1.
01
Introduction
Making it...
Designers have responded to these
emergent issues through the
development of design
Materials Databases approaches such as ecodesign
and design for sustainability.
Materials and the interaction Designers have the tools to design
between materials and design is a recycled content into products,
key issue in ecodesign. It is already design for recyclability and
apparent that the consequences closed-loop product systems,
of our resource use, in terms of design out toxic or hazardous
environmental impact, are materials, and to ensure the
unsustainable. Design has a durability of products. Ecodesign
powerful influence on how people thinking addresses a company’s
consume and use products. This materials, processes and
influence includes the types and practices and aims to design out
quantity of materials consumed, waste. Importantly ecodesign
how the consumer responds to the thinking also identifies value and
materials and what happens to opportunity in the use of more
those materials when they have sustainable materials and
reached the end of their useful life. preventing “legacy waste”
This places a greater responsibility problems for future generations.
on the designer to use materials in
an intelligent way.
The challenges posed by Forward by Simon O’Rafferty
sustainability require us to innovate. Ecodesign Centre

2.
02
Material Databases
Ecolect Discover Green Materials
Resource to help designers discover eco-material Free
http://www.ecolect.net/ alternatives and resources to make it easier to
design responsibly,
Materials ConneXion Membership Materials Library
http://www.materialconnexion.com/ Resource for innovative and sustainable Charge
materials with extensive advance search options.
Materials Database With A
Mtrl
http://mtrl.com/portal/site/mtrl/
Difference Free
Browse, investigate and select materials using this
visual, sensory and data resource.
Materia Materialise The Future
New materials to inspire designers. Keep up to Free with
http://www.materia.nl/ date with innovative materials and their sign-up
applications, plus trends in design.
Eco Smart Materials
Rematerialise Extensive database of ‘sustainable’ materials by Free
http://www.kingston.ac.uk/rematerialise Jakki Dehn, a reader in Product and Furniture
design at Kingston University.

3.
03
Case Study
Sugru... contact with food. It is intended to
be shaped manually but can be
compression moulded or extruded.
Love What You Own It finds application as a sculptural
material, for creating personal
Sugru is a silicone elastomer additions to products (customized
modelling material. It encourages grips) as well as for encasing
users to repair and improve the products in a waterproof shell.
things they already own instead of
buying new things. This tough, Stiffness | Flexible, Rubbery
flexible, moisture-curing silicone has Surface/Texture | Matte, Texture
a working time of 30 minutes and a Transparency | Opaque
cure time of 24 hours (3 – 5 mm Impact Resistance | Good
deep). It forms a strong bond to Surface Hardness | Semi-hard, Soft
aluminium, steel, ceramics, glass
and other materials including most Chemical Resistance | High
plastics. It has 70 Shore A hardness Acoustics | Sound absorbing
and cures flexible rather than rigid Water Resistance | High
allowing it to be used on flexible Wear Resistance | High
substrates (i.e. textiles, cables, or Scratch Resistance | Medium
shoes). It is waterproof, has good Colourfastness | High
heat-resistance (-60°C to 180°C; -76 Outdoor Use | Yes
to 356°F), and can be used Tear Resistance | Medium
outdoors. It has good flame- and Stain Resistance | High
UV-resistance. The material can be
cleaned with soap and water and Recyclable | No
is washing machine and
dishwasher safe. If necessary the
silicone can be removed by cutting Sugru – Hack Things Better
when cured. It isn’t suitable for use http://sugru.com/
in direct or prolonged

4.
04
Case Study
TPE with The material is used for the
production of the ‘Moscardino’
Corn Starch
spoon/fork. Despite the scale, the
material is slightly springy and has a
lustrous tactile quality. Although soft
Bioplastic to touch, it is very tough--tough
enough to be used for dog chews.
Bioplastics perform a cycle. First, corn
is transformed into pellets; second, The material is easily processed,
the pellets are processed into printable and sterile. It is also easy
products; third, they are "consumed" to colour.
by people; and last but most
importantly, they are returned to the Stiffness | Flexible
ground without releasing pollutants. Toughness | Semi-durable
Developed by Italian Novamont, Hardness | Malleable
Mater Bi is a bioplastic that responds Temperature | Warm
to the growing demand for materials UV Resistant | No
Chemical Resistant | Yes
that do not have a harmful impact
Food Grade | Yes
on the environment.
Volume | Mass Production
Nanocomposites and our impact on Cost | Relatively Expensive
the environment are two of the Timeline | Established
fastest growing areas in plastics.
Some materials wear their Biodegradable | Yes
environmental credentials on their Recyclable | Yes
sleeve, such as Smile Plastics and Renewable | Yes
Remarkable in the U.K. Mater Bi also
ticks many green boxes. Derived
from a rapidly renewable source, it is
biodegradable and compostable. Pandora Design – ‘Moscardino’
http://tiny.cc/Nxt7H

5.
05
Case Study
Treeplast...
televisions, and brush handles.
It can be used in toys, golf tees,
consumer products, and other
Biocomposite building material applications.
Treeplast is a replacement Stiffness | Stiff
thermoplastic for injection Surface/Texture | Matte
moulding. Composed of 50-70% Transparency | Opaque
wood chips, 20% ground corn, and Impact Resistance | Poor
10% natural resin and additives. This Surface Hardness | Hard
natural alternative to
thermoplastics may be processed Acoustics | Sound reflecting
in standard plastic injection Water Resistance | Medium
moulding machines, but processes Wear Resistance | Low
at a lower temperature, however, Scratch Resistance | Medium
it takes twice as long to cool in the Colourfastness | Medium
mould. The final product may be Outdoor Use | No
finished like wood and can be Stain Resistance | Medium
handled as MDF (medium density Reflectivity | Light absorbing
fibreboard), and is biodegradable. Usage Temperature | Low
Must be treated with a lacquer Fire Resistance | Low
finish in order to withstand water UV Resistance | Low
otherwise the product will dissolve
in several hours. Available colours Sustainability | Biodegradable,
are natural, red, orange, blue, Non-toxic, Easily Recyclable,
green, yellow, gray, and black. The Renewable, Waste Materials.
density is 1.4 kg/m3 (2.36 lb/yd³).
Potential applications are vast, but
some current uses are golf tees, ice
cups, jigsaw puzzles, acoustic Treeplast – more information:
panels, packaging, speakers, http://www.treeplast.com/treeplast.htm