Eco Innovators

Video: EcoDesign strategies 6 minute crash course by Leyla Acaroglu

2011-12-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

Get the basics on how ecodesign strategies can be used to reduce environmental impacts during product design and development. This 6 minute crash course covers a variety of the main design for sustainability strategies such as
- design for demilitarisation
- design for disassembly
- design for longevity
- deign for multi functionality
- design for recyclability

Video: LCA 6 minute crash course on Life Cycle Thinking and Sustainability in Design by Leyla Acaroglu

2011-12-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

Get the basics of life cycle assessment in this 6 minute crash course! This quick intro to LCA covers the basics and looks as how life cycle thinking can be used to make better environmental decisions especially in the design and product development process.

Providing snippets of info on LCA/LCT taken from a 90 min lecture given by Leyla Acaroglu to design students in Melbourne in 2011 the video explores taking a life cycle approach in product design and development and explores the issue of environmental folklore when making environmental decisions.

2011-12-05T15:56:00.001-08:00

Dr Karl and Leyla in the ABC Melbourne studios

Director of Eco Innovators, Leyla Acaroglu co-hosted 774's The Conversation Hour with Jon Fayne on Monday 5th December. The guests included the very entertaining and knowledgeable TV Science man Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and a man who had dedicated his life to collecting pop-up books - Corrie Allegro.

Listen to the podcast on the ABC website on the link below
Leyla Acaroglu, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Corrie Allegro - ABC Melbourne - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Video: Leyla explains Eco Design and Repsonsibilty of Designers

2011-11-23T14:55:00.001-08:00

Filmed in June 2010, this interview with Michael Short from The Age provides an introduction to the ideas behind Eco Innovators.

Fair@Square Festival December 3rd and 4th 2011

2011-11-23T14:43:00.001-08:00

How Ethical is Your Home? Exhibition curated by Eco Innovators happening 3/4 Dec @ Fed Square

2011-11-22T21:03:00.001-08:00

‘How Ethical is Your Home?’ is an interactive exhibition that explores the different aspects of our homes that have social, ethical and environmental impacts. See what simple steps you can take to reduce your ecological footprint, promote fairer-trade and purchase more ethical items for your home.

This exhibition has been designed and curated by a team RMIT University students under the direction of sustainability advisor Leyla Acaroglu from Eco Innovators.

The exhibition includes an array of interesting facts about general household items and lots of practical tips on how to be more fair, ethical and sustainable in the home.

Location: Federation Square Melbourne

Date: 3 and 4 December 2011

Time: 11am - 5pm

Check out the video summary of the exhibition:

Check out the Fair@Square website >>

Meet "This is George" a very cute explanation of climate change well worth a watch

2011-11-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

Leyla Acaroglu, Eco Innovators Director in Today's MX for her Melbourne Award nomination

2011-08-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Repair workshops – giving light to the age old art of repair

2011-08-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Last week saw us busily working away in the basement of Donkeywheel house with 10 amazing designers, artists, technicians and scientists repairing mountains of stuff that we saved from landfill as well as things that the public brought in for repair.

The public enjoying the Repair Workshops over the weekend

The bassment of Donkeywheel house 'our workshop'

We had over 70 repair jobs over the weekend and we raised over $2000 for the wonderful Environment Victoria from the auction that we held at the launch on Friday night.

Eco Innovators director, Leyla Acaroglu MC-ing the auction

One of the main motivations behind The Repair Workshops was to bring to light the age old art of repairing and the social and environmental issues that arise from our 'throw away' culture. It was amazing how many people came in over the weekend to tell us about how they repair things or how they have all these things they can’t bring themselves to throw out but have no idea where to get them fixed!

Scott fixing glasses for a member of the public

The project received some great media coverage, we were on ABC and RRR radio as well as having articles in Green Magazin, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald

Check out the project blog and website for stage by stage photos and information on how it all went.

On of the super talinted repairers Yvette repairing a lamp

The Repair Workshops @ State of Design 30th and 31st July 2011

2011-07-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

We are super excited about our latest project that we have co-developed with The Treasury – The Repair Workshops as part of this year’s State of DesignFestival!

The Repair Workshops project aims to challenge the way we think about products and their design. Why is the stuff we buy designed to break so easily and why we are losing the ability to repair things?

Mountains of broken things have been rescued from landfill thanks to local charities. On Wednesday and Thursday, talented repair experts will repair or re-imagine these items into works of art that will be on exhibition over the weekend.

During the weekend the public is invited to bring along broken items for a FREE repair session guided by professional artists, designers and engineers. The in-house repair experts include: Dylan Martorell, Lizzy Sampson, Tim Denshire-Key, Yvette King, Will Campbell, Scott Mitchell, Dr Gregory Crocetti and Jason Bond.

Come along if you are in Melbourne!

Saturday and Sunday 30-31 July – Repair Workshop and exhibition open to the public - bring along your broken items for a free repair session guided by the expert repair team.

Where: Basement of the historic Donkey wheel House, 673 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Register for a FREE repair session: www.therepairworkshops.com Cost: Free!

Free webinar series on Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainable Minds LCA software

2011-05-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Over the next month we are running a series of free introductory webinars covering life cycle assessment and using the online Sustainable Minds LCA software to conduct streamlined assessments with ease.

They are held on Monday afternoons at 2pm on the 13^th and 27^th June.

Register here to attend

The Repair Workshops - sign up for a free repair session during the State of Design Festival

2011-05-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.therepairworkshops.com

The Repair Workshops is an exciting artistic exploration into the idea of repair co-run by Eco Innovators. The project challenges us all to think about how products are designed to break so easily and why we are losing the ability to repair.

The Repair Workshops will be open to the public on the weekend of the 30 & 31 July. We are inviting people to pre-register to have their broken items repaired by one of our amazing collaborators!

We are working with the St Vincent de Paul Society to rescue broken and un-loved items destined for landfill, and we are also asking members of the public to donate items in need of repair to the project.

Our 8 collaborators will take over the basement of Donkeywheel house for 2 days of closed collaborations to repair and transform the items into functional products again or even into crazy works of art! All of the works created will then be on display and available for sale with all the proceeds going to Environment Victoria during the festival.

Follow the project on Facebook

Register for a 20 minute repair as part of the workshops here

New forms of recycling help lessen the harms of e-waste by Michael Green

2011-04-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Orginally published The Sunday Age: Sunday 17th April 2011

Original article here

In Life Pscycle-ology, a short animation by Leyla Acaroglu, a forlorn mobile phone named Eric Sun laments his future stuck in a desk drawer. He is just one year old.

But poor Eric Sun's plight is just the tip of the landfill. According to Greenpeace, e-waste now comprises 5 per cent of global municipal waste, nearly the same amount as all plastic packaging.

Ms Acaroglu, from Melbourne design consultancy Eco Innovators, says only one out of every 100 discarded mobile phones is recycled.

"The way we use and abuse high end goods is very inefficient," she says. "They contain hazardous substances that escape into the waterways or leach out in landfill. We're gobbling up valuable resources so we can all have the latest iPad."

Unfortunately, pollution and waste aren't the only worries. Our throwaway electronics generate side effects all along the production line, from allegations that the illegal trade in minerals funds conflict in eastern Congo, to the dumping of e-waste on developing countries.

(For more about the high-tech life cycle, see Annie Leonard's animation, The Story of Electronics, and for background on conflict minerals, check out US charity, The Enough Project.)

"Australia is one of the only industrialised countries that doesn't have effective end-of-life management for electrical goods," Ms Acaroglu says. "We also have no restriction on the hazardous substances used in those goods."

But at least we'll soon be able to get old TVs off the footpaths. Under legislation introduced to Federal Parliament in March, importers and manufacturers will be required to fund and run a national recycling scheme for televisions and computers, set to begin before the end of the year.

Ms Acaroglu says that while the product stewardship legislation is a crucial step, the goods themselves must be made differently. "Many of our products are designed to break. We really need to be creating long-lasting, interchangeable, upgradeable products," she says.

"We need system service models — so that if you buy a computer, it's not more expensive to get it repaired or upgraded than it is to buy a new one."

In the meantime, Ms Acaroglu says householders can still minimise their gadget habit. First, unplug or switch off chargers at the wall - needless energy consumption accounts for a large dose of a mobile's life cycle impact.

"Secondly, consider the consumption hierarchy," she says. "Do you really need this product?"

If you really do, consider buying secondhand or opting for the best quality, longest-lasting one you can find. Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics is helpful; it ranks the major brands' performance on toxic substances, carbon footprint and e-waste.

"Seek out products that have longer warranties or service components associated with them," Ms Acaroglu suggests. "Cheaper is not always better. And when something is really, truly no longer of use to you, make sure you recycle it."

You can earn money for your old gizmos on eBay or from buy-back businesses (such as Mazuma Mobile or Cash-a-Phone), or give them away on Freecycle. There's also a recycling scheme for mobiles, called Mobile Muster. Victorians can drop off old computers through the Byteback scheme, operated by Sustainability Victoria.

"Don't leave them stuck in your drawer," Ms Acaroglu says. "Get those resources back into the recycling stream."

michaelbgreen.com.au

Eco Innovators mythbusting sustainability app now available in iTunes!

2011-04-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

After moths in development the Eco Innovators mythbusting sustainability quiz is available to download onto your iPod touch iPhone or iPad!!

Its FREE to download for the next few days. Check it out in iTunes here

Getting a foot into Life Cycle Assessment on Develop3D.com

2011-04-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Life Cycle Assessment is a cornerstone of any sustainable design project. Here is a brief introduction into the heady world of choosing the right material, for the right application, for the smallest environmental impact. Read more ...

Director of Eco Innovators, Leyla Acaroglu is a judge on ABC TVs The New Inventors

2011-04-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Leyla Acaroglu (middle) on the New Inventors ABC TV

On Wednesday night, Leyla Acaroglu made her first appearance as a judge on the great ABC TV show The New Inventors.

Leyla will be appearing on the show again on the 20^th and 27^th April. In its 8^th season, The New Inventors is a much loved Australian weekly TV show focused on inventions and the people who create them. Each week, 3 inventors show their designs and a winner is selected by the judges. The winners then go into the running to be named Inventor of the year. Read more about the show here

The show can be watched on ABC Tvs iView here

Life Cycle Thinking Master Class – Uncovering how to integrate sustainability into decision making

2011-04-04T02:43:00.000-07:00

Eco Innovators along with Life Cycle Strategies is happy to announce that we will be running our life cycle thinking (LCT) master class in Melbourne on the May 9, 2011.

The last few LCT sessions have attracted a wide variety of professionals wanting to find out more about LCA and how life cycle information can be integrated into design making.

“It challenged and stimulated thinking...The best LCA course I have done!” Nick, Industrial Designer

Check out some of the testimonials from participants here

May’s masterclass will have the added option of a split afternoon session delving into advanced or streamlined LCA tools.

Facilitated by LCA expert Tim Grant and director of Eco Innovators, Leyla Acaroglu. Fin our more here

Places are strictly limited. Early bird ends on the 15^th may – so get in quick!

Register here

Check out the website here

Eco Innovators partners with Sustainable Minds LCA Software

2011-03-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Eco Innovators has partnered with U.S.-based Sustainable Minds to bring their easy to use, efficient and reliable Sustainable Minds Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software to Australian product manufacturers, designers, educational institutes and sustainability consultancies to meet the growing demand for product environmental performance information.

With the impending tax on carbon and the increased authority of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to prosecute false environmental claims, Australian manufacturers must be able to measure and manage the environmental performance of their products.

With the introduction of Sustainable Minds, Australian product developers and manufacturers can integrate environmental sustainability into their product development processes. Using Sustainable Minds LCA software for streamlined life cycle assessments, the environmental performance of product concepts can be compared in early stage design. Assessment results are used to make informed trade-off decisions between traditional criteria, such as functional performance and cost. Sustainable Minds also provides an extensive Learning Centre to educate product development teams on LCA and eco-design practice and application.

Leading LCA practitioner Tim Grant of Life Cycle Strategies welcomes the introduction. “This software expands the reach of Life Cycle Assessment to a broader audience of non-LCA specialists, getting it closer to where decisions are made, and supporting everyday design choices”.

Director of Eco Innovators, Leyla Acaroglu, who recently won a Melbourne Design Award, was responsible for the development of one of the first online simplified LCA tools – Greenfly. “I have had a great deal of experience with designing tools and resources to assist designers in integrating sustainability into product development, and for me, Sustainable Minds LCA software is the best on the market for supporting designers, manufacturers and product developers in understanding and reducing the life cycle impacts of their products.”

“It’s the optimal partnership for Sustainable Minds in Australia,” stated Terry Swack, CEO and founder of Sustainable Minds. “Leyla brings deep expertise in both ecodesign and LCA software for product development. Our partnership allows us to access a new market, as well as develop compelling education and training programs for web-based delivery available everywhere.”

More information can be found at http://www.sustainableminds.com.au

Eco Innovators Wins a Melbourne Design Award for The Secret Life of Things!

2011-03-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

The Melbourne design community has awarded Eco Innovators with a Melbourne Design Award for the animation and education series The Secret Life of Things.

Director of Melbourne based environmental consultancy Eco Innovators, Leyla Acaroglu accepted the 2010 award on behalf of The Secret Life of Things team .

Leyla Acaroglu

Accepting the Melbourne Design Award

The competition was strong with the other 5 finalists in the animation category being from well known agencies (and with what was probable a much bigger budget then we had!) The awards were selected by public opinion with members of the design community and design public casting votes.

Eco Innovators would like to thank everyone who had the Secret Life of Things project possible and congratulate all the other finalists.

'Eric' the star of The Secert Life of Things winner of a 2010 Melbourne Design Award

The development of the Secret Life of Things was funded by the British Council

The MDA are cross-disciplinary, celebrating and honouring the role of design and the skills of designers around the planet, while recognising all aspects of the design process.

The aim of the Melbourne Design Awards is to:

Celebrate those who produce excellent design works.
Celebrate those who sponsor, fund or commission design projects.
Promote and encourage participation and conversation in all aspects of design.

The Age 'Life and Style' Section 19th March 2011

Leyla Acaroglu, Director of Eco Innovators to present at Australian Life Cycle Assessment Conference

2011-03-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

The Australia Life Cycle Assessment Conference is the premier LCA event in Australia held annually. Leyla Acaroglu, Director of Eco Innovators has co-authored a paper with statistician Monique Ladds of RMIT University documenting the results of an evaluation conducted across six leading Australian universities on the effectiveness of the Secret Life of Things project.

The research was conducted over a six month period with over 250 students participating. The results will be published as part of the conference proceedings and will also be available from the Secret Life of Things and Eco Innovators websites.

Leyla is also giving a workshop on " Life cycle thinking and environmentally preferable decision making" as part of the conference on Tuesday 8 March between 9.30am - 12.30pm. To register click here

One week left to get your entries in to be a part of the Repair Workshops!

2011-02-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Calling all artists, designers, crafters, scientists and engineers...

Get paid $1000 to be involved in a cool collaborative 5 days project as part of this year’s State of Design Festival. The Repair Workshops will pair creatively minded people with technically minded people for a hands on exploration of repairing!

APPLICATIONS DUE Friday 25^th February

All the application information can be found on the website

Better get your skates on!

The Repair Manifesto - reworked by Eco Innovators for 2011 Repair Workshops

2011-02-11T01:49:00.000-08:00

Check out the Eco Innovators re-working of Platform 21's Repair Manifesto!

Applications for contributors due 25^th Feb 2011. Check out all the info here

The Secret Life of Things in the 2011 Hillside Film Festival

2011-02-11T01:38:00.001-08:00

The Secret Life of Things film film "Life Pscycle-ology" is in the 2011 Hillside Film Festival in Melbourne.

Held on the 19th February 2011, the Hillside festival showcases 8 locally made short films...

Check out all the info here

Life Cycle thinking & Sustainable Decision Making Workshop - SLF 15th Feb 2011

2011-02-11T01:33:00.000-08:00

Introduction to Life Cycle Thinking Sustainability decision making

3 hour workshop as part of the 2011 Sustainable Living Festival

Date: 15th February 2011

Time: 10am - 1pm

Where: Donkey Wheel House, 673 Bourke Street Melbourne VIC 3000

About the workshop

Event sell/description: (20 word limit) An introductory workshop exploring the entire life cycle based impacts of producing and consuming products. A hands-on session for designers, architects, business and marketing, PR and sustainability experts. For full details and to book visit http://www.lifecyclethinking.com.au

About Life Cycle Thinking

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the best practice method of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product, system or service from raw material extraction and manufacture through to use and disposal. This method underpins life cycle thinking - moving us from guesswork to targeted evidence-based decision making.

Facilitated by Tim Grant and Leyla Acaroglu

Leyla Acaroglu is the director of Eco Innovators and has several years experience in sustainable design, production and consumption, specifically eco-design methodology and application. She has an Honours Degree in Social Science Environment and a Diploma of Product Design and Development. In her previous role at the Centre for Design, Leyla was responsible for the development of Greenfly online LCA tool, the Design Victoria ‘What is EcoDesign’ how to kit and a series of professional development courses in eco-design. Leyla has worked with all levels of government, industry and NGO’s. She works with local and international organisations and frequently presents on topics relating to sustainability in design, production and consumption. Leyla is the creative director of The Secret Life of Things and was nominated in the 2010 Melbourne Magazine’s top 100 people of influence.

Tim Grant is a specialist in Life Cycle Assessment. He has twelve years’ experience developing and applying LCA with a wide range of companies and organisations. Tim is the Director of Life Cycle Strategies, an Adjunct Professor at RMIT Centre for Design and Adjunct Research Fellow with CSIRO division of Marine and Atmospheric Research. Tim was founder and President of the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS), and is the Database Committee chair of the Australia Life Cycle Database Initiative (AUSLCI). Tim conducts training courses in LCA around Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region.

The Repair Workshops: Expression of Interest for Collaborators (State of Design 2011)

2010-12-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Repair Workshops: Expression of Interest for Collaborators (State of Design 2011)

The Secret Life of Things Animation is up for a Melbourne Design Award!

2010-12-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

Voting is now open for the 2011 Melbourne Design Awards and The secret Life of Things - Life Pscycle-ology is up for an award in the animation category!

The best thing is its public voting! All you have to do is vote here by popping you name and email and selecting ‘design public’.

Fingers crossed that little Eric (the character in the animation) gets some recognition!

New project: The Repair Workshops as part of State of Design 2011

2010-12-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

Eco Innovators in collaboration with The Treasury will be running The Repair Workshops as part of the 2011 State of Design Festival.

The Repair Workshops is a five day collaborative exploration of the concept of ‘repair’. The workshops will be run as part of the 2011 State of Design festival held in Melbourne in the last week of July. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from artists, designers, scientists and engineers to be involved in this exciting project that has received funding support from the City of Melbourne.

This project will bring together three artists/designers and four scientists/engineers to collaborate on a repair project of their choice. The selected collaborators will create the theme for a repair ‘Hub’ which they will run and where the public will be invited to interact and repair items throughout the course of the festival.

The project will run for 5 days, with the first two days being a closed collaboration between the collaborators which will be followed by open public workshops whereby people can interact with the hubs and bring along their broken items for repair.

We are looking for people who are passionate about collaborating through an innovative examination of the ideas and practicalities of repairing, reimagining and repurposing broken objects, not only in a direct way (re-installing functionality to the design), but also in a conceptual manner - exploring repairing as a way of creating value, functionality and beauty in de-valued broken items.

Requirements:

Participants must be available 10am – 5pm between the 27^th and 31^st July 2011 and will also be required to attend 3 two hour workshops during March – June 2011.

Participants must be over 18 years of age.

People who classify themselves as scientists and engineers are strongly encouraged to apply

Submission guidelines

Send us a 1 to 2 page document outlining the following things:

- Tell us a bit about yourself (what do you do, are you a designer/scientist? etc)

- What interests you about ‘repairing’?

- Why do you want to be a part of the Repair Workshops?

- If you were selected to be a part of The Repair Workshops, what would like to do? (pitch us your repair idea)

Submissions due by: 5pm, Friday 25^th February 2011

More information available from the website: www.repairworkshops.com.au

Eco Innovators in Melbourne’s Top 100

2010-12-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Eco Innovators’ founder and director, Leyla Acaroglu has been named as one of Melbourne’s Top 100 people of influence in this month’s Melbourne Magazine in The Age newspaper.

The Top 100 is full of interesting and exciting community and environmentally focused projects so it is a real pleasure to be included amongst such a great bunch of people!

Included in this yearsTop 100 was; Mark Wakenham from Environment Victoria, Mark Boulet from Green Steps, Asuka Hara and Jarrod Briffa from Kinfolk, Adam Bandt from The Greens, founders of the Wheeler Centre, Abigail Forsyth founder of Keep cup, Gilbert Rochecouste from Village Well and many more wonderful Melbournians!

Early Bird tickets: Life Cycle Thinking Masterclass in Sydney November 18

2010-10-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

This masterclass is a high-level training course for professionals in all areas of decision making. The course is especially suited to professionals in education, design, product development, engineering, management, marketing, procurement, and building and service provision sectors.

SYDNEY MASTERCLASS

When: Thursday 18th November 2010
Duration: Full day - 8.30am till 5.30pm
Location: Sydney
Facilitators: Leyla Acaroglu and Tim Grant
Cost: Normal: $590, Early Bird: $490, Educators:$295
Registration: Here or 03 8669 2046 or info@ecoinnovators.com.au
FREE 1/2 hour introductory webinar 22 October 2pm-2.30pm Register here

What others have said about the Masterclass...

It challenged and stimulated thinking...The best LCA course I have done!” Nick Seymour, Designer

“I got more ideas on LCA application and better understanding....I plan to extend LCT in other areas within the group including marketing and procurement.” Arnis Kazakevics, Technology Manager, The Laminex Group

"The course was terrific!" Elaine Osborn, CSIRO

"Thanks again for such an excellent Life Cycle Thinking training day! I really enjoyed it and got heaps out of it, so thanks again." Lisa Majour, SubGreen Design

Read more testimonials
What is Life Cycle Thinking?

Life cycle thinking (LCT) draws on the best practice method of quantifying the environmental impacts, life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA looks at impacts across the life of a product, system or service from raw material extraction and manufacture through to use and disposal. This method moves us from guesswork to targeted evidence-based environmental decision-making.

Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment by Eco Innovators director Leyla Acaroglu

2010-10-12T22:55:00.001-07:00

LCA Intro on Prezi
Find out more about what LCA is and how it can help in understanding and reducing environmental impacts.

New CD Swap Meet Date announced 22 September 2010 in Carlton

2010-08-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

The Secret Life of Things first animation Life Pscycle-ology is here!

2010-07-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Eco Innovators team is proud to announce the launch of the first animation the Secret Life of Things Series – Life Pscycle-ology takes a humours look at the hidden life of an unhappy mobile phone who has been abandoned by his owner in favour of a new model.... through this short quirky animation we discover all the different life cycle stages that he goes through and uncover some of the ways that he could have been designer better...

On the project website www.thesecretlifeofthings.com there is also 15 free resources for educators teaching design. The resources include case studies, fact sheets and games that can be downloaded and used for free! Check it out here

Interview with Eco Innovators director Leyla Acaroglu on why we need Eco Design

2010-07-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Director of Eco Innovators, Leyla Acaroglu spoke with Michael Short from The Age about why eco design is so important...

Check out the video interview >>

Check out the article here >>

One solution to the massive issue of e-waste – DIY repair with iFixit.com

2010-06-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

Some people see problems, get annoyed and then come up with a brilliant idea that will assist thousands, even millions of people be more sustainable. E-waste (electronic waste) is a massive social and environmental issue as is the insidious issue of planned obsolescence (products that are designed to break).
Enter one solution. iFixit.com which presents one very simple and empowering solution to these issues.DIY repair.

The iFixit website presents video tutorials on how to fix you broken electronic equipment in easy to follow steps. They offer a compelling video on why repairing is so important:

Whats the problem with E-waste?

E-waste includes a broad and growing range of electronic devices ranging from large household appliances, MP3 players, refrigerators, air conditioners, mobile phones, stereos, and computers - just to name a few. Basically, if you have to plug it in or power it in some way – it will end up as e-waste one day.

Ever year in Australia over 17 million computers, televisions and other electronic products are thrown away and only 4% of this e-waste is recycled (ref). To date, roughly 37 million computers, 56 million mobile phones and over 17 million TVs have gone to landfill in Australia (ref).

Up to 80% of e-waste collected for recycling in the US is exported to developing nations such as China, India and Pakistan
- Basel Action Network

Around the world the amount of e-waste is growing exponentially. In Europe e-waste contributes up to 6 million tonnes of solid waste per annum and is growing at a threefold rate. Globally, it is estimated that between 20 and 50 million tonnes of e-waste is generated each year - put in another way, these would fill enough containers on a train to go around the world once (Schwarzer).

So next time it breaks, don't throw it out, get online and fix it!

Referance
Schwarzer, S., A. D. Bono et al (2005). E-waste, the hidden side of IT equipment's manufacturing and use, UNEP Early Warning on Emerging Environmental Threats No. 5

Eco Design Makes Good Cents

2010-06-15T20:29:00.001-07:00

There is a common misconception that creating ‘greener’ products will cost more. In most cases the reality is quite the opposite. And I’m not the only one who thinks that ecodesign makes good cents. According to an article in Click Green:

“If manufacturers were to adopt simple eco-design principles and re-evaluate the production process of just five staple consumer products (kettle, television, mobile phone, fridge, laptop), the UK would save over 8 million tonnes of C02 each year – the equivalent of eliminating over 19.9 billion road miles.”

The article goes on to discuss how more holistic approaches to integrating sustainability can result in up to 60% savings for manufactures:

“...most consumer goods are capable of having their carbon footprints reduced by as much as 60 per cent, if manufacturers adopt better ecodesign philosophies and commit to improving their supply chains and production methods; processes that could actually save them money”.

Integrating sustainability into the design of consumer goods is not rocket science either. It’s about good decision making based on a sound understating on what life cycle stages a product goes through, what impacts can occur across its life and how to strategically minimise these through the design of the product.

Let’s take a kettle for example, the technical efficiency of boiling water is actually quite good in modern kettles, the main impact occurs through waste, and not at the end of life, during use. Most kettles can hold up to 1.7 litres of water, which if your boiling water for a cup of tea is way too much. But that is what most people do, they fill their kettle up with more water then they need and so they waste lots of energy in the process of getting one cup of tea. Another issue is that there is no reminder or indication that a kettle has boiled so they are often forgotten about, requiring the water to be re-boiled. And let’s not even start on the non-insulated design-to-break versions that are readily available...

So the point is, quickest and easiest way to drastically reduce the environmental impacts of a kettle through the design is to consider how it will be used and design in features that will prevent wastage and remind users that they have boiled the kettle!

Check out the full Click Green article here

Lecture Notes for Eco-design principles lecture

2010-06-10T17:14:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Lecture Notes for Eco-design principles lecture

View more presentations from Janne Korhonen.

China's Electronic Waste Village

2010-06-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Really well presented picture essay on the issues of exporting e-waste to China.
China's Electronic Waste Village

The Secret Life of Things Launch 22nd July at EPA Victoria

2010-05-25T02:12:00.000-07:00

The Secret Life of Things’ first animated video called “Life Psychl-ollogy” will be launched along with the first educational resources on the 22nd July 2010 at the Victorian EPA offices as part of the State of Design festival.

The launch event will also include a Q & A panel discussion with animator Nicholas Kallincos, LCA expert Tim Grant and eco design adviser Leyla Acaroglu on life cycle thinking and eco design in the creative industries.

RSVP essential as places are limited

About the Project

The Secret Life of Things project is a series of short animated videos and resources that explore the hidden environmental impacts of everyday things.

The project promotes life cycle thinking and environmentally sustainable decision making in design and product development. The animations are supported by an eco design resource pack which includes a selection of educational materials for design educators and businesses wanting to explore life cycle thinking and eco design.

The Secret Life of Things is a new and innovative approach to communicating and engaging people with sustainability. The resources draw on interactive environmental education and present a solutions based approach to integrating environmental decisions into the design and development of products.

Sneak Peak at the first Secret Life of Things animated video

2010-05-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

A Sneak Peak of the first animation “Life Psychl-ollogy”

The Secret Life of Things is a short animated video series that explores the hidden environmental impacts of ever day things and promotes life cycle thinking and decision making in design. The animations are supported by an EcoDesign resource pack which includes educational resources for design students and businesses wanting to upskill in life cycle thinking and ecodeisgn.

By employing life cycle thinking and exploring the overall impacts associated with each of the life cycle stages a product goes through, designers can make informed decisions that will result in lighter footprint products. EcoDesign is not complicated nor costly and it's about time that environmental, social and ethical considerations be a fundamental pillar of all design profession and practice.

The Secret Life of Things project is one of the first projects to specifically communicate life cycle thinking and design decision making in a new media context. The animated video and support resources will engage and inspire the current and new generation of designers to make sustainability a fundamental part of their design practice. This project has been specifically designed and developed as an innovative approach to stimulating change within the design community and to provide a solutions based approach to environmental issues.

Follow the project on facebook

Register to receive the pack in July here

Go to The Secret Life of Things Website

FINALLY Melbourne gets a bike share program!!

2010-05-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

That’s right, after years of waiting and moaning about how much we need a public bike system in Melbourne – its finally happening thanks to the RACV (apparently they have releised that cars aren’t going to be around for ever). The first 100 bikes will hit Swanston Street at the end of May with another 500 being rolled out around the CBD by the end of June.

How will it work? For a personal key (a plastic card) its a $50 yearly subscription and you get the first half hour of your ride free and can use a bike as many times as you want in a day. After the first half an hour you start getting charged, its $2 for 30-60 mins, $5 for 60-90 mins and then it starts getting expensive. But this is actually a good thing as it will stop people from riding off with them. Besides all you would have to do is re-dock you bike every half hour and it’s free!! There are also corporate cards for $200 each where you get the first hour free.

What about the helmets? I rang and asked. It’s simply BYO. Basically they are saying its illegal not to wear a helmet so you just need to have some foresight and BYO. For people who work in the city that is pretty easy as you can leave a helmet in the office. I'm sure this will also make a market for cheap helmet shops in the CBD!

This is very exciting and will hopefully result in a reduction in the cars in the CBD. You can register online at http://melbournebikeshare.com.au/

New Book: Screw Light Bulbs - Smarter ways to save Australian's time and money by Liz Michin and Donna Green

2010-04-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm half way through a borrowed copy of Liz Minchin and Donna Green’s brand new book ‘Screw Light Bulbs’ and have decided it’s a very good read.

The book came about as a result of the 2 author’s frustrations over the ‘eco tips’ that would appear next to articles on climate change. The ‘change your light bulb’ mantra seamed to pale in comparison to the impacts of climate change. So was born a book that’s about proactive and positive actions that everyone can take without it costing the earth or burning a hole in our pockets. In fact, the second chapter openly discusses the need for us to all address our over-consumption issues. This alone is contributing substantiality to greenhouse gas emissions (one statistic quoted is that a 3^rd of China’s emissions are attributed to the production of products exported to the West... for us to consume) and these ladies are very brave to talk about what so many people try to ignore – the fact that we need to consume less and create more sustainable products and services to reduce the overall environmental impacts of our actions. So go borrow yourself a copy and get reading a very good and empowering book.

The Renaissance of Lifecycle Thinking | Business | GreenBiz.com

2010-04-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great article:

The Renaissance of Lifecycle Thinking | Business | GreenBiz.com

Play the 'Name That Sin Game' on the 7 Sins of Greenwashing site

2010-03-09T23:23:00.000-08:00

Can you pick the signs of Greenwashing? Test your skills of seeing through the deception on unscrupulous advertisers on the Seven Sins of Greenwashing website.

Planned Obsolescence of Products by Leyla Acaroglu

2010-03-06T22:51:00.001-08:00

Check out our SlideShare Presentation:

Planned Obsolescence of Products EcoNetwork event

View more presentations from Ecodesign Centre (EDC).

2010-03-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Life cycle thinking

2010-03-06T22:08:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Life cycle thinking

View more presentations from whatidiscover.

Life Cycle Thinking - A Design Mindset

2010-03-06T22:05:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Life Cycle Thinking - A Design Mindset

View more documents from Locus Research.

Slow Fashion Website

2010-02-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

Yet another great local initiative! The Slow Fashion blog is a great resource for anyone wanting to lighten their fashion footprint! They also like the showcase shop!!!!!! Great work guys.

Check out Slow Fashion here

Amazing life cycle resource - envimpact.org

2010-02-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

I rarely get this excited about a little blog style site, but envimpact.org is AMAZING!!!! Its basically a compilation of life cycle based data in an easy to read format. At the moment it only has a few different types of products and materials, but it really is a great starting point for anyone who wants to know about environmental impacts!!!!

Check out the site here