Design for Waste Reduction

Basics

• A Part of the “Design for X” Series
• Essentially design products such that (Non-Biodegradable and/or Fossil Based) Plastics are only used where absolutely necessary
• Furthermore Product End of Life is heavily considered and optimized for
• Reusing as much as possible, and in the case of consumables such as Toiletries etc, optimizing a “Refill” ecosystem to reduce Packaging Waste in refills and such is advised
• For sections such as Packaging that ARE to become waste, optimizing for Reuse, Ease of Cleaning/Sorting (especially by Automated Means in a Materials Recovery Facility / in Single Stream Recycling etc) or for Destruction in W2E plants is also advisable
  • For instance use Rigid Plastic instead of Plastic Films
  • Use Monolithic Materials rather than “Multilayer Bags” etc
  • Rigid easy to clean plastic containers rather than Tetrapacks
  • Easily burnable Paper or Cardboard / Molded Pulp rather than Plastic
  • NOT STYROFOAM

Areas

Toiletries

• For Soap/Shampoo/Conditioner design around
  • A Durable, Maintainable Dispenser
  • Bulk Refills
  • Potentially Selling a Concentrate that is “reconstituted” with Deionized Water
    • For Dish Detergent / Laundry Detergent , using concentrates or powders as-is is easier, for directly used products such as most toiletries this becomes more difficult
    • Notable exception of Toothpaste Tablets

Lighters

• Refillable Butane Lighters rather than Disposable Butane Lighters
• Plasma Lighters / Electronic Ignition rather than Disposable Piezoelectric Ignition
  • Although if produced Sustainably, Piezoelectric Polymers / Piezoelectric Biomaterials if available in COTS components that could be swapped in would suffice
    • Most COTS piezoelectric materials are either (Mined) Quartz or Lead Compounds

Fuel

• Optimize around filling at Filling Stations or using Cascade Storage
  • Such as 1LB Propane Tanks, Refilled from a 20Lb Tank, Refilled at a Store