How to Design Sustainable Systems

After its glory days, does your product become a landfill monster? Sadly, most of them do. It’s a HUGE waste and a burden on our planet. ️ But there's a better way → Design for Disassembly (DfD)! These are products designed to be easily broken down and have parts reused in new creations! DfD isn't just a feel-good concept––it's a big leap for sustainability! Here's why: ✂️ Cuts Costs: Faster disassembly = faster reassembly on the production line. ❤️ Happy Customers: Easy repairs, extended lifespans, and upgrade options lead to more loyal fans 🌎 Saves the Planet: By using fewer resources, these products are inherently more environmentally friendly. ♻️ Second Life for Parts: New life to old components in different markets. But how do you implement designing for disassembly? → Know your end-of-life (EOL) destinations. Think about where will each component go when the product reaches its end of life. → Design for the long-term. Is it a single-use disposable item, or are you aiming for a product that can be repaired and upgraded over time? → Planning your product's entire lifecycle from the get-go: product architecture, component design, type of fasteners used, and even the materials themselves. → Even disassembly is an economic equation. Consider the cost of labor for disassembly, disposal of any waste generated during the process, and potential revenue from selling EOL components. Tips for designing for disassembly: → Use high-quality components: Durable parts minimize collateral damage during repair. → Standardize components: Opt for readily available components to make replacements a breeze for both you and your customers! → Offer repair documentation: Share repair guides and manuals publicly to help your users extend the life of your product themselves! → Consider including repair tools: This shows your commitment to user empowerment and product longevity. → Think about the incentive to repair: Motivate users to replace a part, because the easiest thing to do is often to just throw it away ☂️ A great example is the @Ginkgo umbrella, which is 100% recyclable! ✅ Made from 20 pieces, instead of the traditional 120+ piece umbrella designs. ✅ Designed with no screws or pivots necessary for assembly–– reducing the number of parts and materials needed. ✅ Can be put apart quickly and easily, and every single element can be recycled or repurposed. Fairphone and Framework are other great modular electronics that follow Design for disassembly 🌍 Designing for disassembly is about creating products that are good for business, good for your customers, and good for the planet. What are products that you’ve seen that are have been designed for disassembly? #climatesolutions #sustainability #circulareconomy

How Can We Redesign Our Products to Fit the C I R C U L A R Economy? ➤ In the evolving landscape of sustainable business, the #CircularEconomy presents an exhilarating opportunity: the chance to redesign our existing products. But how do we effectively transform linear products into circular ones? 📌 Analyze Current Product Lifecycle: Begin by exploring the linear flow of your products and services across their entire life. Lifecycle thinking can help you understand every stage your product goes through, from creation to disposal. 📌 Interrogate Product Functionality: Understand the core function of your product. For example, the core function of a tea kettle is to boil water rapidly and safely, not just to store water. Identifying these functions helps in rethinking how to deliver them in a circular manner. 📌 Consider Different Delivery Methods: Re-imagine how to deliver the core function of your product in a closed-loop system. This might involve modularity, repairability, or even creating take-back programs. 📌 Explore Circular Business Models: Depending on your product, various #CircularEconomy business models might be suitable. High-value technology can fit within a take-back model, while simpler products like pens can be designed for upgrading and recycling. 📌 Use Service Mapping: Sketch out the different aspects of your service delivery model. Map the key steps needed to turn your linear product into a circular one. Explore touchpoints where your service intersects with customers and society. → What steps is your business taking to redesign products for the #CircularEconomy? #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #ProductDesign #Innovation #WasteReduction #EcoFriendly #BusinessTransformation #GreenInitiatives #PositiveChange #CustomerEngagement

Kohler Co., the 150-year-old bathroom and kitchen fixtures company, and Legrand, a 160-year-old maker of electrical supplies, are overhauling new product design processes to incorporate principles such as longer durability, simpler repair and disassembly, and more recycled content. This takes cross-company collaboration and discipline at the earliest stages of research and development, said sustainability professionals for both companies who spoke recently at #Circularity25, a Trellis Group conference. “The opportunity to influence product attributes happens super early on, and oftentimes it might be before engineers are actually involved,” said Jaden B., senior sustainability analyst at Legrand. Both Legrand and Kohler have had formal programs for reducing emissions from manufacturing and use of their products for some time. In recent months, they have revised those initiatives to include considerations that extend the useful length of time products can be used. Here are four best practices their guidelines have in common: 1. Consider features early in the design process: If suggestions are made too late in development, they’re likely to be rejected and that can be frustrating. 2. Synchronize goals and processes with industry standards: Both companies look to established methodologies from organizations such as the U.S. Green Buildings Council and the International Organization for Standardization, which in March updated foundational guidance for circular product design. 3. Check progress at each design phase: Kohler uses a scorecard to track how proposed designs meet criteria related to circularity and emissions reductions at several stages during the development process. Legrand uses a similar points-based system to gauge success. 4. Take cues from customers: Legrand trains customer-facing employees to probe for information during encounters, and that data is passed along to designers where it can be married with goals. You can read more details here: https://lnkd.in/ewGPCWR8 Ashley Fahey

We’re focused on making our products efficient and long-lasting. As designers we prioritize creating solutions with infinite possibilities. From the materials we choose, to the way we ship, to the longevity of our products, it's really about making a complete solution for our customers. Let's look at each stage in a product’s lifecycle: 1. Material Innovation: 100% of our PCs, workstations, displays and original HP toner cartridges use recycled materials that are widely recyclable at end of life, helping create a circular economy from the start. 2. Smarter Shipping: We’re improving logistics to reduce our carbon footprint, by redesigning the products to make packages smaller and lighter. 3. Eco-Friendly Packaging: By the end of 2025, 100% of all PC notebook packaging will be 100% compostable. 4. Customer engagement: We strive to create seamless product experiences by incorporating customer feedback and delivering solutions that meet their needs. 5. Reparability: We’re empowering customers to extend product lifespans with features such as replaceable batteries, keyboards, and upgradable cooling systems, designed for easy servicing. This not only simplifies maintenance but also aligns with the growing Right to Repair movement in Europe and beyond. 6. Second life: We prioritize creating durable products that can be returned, refreshed, and reintroduced into the world. Since 2019, we’ve used over 4 billion pounds of recycled and renewable materials in our products, waste, but we’re not done yet. We’re committed to designing technology that helps the planet, not just our customers, unlocking infinite possibilities for a sustainable future.