6th  May 2011

Why donate ?

Reduce







Recycle






ReUse

The 6 Rs

ReThink







Repair






Refuse

Can you possibly reduce the amount
Of material used in the product ? Can you Reduce the waste ? Can you reduce the energy consumption when making the product ?  Can the packaging be re-thought ?

Can the materials used in the product be recycled and used for other products ?                                  Can the material be recycled and returned to a useable ‘raw material’ state ?

Can the containers of products be used again after treatment ? Can products be used in a different - perhaps innovative way to extend their usefulness ?

Can the product be redesigned to make it last longer or be recycled more easily? Can a limited range of materials be used in making the item so that separation of the components is easier when recycling products ?

Can the product be repaired easily ?  Can the design include components that can be replaced rather than allowing the entire product to be unusable ?

Do we all really need the products that are created ?  Do we need to upgrade everything so frequently for the sake of small changes - perhaps only external, cosmetic features ?
Consumers could refuse to buy products and manufacturers could refuse to make unnecessary minor changes...

 We all have a duty to think about what we design,   
 what we buy and what we do with things when         
 their useful life is over.  When we compare our
 designed and manufactured items for the projects
 we do in D&T we should consider these aspects of  
 the outcome both in the specification and in the
 evaluation.