The 6Rs of Sustainability (AQA GCSE Design & Technology): Revision Note
Exam code: 8552
The 6Rs
The 6Rs can be used by designers and manufacturers to help them explore options for materials and products at their end of life
IMAGE - 6Rs
Reduce
Reduce is the action of using fewer resources to design and manufacture a product
When creating a product, designers and manufacturers can reduce the amount of:
Material
Energy
Resources
Reduce strategies include:
Using less material to make the product lighter in weight
Reducing the amount of packaging around a finished product
Designing products to use less electricity
Minimising the waste created during the production of the product
Worked Example
Name one strategy for reducing material use.
Answer
Reducing the amount of packaging around a finished product.
Refuse
Refuse is the action of not using certain materials, products or processes because they are harmful to the environment
Designers and manufacturers can:
Refuse to use unsustainable and non-recyclable materials
Avoid processes that create excess waste or pollution,
Decide not to produce unnecessary or harmful products
Refuse strategies include:
Not designing or making single-use products
Avoiding excess packaging for products
Using eco-friendly materials in place of less environmentally friendly materials
Refusing to use sources of materials which are non-renewable
Worked Example
Name one strategy for refusing to use something during manufacture.
Answer
Not designing or making single-use products.
Re-use
Re-use is the action of using products or materials again for either the same or a different purpose, rather than throwing them away
Designers and manufacturers can design products that are durable and last a long time, make products so that it is easier to create a second use for them, or make their designs easy to take apart
Re-use strategies include:
Making products durable enough to use again
Helping customers to use packaging materials like boxes or containers multiple times
Encouraging customers to refurbish/maintain products
A second-hand market for products
Designing products which have secondary uses
Worked Example
Name one strategy for re-use of products at the end of their life.
Answer
Making products durable enough to use again.
Repair
Repair is the action of fixing damaged or broken products so they can be used for longer periods of time, rather than being thrown away
It prevents materials from going into landfill, and extends the lifespan of the product
Designers and manufacturers can design products so that they are easier to repair
Using commonly available screws and tools is one way of making products more repairable
Spare parts can also be included in the box when products are sold to customers
Offering repair services as part of selling the product to the customer
Worked Example
Name one strategy for the repair of products.
Answer
Ensuring that parts are easy to access and replace in a product, e.g., a battery or screen.
Recycle
Recycling involves processing used materials sourced from existing products to make new products from those materials
Using recycled materials reduces the need to source new materials
Recycling can often use less energy, causing less damage to the environment than drilling, mining or farming new materials
Materials that are recycled often produce fewer carbon emissions, and prevent materials from going into landfills
Designers and manufacturers can:
Design and make products from recyclable materials
Ensure their products label the type of material it is made from
This will help to sort and recycle materials at the product's end of life
Recycle strategies include:
Making products from materials which are easier to recycle, such as aluminium, paper, glass and some polymers
Use recycled sources of materials as the source of material for manufacturing
Support systems where materials are collected from a community for recycling
Ensuring materials like polymers are clearly labelled to aid recycling
Worked Example
Name one strategy for recycling materials
Answer
Making products from materials which are easier to recycle, such as aluminium, paper, glass and some polymers
Rethink
Rethinking aims to reduce the negative impact of products on the environment by reconsidering:
How products are made
What they are made from
How they are used
How we dispose of them
Designers and manufacturers can rethink everything about designing and making products to achieve improvements
This can include:
Questioning whether we actually need the product in the first place
Changing material choices to better ones
Thinking about the product as part of a system where it has longer-term impacts beyond sales
Use and identify innovative approaches which allow the product to meet a customer's needs in ways that are better for the environment
Rethink strategies include:
Designing products to be multifunctional, reducing the need for multiple separate products to be made and sold
Analysing materials and making better choices based on choosing less harmful materials
Using new technology in creative ways, which can reduce waste and energy use
Worked Example
Name one strategy for rethinking products.
Answer
Designing products to be multifunctional, reducing the need for multiple separate products to be made and sold
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