.
Economic Advantages
This means that sustainable practices are able to result in long term saving costs, this comes in handy in large organizations. It has been established that effectiveness on the use of resources and energy can lead to low cost of operation while non-harness products shall require recurrent replacements.
Social Responsibility
It is the duty of the designers to forge items that will not be a menace to the wellbeing of the environment. Thus, sustainable practices in designing serve the purpose of creating value for the society and the world as a whole.
Useful information about how sustainable design can be incorporated in schools
- Choose Eco-Friendly Materials
Select the lighter color and preferable using the green products that are easily reusable or recyclable. They include bamboo, metals that have been recycled and organic fabrics among others.
Example: The green move: Instead of plastic canes to support their products, they should go for bamboo canes. Bamboo is cheap, fast growing, and can also be recycled hence it is considered to be an ideal sustainable resource.
- Reduce Waste
Create products that have little to no waste and make packaging that will not lead to the creation of waste products. This can involve employing a minimal amount of substance and designing them with disintegration in mind and Ensure that products can be recycled or up cyclic.
Example: Design packaging that would be used to package the product and also be used again to avoid over use of the packaging materials.
- Energy Efficiency
Stress the usage of energy-efficient processes and products. It can encompass the use of power saving light during product display or even the creation of products that use little power.
Example: Utility the LED lighting in the designs because it requires less energy and has a longer lifespan as compared to other lighting.
- Longevity and Durability
Design products to last. Consumables on the other hand require constant replacement which in the long run results in wastage of resources.
Example: Fabricate and construct the designs with quality material and strong structures to avoid degeneration.
- Sustainable Printing
If you are in a position where your design entails use of the printing services, then it is important that you consider the following green printing tips. This includes using recycled paper, Non-toxic soy based ink and Digital printing that avoid the use of ink and paper.
Example: To prevent the harming of trees, it is recommended to use recycled paper and the ink used to print the flyers should also be environment friendly.
For this reason, the Paper presents and analyses several case studies that may serve as a source of inspiration when it comes to sustainable design.
Patagonia
This company is one of the most famous brands focused on sustainable practices. They adopt the use of recycled materials, fairly traded labour and goods that can be easily repaired in the event of a hitch.
Picture: Type “Patagonia sustainable practices” on the search engines.
Description: It can be an advertisement of Patagonia products that are environmentally friendly or its program on clothes’ repairs.
Alt Text: Current social issue which is Patagonia’s approach towards sustainable products and launching of a repair service.
IKEA
IKEA has been on the forefront in the fight against the use of non-renewable resources through the provision of renewable material and energy efficient production. They also pay a lot of attention to their products in the respect that these products should be easy to disassemble and recycle.
Picture: In the Google Search for the topic “IKEA sustainable design” the following results were unearthed.
Description: An image that depicts the IKEA furniture as environmentally friendly, or describes the company’s efficient energy utilization.
Alt Text: The environmentally friendly furniture by IKEA and the saved energy while manufacturing them.
Conclusion
Designing for the environment plays an important role in current trends for anyone that is interested in making a better world. By choosing EDP, waste minimisation, efficiency and durability for the product designs, you can help improve the life of our planet. San, implement these best practices not only as the ‘it’ thing of modern business, but as a duty to the planet and the next generations.