I AM a plastic Bag

Ethics in fashion/accessory design and productions of clothes is an issue often overlooked by consumer and designer alike, sure there is plenty of publicity about anti-fur/animal products, but what about cheap labour, out-sourcing, sustainability etc etc, the list of things to consider is enourmous. Recently UK supermarket chain sainsbury's released a limited edition non-plastic shopping bag designed by Anya Hindmarsh, supposedly eco-friendly the aim was to promote the discontinuation of the use of plastic bags thereby reducing waste, HOWEVER! Produced in China, the materials used to make the bag are neither organic nor fair trade. Outted and shamed! Not that these 'minor' details are curbing people's desire for this fake of a bag (a bag that is 'fake' in it's principles.... a new one for the 21st century I think...) as auctions on eBay are reaching hundreds of pounds with ludicrous Buy it Now prices of £150.



If you do want to buy a version of the bag with a social conscience, I'd opt for the 'I'm not a smug twat' version by Marissa V - at least it doesn't utilise cheap labour!

Irene Rayment

Peta- People for the ethical treatment of animals.

http://www.peta.org/

Peta is people for the ethical treatment of animlals, an organisation of people who are fighting for the rights of mistreated animaals around the world.
Peta are known for there advertisements against animal cruelty, they are sometimes striking, bold, very graphic and also maybe offensive,and have even been banned but they are gaining attention for the issues that face animals in the world today.
Recently a competiton was run by Young guns design agency for design students to create an ad for Peta about the mistreatment of chickens. This competiton is an example of how designers can be involved in awareness campaigns to highlight contemporary issues.
You can look at the details here:

http://blog.peta.org/archives/2007/02/so_many_peta_ad.php

or the people choice award winners here:

http://www.peta.org/feat-youngguns-top20.asp

Here are some of the entries that were recieved,

This was the 2nd prize winner, which was an entry recieved from Australia.

This posters caption reads "Anytime is good to warn you that 98% of fried chickens contains faeces".

What do you think of these posters?
There are also some very funny quicktime movies on the peta site, the one entitled "Fur is Dead" is a really clever idea which is shocking but at the same time very effective. Take a look at it on the Peta website above.

Blog Advertisements

Here are some advertisements our group made to promote our blog, You can print them out yourself if you want to remember the blog address or if you would like to hand them out to people you know so they can also come see our blog. The top image is a small poster/leaflet, and below is a business card sized one in case you want to carry it around with you.

And this one is a screensaver that you could use for your computer.
You just have to click onto the image that you would like to print and it will be shown at it's full size, then you can save it to your own computer and keep it or print it off with our permission. Hope they are useful to you!

Handbags made from Candy Wrappers

This bag is made from Candy wrappers

Ecoist is a company that makes handbags and accesories with recycled candy wrappers. The idea is simple and the products look really strinking. The products use the redux theory where instead of throwing something out, they actually reuse it in another way, which is what has been done with these products. They have a website where you can purchase any of their products or just to have a look at what can be done with a piece of rubbish!
The website shows handbags made from candy wrappers, which is ecoists' signature item, as well as newspaper handbags, belts from candy wrappers, barcode bags and also purses and other accessories.
While the candy wrappers may have originally been seen as rubbish, they are now converted into trendy products that have featured in many famous magazines such as Elle, InStyle, Vanity Fair, Vogue and People magazines, making them a must have piece, that no longer is trash, but treasure.
Take a look at the website, which shows all of the products that you can purchase.

http://www.ecoist.com/

Handbag made from recycled drink can tabs

Bag made from recycled newspapers
Handbag made from recycled candy wrappers

Belts made from candy wrappers

"Letter written in 2070"

Do you want to see what the future could be like if we don't act on Global Warming today? We need to act NOW! Click on the link below to view the powerpoint.

http://eskwela.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/Year2070.pps

Post: Kate Stanistreet

Sustainable Marketing

Marketing and marketer play an important part in the development of sustainable design, having tremendous influence over the environmental and social impacts of businesses and their products, policies and production processes. The integration of marketing and sustainability plays an important role in providing a support network including: facilitate discussion, create new ideas, produce knowledge, and disseminate intelligence. This brings together peoples, ideas and agenda for positive marketing and sustainable development. This is achieved by combining sustainability issues into marketing thinking and practice, and the application of marketing thinking.

More specifically, referrenced from http://www.cfsd.org.uk/smart-know-net/index.htm

To stimulate strategic discussion over the role and implications of marketing in progressing towards more sustainable systems of production and consumption within more sustainable societies.
To disseminate new ideas, information and best practice which will inform that strategic discussion, and that can contribute to making the discipline of marketing more sustainable.

To develop methodologies, tools, and training for marketing professionals to allow them to better understand, respond to, and contribute to the growing debate about the social and environmental impacts and implications of businesses, their products and production systems.

To promote educational materials which will allow the discipline of marketing to incorporate sustainability concepts more effectively, and to help to produce a new generation of more socially and environmentally aware marketers.

To create a sense of community amongst practitioners, academics, policy makers and students with an interest in marketing and sustainability.
Helping to meet demands of those working within the market, providing clear guidelines to the growing social and environmental pressures that businesses face and their implications in terms of the need for more sustainable marketing strategies and solutions for the future.

Marketing and sustainability issues include:
Marketing Influences
(Marketing Re-thought)

- Marketing’s Role in Corporate Strategy & CSR

- The Marketing Environment

- Marketing Ethics

- Consumers & Professional Purchasers
Marketing Research

Marketing Practices(Marketing Re-Mixed)

- Products, Design & NPD

- Packaging & Labelling

- Promotion & Communications

- Pricing & Distribution

- People in Marketing

Marketing Resources(Marketing Re-Equipped)

- Introduction to Marketing & SD

- Case Study Examples

- The Sustainable Marketing Toolbox

- Marketing Wisdom

- Information Resources

By Melissa Stewart

What can we as designers do to contribute to sustainable development

There are simple ways, we as designers, can contribute to sustainable development. Focuses on the theoretical, methodological and practical dimensions of sustainable and eco-product and service design and development needs to be included in the design process when developing new designs along with emphases on areas of:
- Eco-design tools and methodologies
- Eco-design strategies
- Eco-service development
- Environmental marketing
- Organisation approaches
- Case studies
- Integrated Product Policy (IPP)
- Environmental Product Policy (EPP)
- Product Service Systems

Key design issues when referring to sustainable practices

The development of sustainable design in the design industry as well as the public points of view is not always seen as positive, many issues need to be resolved and points of views changed.
These issues include:

• Sustainable design can be seen as more expansive then other types- which is not the case in many designs

• There is not enough materials to work with- there are plenty, and new ones are launched every week

• Nobody is interested in green- infact more people are concerned about the environment, families with sick children, business worried about lawsuits, more and more potential customers are inquiring about, and requesting, sustainable design

How to make a building green

To make a building classed as a green building it involves the building and the interior to include:

• A happier and healthier environment for people and to enhance productivity

• can be built at market rate and cost much less to operate

• Use less fossil fuels thus conserving energy, generating less global pollution and saving on operational costs by requiring less maintenance

• Use less water

• Manage waste at the highest productive level; reduce impacts on both developed and undeveloped land

• Minimize the use of materials and use materials with the lowest environmental impacts.

Why become a green designer?

The number of sustainable design projects continue to increase, due to the growth in reconnection from architectural, engineering, and design firms, contractures and developers, federal, state and local governments agencies and professional associations. Designers are finding themselves with significant professional opportunity: to specify and build healthy buildings and interiors using environmentally friendly products and materials that have a healthy buildings and interiors using environmentally friendly products and materials that have a healthy impact on clients and the planet.
How can my company become a green design firm?
Achieving a green design firm involves integrating sustainable design into your business and practice principles. Sustainability needs to not just a part of your design but a guiding philosophy under laying their approach to every design.

Key areas to consider when designing.

• Reduced operating expenditures for energy: By employing more energy efficient designs, there are operating savings from reduced energy consumption

• Reduced operation and maintenance costs: By using more durable low-maintenance materials and systems, facility operating costs will be reduced through savings in labor, waste handling, and streamlining of housekeeping and maintenance procedures.

• Personnel expenditure reductions: Healthy, comfortable work environments have been known to lead to reduced absenteeism and increased employee retention. There are potential improvements in performance/productivity.

• Reduced costs for managing change: By designing structures and systems that are flexible and adaptable to other uses, costs of periodic reorganization and renovation are reduced.

• Reduced municipal operating expenditures: More sustainably designed buildings will mean that during construction and operation, waste is reduced going to landfills. There are also savings resulting from water treatment reduction.

• Reduced infrastructure costs: More sustainably designed buildings mean that capital costs for expanding water supply, sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants can be avoided

• Economic development: More efficient buildings mean less money leaves the state for energy. Buildings requiring clean technologies may spur development of these industries within the state.

• Emissions reduction/clean air: Cleaner air through reduced consumption of fossil fuels (reduction of carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and sulfur dioxide, particulates, mercury).

• Environmental benefits: Environmental benefits include climate change stabilization; soil, air and water pollution prevention; preservation of forests and biodiversity.

• Including ecologically sustainable design (ESD) principles,

- Using local materials and labour where possible
- Choosing materials that have low embodied energy and are reusable orrecyclable (embodied energy is the energy used to create or manufacture materials)
- Collecting water from roofs and processing waste water on site
- Installing closed system composting toilets which use little water, with the end product disposed of off site or used as fertiliser
- Using power supplied by the grid connected to a solar system
- Using natural daylight, and passive heating and cooling
- Making sure there is minimal impact during construction and revegetating with local native plants.

The benefits to the environment and society when incorporating sustainable design into your practice are clear, ‘use green save the future’ To learn more about sustainable design there are many books, website, conferences and articles world wide, it’s just a matter of opening your mind to the concept.

By Melissa Stewart

Designers contributing to sustainable design

A handful of designers are starting to take sustainability seriously. A small number of new products are becoming available which consider all parts of sustainability. With their total life history, from the cradle of raw materials production to their end of life, has been designed to minimize environmental and social impact. Sustainability can only be achieved though better design, some existing examples of sustainable design can be found worldwide:

The Aeron Chair Designed by Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf



The Aeron chair is environmentally sustainable though it ability to spar natural resources, with its durable body, designed with maximum reparability and recycling when finished with. The Aeron chair leads it way sustainability along the ability to survive the user to a High-performance, long-term seating in three sizes with a full complement of adjustments and innovative suspension; for computer work, general office work, and casual or formal meetings. With contributing deign feature including: ergonomic support, comfortable suspension, natural tilt, distinctive aesthetics and many more.
You can find more information on www.hermanmiller.com.

The Smart car



Car that has been perfectly designed for your everyday life, a car that offers maximum comfort, agility, safety, ecology and driving fun. A pioneering vehicle concept that is one of the best with its exceptionally low CO2 emission figures.

Further information can be found on

Patagonia fleece 1993



Patagonia use 90 per cent post-consumer recycled polyester in many of their fleece garment. Made from collected bottles, flaked and baled and then spun into a fibre that which hurts the environment far less, producing very comfortable, thermal and durable clothing in all different style.
The Patagonia factory runs on wind-power and has diverted over 100 million plastic bottles, avoided 13000 tonnes of toxic waste emissions in its 15 years producing.

Further information can be found on http://www.patagonia.com/

BRE Environmental Building



‘The need to build a new office building at BRE's Garston site was an ideal opportunity to put new ideas to the test.’
The brief for architects Feilden Clegg of Bath called for the use of natural ventilation, maximum use of day lighting, maximum use of the building's mass to moderate temperature, and controls that would let the building meet its environmental targets but keep its occupants happy. In addition, maximum use was to be made of recycled and waste materials and the building was to score the highest possible BREEAM rating of 'Excellent'. And it had to look good!
Further information can be found on www.projects.bre.co.uk/envbuild

ES-X2 Electric Scooter



Designed in Tokyo R&D firm, its stylish design not only looks good but really shows how design and the environment performance can go in hand. With concerns that the design is just moving pollution else where- however the overall efficiency is higher, therefore emissions per mile are less especially when green power is used.

Further information can be found on http://www.r-d.co.jp/

World wide promotion of sustainable design though media, conferences and design exhibitions has given sustainable development a new direction and caused a shift in the publics focus on the importance of a sustainable future.
Sustainable development has come a long way but there is more which needs to be done, with only one in every thousand product deigned with environmental consideration in mind, it clear that all aspects of design and sociality need to open there minds to sustainability by producing not just considering.

Melissa Stewart

Organisations contributing to sustainable design

Contributing organizations from within civil society, and major social groups, including local authorities, business and industry, woman and indigenous communities are now involved in the task.

Some of the many Australian contributors:

Sustainable development conferences worldwide

The website outlines and promotes the upcoming events in sustainable development and related fields worldwide
· Corporate Sustainability & Knowledge Management, Sydney
· Effective Collaboration for Sustainable Development, Brisbane
· GREX 07 2nd Australian International Green Build & Renewable Energy Expo, Sydney

Other examples can be found on www.conferencealerts.com/sustain.htm

merrillfindlay.com

Promotes ecologically sustainable development in Australia: by Merrill Findlay for the National Parks, by promoting the World Commission on Environment and Development, or ‘Brundtland Report’.




For further information see the website www.merrillfindly.com

The Australian Government website

The ecologically sustainable development website aims to promote and support programs, services and policies for sustainable development in Australia and to provide links to useful sustainability information.

Sustainable development in Australia
What is Sustainable Development?
A Brief History of Sustainable Development
How Can We Achieve Sustainable Development in Australia?
Local Agenda 21 Program
National Sustainability Initiatives
Local Government NRM Facilitators (previously ERO)

Some of the many worldwide contributes:

Price and Myers sustainability

Price and Myers website addresses the impact of construction activity on the environment in terms of consumption of materials, energy, water and production of waste through the life cycle of the building. With emphasis on the links between sustainability and improved performance in the construction industry, and examines the principles of reuse, recycling and renewal in achieving sustainability in the built environment.

Key topics include:
Sustainability Issues
· Key options for sustainable design
· Political and commercial drivers
· Tools and assessment methods

The website shows supporting information on area such as:
· Design support
· Materials selection
· BREEAM and EcoHomes
· Projects

Battery Wharf, Barking

· Training
· Recruitment
· Contacts
· Links for further information

For further information see the website http://www.sustainability@pricemyers.com/

Sustainable Design Group

Sustainable Design Group together with its non profit subsidiary, the International Center for Sustainable Development, has been in the forefront of sustainable development technology for over 30 years. The group’s founder, John Spears, is an internationally recognized expert in energy conservation, renewable energy systems, indoor air quality and sustainable design.
The design group contributes to helping numerous institutions and developers develop a sustainable community development projects world wide.

For further information see the website http://www.sustainabledesign.com/index-6.html

The international network on sustainable design

The O2 Global Network is an international network established to inform, inspire and connect people interested in sustainable design. Network members are involved in industrial design, architecture, styling, graphic design, fashion, innovation and the arts. Included as well are people from academies, universities,
public authorities, private companies, NGOs and knowledge centers.

The O2 Global Network comprises the O2 Global Network foundation, regional O2 Hubs, local O2 Groups, O2 Liaisons and numerous individuals (called O2’s). O2 was established in 1988 and there are currently more than 70 country contacts worldwide. Members of the network, on an individual, local and regional level, organize lectures, projects, workshops and distribute newsletters and other informational material to promote, teach and implement design for sustainability with all of its facets in mind.

For further information see the website http://www.o2.org/

Websites with links contributing to sustainable design

· www.asid.org/knowledge/Sustainable+Links.htm
· www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/GreenAll.html

Melissa Stewart

Competition to raise awareness of climate change

There is a design competition currently running by Design 21, which is calling for entries for a competition that requires people to design an awareness campaign to educate the public on the issue of global warming. You have to be a member of design 21 to enter, but it's free to sign up to. The first prize is $5000 with a total of $10,000 prizes. The competition closes on June 17th 2007, so if you're interested go to http://www.design21sdn.com/designit/designit_enter_competition.php
The campaign may employ any media (print, billboard, clothing, film, animation, music etc) or a combination of formats, and therefore designers from all fields may find a way to get involved.
So take a look and enter, this is another way designers can address issues in the world.

Oil Shortage

As plastic becomes more and more integral to design and modern materials, how will the oil shortage affect its production? Will our children ask us "how could you BURN all that oil!?!"

Planet Truth

Planet truth is a group of people who are highlighting contemporary issues through t-shirt design. Through there powerful imagery and clever text, they aim to bring out the truth through edgy, urban, organic t-shirts.
The designers promote the truth about issues through t-shirts which are thought provocative, but at the same time very fashionable.
Issues that they deal with have been toxic chemicals in perfumes, the effects of the meat industry on the environment, sugar poison, chemical companies destroying the environment and other issues.

Take a look at the website for Planet Truth at
www.planet-truth.com
The designers would also like to hear about designs for future t-shirt designs, which can be emailed to them at truth@planet-truth.com, and they may even use one of your ideas regarding a contemporary issue.

The Reality of Drought-Poster Design

As a part of our studies within the contemporary issues of design class, we had to design a poster relating to an issue, which included information about the issues, the current engagement of designers and also future recommendations regarding how designers could help to solve the issue.
This poster looks at the drought and how people who live in cities are saving water, because the drought does not affect their everyday lives directly.

What do you think of this poster? and how does the drought affect you personally?

Designs Contribution to Sustainable Development

Designs contribution to Sustainable Development comes with the reorganization of design world wide to promote producing products that look beyond the way it looks and performs, to consider what goes on when products are made and what happens when they are eventually disposed of. Working with governments, communities and industry, designers are working to prevent pollution and over-consumption from ruining the planet and natural resources we all rely upon. To support this there is a need for urgent development of industrial products and processes, to make them more sustainable, this is good for people, profits, and the planet. (Datschefski, 2001, p. 8-9)


The design brief has been seen as the most crucial part in the entire design process in terms of achieving environmental design strategies. By using the briefing stage to set out environmental criteria, allowing assessment throughout the various design process, and ensuring that environmental design strategies are not being compromised. This way of briefing is only a new consideration, many barriers need to be overcome including cost, lack of information, lack of education, inappropriate legislation, aesthetic and philosophical constraints. With inclusion of all parties involved in the design process, for example environmental scientists, engineers and designers and others, the barriers can be overcome and a greater range of issues covered and integral relationships between the environmental strategies established.

Greater emphasis on the environmental issues at the briefing stage can ensure greater levels of sustainability. During the generation of a design, it becomes increasable difficult and costly to added environmental considerations in later in the process, making decisions made at the briefing stage of least effort and placing importance on decisions made early and increasing the opportunities for greater level of sustainable design and less expensive.

The key design process in a sustainable design process include:

1. Education
• Briefing process
• Educating client of design possibilities
• Nature and the environment
• Lifestyle changes
• Relations to sustainability

2. Development of Functional Brief and Environmental
• Requirements
• Spatial relationships
• Budget
• Aesthetics
• Research
• Environmental strategies and goals

3. Resource Producing Strategies
• Strategies that involve generation of energy, water and food and the treatment and or reuse of waste.

4. Passive Design Strategies
• Strategic responses to climate, site, context, aimed at minimisng impact of the design

5. Material Selection Strategies
• Attempting to minimise impact of the design before its use.

6. Construction Strategies
• On site building practices aimed at minimising the impact of the construction of the building.

Primary Structure
• Minimising existing site disturbance
• Minimising waste during the construction process
• Ease of construction
• Speed of construction
• Maximises volumes to maximise potential air flow
• Adequately allow functional spatial requirements
• Minimise embodied energy
• Materials from renewable resources
• Utilisation of small waste to produce larger elements
• Low embodied energy

7. Cost Planning
• life-cycle costing
• Environmental cost-benefit analyses of the strategies were undertaken.
• Capital cost of the house.


The brief can be a very useful tool for the process of design. It will help the progress in not only the design of a product but help designers refine the way in which things are produced. Constant refinement of the design process will help designers contribute to reaching environmental goals and achieving a sustainable design future for generation to came.

Melissa Stewart

Green Roofs

Green roofs are something that may interest landscape designers, they have been around for a while and are basically a gardening style that includes using your rooftop as a garden space where plants, and also grass can be planted.
Green roofs are a great answer to growing environmental problems, when plants or grass is grown on your roof, they can minimise the homes energy costs, improve air quality, extend the roofs lifespan, can be used as insulators, and also reduces water runoff.
This practise has been done for a very long time in Europe, but recently Americans are starting to use green roofs in design, with Australia a potential place for this to be implemented. In China, they are planning to have 45% of homes and buildings with green roofs by the year 2008.
Firstly your building or home needs to be strong enough to hold up the weight of a garden, manufacturers have created a new product called Green Grid systems, which are like canturf, but for your roof, or trees and shrubs could also be used.
Green roofs look great, but can also be used for useful purposes, in areas of mass population such as cities, green roofs provide an area on high rise buildings for workers to use as a rest and relaxation place, they can also be used to grow food, which can be harvested by the home owner, and improve air quality in places normally polluted.
Many people believe that in the future large cities such as New York will be covered in green roofs, making the city a more pleasant place to be.
Green roofs are a great way to maximise the potential of a space that is normally not used, providing a visual statement, that is not only attractive but beneficial.
Here a few links to sites about green roofs:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/10/building_the_gr.php
http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden_product/sustainability/landscaped-architecture.htm
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/07/chinas_learning.php