Lesson Learning Outcomes
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
Learn the fundamental principles of eco-design and how they can be applied to plastic products to minimize environmental impact.
- Learners will develop the ability to move beyond theory and actively apply core eco-design principles—such as Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—at the earliest stages of product conception. This includes designing for material efficiency and minimizing the overall resource footprint.
- Learners will develop the capacity to identify and redesign product features that have the highest environmental impact, such as excessive packaging, inefficient energy consumption during use, or reliance on virgin materials.
Gain knowledge on selecting sustainable materials for product design, including bioplastics, recycled plastics, and other eco-friendly alternatives.
- Learners will develop the ability to evaluate and select optimal sustainable materials by comparing the technical performance, cost and environmental footprint of recycled plastics (e.g. rPET and rHDPE), bioplastics (bio-based and/or biodegradable) and other alternatives with virgin plastics.
- Learners will develop the skills to determine the maximum percentage of recycled content that can be incorporated into a product without compromising its quality, safety or regulatory compliance, thus balancing sustainability goals with performance requirements.
Explore strategies for designing plastic products that are durable, repairable, and reusable, extending their lifecycle and reducing waste.
- Learners will develop the ability to engineer products that last longer and are easy to repair. This involves selecting robust materials, designing for structural integrity, and creating modular components that can be easily replaced by the end-user.
- Learners will develop the capacity to develop products and associated business models built on reuse, such as creating durable, refillable packaging systems or products intended for leasing and take-back programs. This skill connects product design directly to circular business models.
Understand the importance of designing products with their end-of-life in mind, ensuring they can be easily recycled or safely disposed of.
- Learners will develop the ability to design products that can be easily and cost-effectively taken apart at their end-of-life. This includes using mono-materials, avoiding toxic adhesives, and clearly marking components to facilitate sorting and maximize recycling yields.
- Learners will develop the skill to assess whether a product’s material composition is compatible with existing and scaled recycling infrastructure. This prevents the creation of products that are only “theoretically” recyclable and ensures they can be successfully processed in the real world.
Develop skills in conducting lifecycle assessments to evaluate the environmental impact of plastic products from production to disposal
- Learners will develop the capacity to interpret LCA results to identify the stages or components with the highest environmental impact (“hotspots”). This critical skill allows designers to focus their efforts where they will have the most significant positive effect and make evidence-based decisions to improve a product’s sustainability profile.
- Learners will develop the ability to conduct a simplified LCA to quantify a product’s environmental impact across all stages: raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, consumer use, and final disposal or recycling.
Readings
Presentation
Terminology
Learning Activity Assessment 1
Learning Activity Assessment 2
Quizzes
