Design's influence on the environmental impact of a product or its packaging does not end once it is sold to the customer. Consider reducing the impact of the use of your product through the following ideas:
- Durability – Can you make your product last longer through making it easy to repair and service to prevent the need for a replacement because of the failure of a single part ? Can it be designed to be upgraded or could it be sold on into a secondary market?
- Consumables - Can the lifespan of any consumables used by your product be increased to reduce the use of further resources? Can it be made refillable rather than, for example, requiring cartridges or batteries?
- Marketing – Can these lifecycle factors be used to market your products and therefore increase sales in an increasingly environmentally conscious marketplace?
- Human Factors - Can the design help the customer use the product in a way that reduces its impact? This can be achieved through design or clear instructions for the user.
Lifecycle
| Raw Materials | Manufacture | Retail | Use | End of Life