Ecodesign

What is Ecodesign really? Some people wonder.

Ecodesign means to work out and design objects and buildings, which can be sustainable, planned and designed in a respectful way for the environment. Ecodesign means to design in a smarter way that it used to be, eco-friendly, sustainable, simply smart. Using eco-friendly materials and saving energy, limiting waste are all industrial imperatives, which should be considered in every single industry nowadays: from fashion to building sites, from art to company management.

Ecodesign is in Art, Design, Architecture, Engineering that goes from planning to selling, from manufacturing to disposing. Ecodesign means caring and paying attention to the entire planet and its environment.
Ecodesign is recycling, using recyclable materials biodegradable, reusable, reused. In few words: design in an eco way!

ecodesign lamp (by ecoobe.com)

Ecodesign is an approach to design of a product with special consideration for the environmental impacts of the product during its whole lifecycle. In a life cycle assessment the life cycle of a product is usually divided into procurement, manufacture, use and disposal.
Ecodesign is a growing responsibility and understanding of our ecological footprint on the planet. Green awareness, over population, industrialization and an increased environmental population have led to the questioning of consumer values. It is imperative to search for new ‘green’ solutions that are environmentally friendly and lead to a reduction in the consumption of materials and energy.

ecodesign lamp (by ecoobe.com)

As the whole product life cycle should be regarded in a sustainable perspective, design, production, marketing, purchasing and project management should work together on the ecodesign of a further developed or new product as they have together the best chance to predict the effects of changes of the product and their environmental impact. Environmental aspects should be analysed for every stage of the life cycle are. When we mentioned ‘disposing of materials’ we also meant waste (such as hazardous waste and other waste defined in environmental legislation) is only an intermediate step and the final emissions to the environment. Equally are all consumables, materials and parts used in the life cycle phases accounted and all indirect environmental aspects linked to their production.

ecodesign furniture (by ecoobe.com)

From wikipedia: Applications in Design:

Ecodesign concepts currently have a great influence on many aspects of design; the impact of global warming and an increase in CO₂ emissions have led companies to consider a more environmentally conscious approach to their design thinking and process. In building design and construction, designers are taking on the concept of Ecodesign throughout the design process, from the choice of materials to the type of energy that is being consumed and the disposal of waste.

ecodesign chairs (by ecoobe.com)

- EcoMaterials such as the use of local raw materials is less costly and reduces the environmental costs of shipping, fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions generated from transportation. Certified Green-building materials such as wood from sustainably managed forest plantations, with accreditations from companies such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or the Pan-European Forest Certification Council (PEFCC), can be used. There are several other types of components and materials that can be used in sustainable buildings. Recyclable and recycled materials are commonly used in construction, but it is important that they don’t generate any waste during manufacture or once their life cycle is over. Materials that have been reclaimed such as wood/timber at a construction or junkyard can be given a second life by re-using them as support beams in a new building or as furniture, or stones from an excavation can be used as a retaining wall. The re-use of these items means that less energy is consumed in making new products and a new natural aesthetic quality is achieved.

- Water Recycling systems such as rainwater tanks that harvest water for multiple purposes and re-using grey water generated by households is a useful way of not wasting drinking water.
- Off-Grid Homes only use clean electric power, they are completely separated and disconnected from the conventional electricity grid and receive their power supply by harnessing active or passive energy systems.

The author: Anna is a dreamer, an idealist, a huge lover of everything is cool and innovative. Passionate about movies, avid reader and relentless traveller, she enjoys taking pictures and she fools herself to be a good photographer only because she thinks she knows how to use a professional SLR camera. She lived in New York, with which she (hopelessly) still in love with. Four wonderful years passed by and deeply changed her prospective. Anna starts growing a passion for innovative and eco-friendly design, in a world which is constantly in evolution and in deep need of a change.