DESIGNING PRODUCTS FOR MULTIPLE LIVES

DS 93: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2018), Dyson School of Engineering, Imperial College, London. 6th - 7th September 2018

Year: 2018
Editor: Erik Bohemia, Ahmed Kovacevic, Lyndon Buck, Peter Childs, Stephen Green, Ashley Hall, Aran Dasan
Author: Ledsome, Colin; Dowlen, Chris; Griffiths, Brian; Potter, Claire; Winfield, Pat
Series: E&PDE
Institution: 1: IED, United Kingdom; 2: IED, United Kingdom; 3: Brunel University, United Kingdom; 4: Claire Potter Design, United Kingdom; 5: Pat Winfield, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
Section: Sustainability in Design and Engineering Education
Page(s): 616-621
ISBN: 978-1-912254-02-6

Abstract

If we are to make more efficient use of our investments in producing new materials, it will be necessary to find ways to make further use of products after they reach the end of their life in service. If efforts are made during the design of a product to incorporate features to expedite further use, the process can be made easier, returning further value and reducing our dependence on scarce resources. There are many opportunities to incorporate such considerations into education courses for both engineers and product designers. Currently there is little in textbooks or course materials to help students or practitioners to understand these opportunities and challenges. The British Standards Institution has produced general guidance on the points to be considered by designers in a new standard BS8887 Part 3 Guide to choosing an appropriate end-of-life strategy [1]. This paper reviews that standard and considers the potential impact on design practice and education.

Keywords: BS8887, end-of-life strategy, circular economy

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