This document discusses material selection and design for sustainable innovation. It describes a case study of an SME manufacturing company in Wales that takes a design-led approach to innovation and has a mature sustainability profile. The case study examines the company's ecodesign processes for new product developments, with a focus on material selection and how materials become embedded in its design culture. The next stages of research involve integrating a developed typology with environmental assessment results and exploring how embedded material knowledge is developed.

1. Material
Selection
and
Design
for
Sustainable
Material
Innovation

2. Sharon
Prendeville:
Research
Assistant
&
PhD
Candidate
Element
of
wider
PhD
research

3. SME
manufacturing
in
Wales
(UK)
design-­‐led
innovaDon
mature
sustainability
profile

4. materials
ecodesign
material
selection
processes
design
process

5. single
case-­‐study
intensive/in-­‐depth
deviant/unique/extreme
purposive
sampling
context
New
Product
Developments
(products
&
processes)
suppliers
design
team
recyclers

6. embedded
units/within
case
analysis

7. Cradle to Cradle
“rema
make things” thinking about the materia
our products are designed and assembled,
of use with our customers.
No matter how good your products are, the
when their first useful life comes to an end
product life cycles Cradle to Cradle asks us
commonplace approach of “take, make &
prompted us to act.
During the early stages of the design of Ara w
relationship with one of Cradle to Cradle’s aut
industrial chemist Micheal Braungart. Through
development we have been working with EPEA
organisation based in Hamburg.
We’ve always very carefully considered the mat
in our products but our aim in working with E
that what we’re using is truly safe, for h
environment alike, and successful in technica
This means looking in much more detail a
ingredient in the materials we use; to determ
this aim and need to be substituted or remove
Armsupport
Ourgoalwas
thanever,usin
moreeffective
withasepara
armrestthat’s
we’veeverma
Dosomething
recyclable.
Notthemostc
ourselvesthe
plasticchairba
sensetheyare
collarmoulded
thebase.Grea
notsogreatw
difficulttorem
Smartdesigna
abasewithou
otherplasticb
testeditlikem

9. typology
Material
Case
Identified
Ecodesign
Strategies
Potential
Trade-­‐
offs
Sources
of
Materials
Coir Main Case Study
1. Material Replacement
2. Light-weighting
3. Material Grade Identification
4. Material Streamlining
5. Part Reduction
6. Design for Disassembly
7. Design for End of Life
8. Toxicity Reduction
9. Design for Assembly
1. Design for Disassembly
2. Design for Recycling
3. Design for Recycled Content Inclusion
4. Increased Energy during Production
Material selection characterised by exploratory
approach based on inspiration - dominated by
resources such as magazines, libraries, books,
inspiring products
Bioplastic PLA
Bamboo Main Case Study
1. Material Replacement
2. Dematerialisation
3. Light-weighting
4. Material Grade Identification
5. Material Streamlining
6. Part Reduction
7. Design for Disassembly
8. Design for End of Life
9. Toxicity Reduction
1. Design for Disassembly
2. Design for Recycling
3. Design for Recycled Content Inclusion
4. Increased Energy during Production
Material selection characterised by exploratory
approach based on inspiration - dominated by
resources such as magazines, libraries, books,
inspiring products
Self-Reinforcing Polypropylene
rPET
Natural Latex
Elastomer Case B, C 1. Dematerialisation
2. Light-weighting
3. Material Grade Identification
4. Material Streamlining
5. Part Reduction
6. Design for Disassembly
7. Design for End of Life
8. Toxicity Reduction
1. Design for Disassembly
2. Design for Recycling
3. Design for Recycled Content Inclusion
4. Increased Energy during Production
Material selection dominated by stakeholders
including:
(1) suppliers of components
(2) sub-assemblies
(3) raw materials and
(4) material knowledge centres
Polypropylene Case A, B, C
1. Dematerialisation
2. Light-weighting
3. Material Grade Identification
4. Material Streamlining
5. Part Reduction
6. Design for Disassembly
7. Design for End of Life
8. Toxicity Reduction
9. Design for Assembly
1. Design for Disassembly
2. Design for Recycling
3. Design for Recycled Content Inclusion
4. Increased Energy during Production
Material selection dominated by stakeholders
including:
(1) suppliers of components
(2) sub-assemblies
(3) raw materials and
(4) material knowledge centres
Nylon
Steel
Aluminium

10. classification

11. classification

13. how
do
materials
become
embedded?

15. 2

16. 2
3

17. next
stages…
Integration
of
typology
with
Environmental
Assessment
results
Development
of
explorative
embedded
(material)
knowledge
research

18.
Sharon
Prendeville
Research
Assistant-­‐
Ecodesign
Centre
sharon@edcw.org
@ecodesigncentre
www.ecodesigncentre.org
permission
of
Oangebox