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All designers are interested in materials. Bear in mind that simply changing the materials type does not automatically make a better product. First I have described some materials to avoid, and then I have given a selection of noteworthy materials types and trends that you should be aware of.
The first step is to make sure your designs avoid the very worst 'black list' compounds, which include: CFCs, Asbestos, Halons, PCBs, Carbon tetrachloride, Lead chromate, Cadmium, and Mercury. This is a very basic starting place. The list of chemicals worth avoiding is getting longer and longer. Volvo have very useful black and grey lists which give exact details of compounds to avoid, and also have a white list which shows better alternatives -- although these are quite conservative and I think there could also be a 'ultra-white' list that features materials like those listed below.
Materials once considered 'alternative' are now entering the mainstream. Just because something is standard practice today doesn't mean it's right. Just because your normal suppliers or manufacturers are griping doesn't mean it's not possible. You are the creator of the product and it should be done the way you think is right.
Here is a selection of materials you might come across in your journey to improve your product:
Vegetable-tanned leather that avoids the use of chromium is available under the Ecopell brand name in Europe. In the US, Sustana leather is made from hides of sustainably managed cattle supplied by the Coleman ranch company in Colorado. Coleman cattle are raised humanely from birth without steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics. They are fed on pesticide-free feed and water and allowed to roam on pastureland that is managed on a rotational grazing system to reduce the impacts of overgrazing.
Sustana hides are tanned by Cudahy Tanning, a family-owned, specialty leather producer in Wisconsin. The tanning and finishing standards for Sustana are based on the Dutch Ecolabel for Footwear, which include use of low-toxicity trivalent chromium, minimal release of effluents, low impact, chlorine-free water-based dyes and finishes, biological purifying systems and recycling of protein wastes.
Small amounts of organic wool are available from New Zealand and Iceland. Many countries still use strong pesticides for sheep dip. Wool can also be used for non-fibre applications, such as with Clima Wool, a building insulation product.
Recycled or 'secondary' metal is in principle an excellent idea. Aluminium, brass and steel are all available as 100% recycled material. However, it is important to note that all aluminium contains about 30% (in Europe) recycled metal, so be wary of claims that a metal supply is 'recycled'.
Bioplastics are plastics made from plants, usually polymers of starch or polylactic acid (PLA). They are being used for bags, cutlery and plates, pens, clothing, credit cards, food packaging, agricultural films, teabags, coffee filters, diapers and napkins.
The main brands of the plastic itself are: Biopol, Bionolle, NatureWorks and Mater-Bi. These plastics are cyclic in their sourcing, with starch coming from plants, particularly in Europe where the "starch mountains" some years ago prompted the research that led to the development of starch plastics. It is also possible to make PLA from milk residues and even household waste.
Even Barbie may go Bioplastic. The company intends to begin the introduction of products produced from organically derived materials as early as 2001. As the viability of these new technologies is confirmed, their use will be expanded into all brand categories and product lines. In Barbie's 2000 campaign to be President, she said, "It's time we take a stand to care for Mother Earth. Clean air, clean water and a clean environment are vital to our health."
General and unsupported claims that a wood comes 'from a sustainable source' or from 'managed forests' are completely worthless.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent organisation that monitors forest certification and is the most trustworthy label around at the moment. See page [x] above for more details.
Coppiced wood is where thin trunks are harvested over a very short growing cycle, and clever design is needed to utilise this wood as it is too narrow to make planks. "The Westminster Lodge" at Hooke Park in Dorset makes significant use of thinnings as an economic and viable building material.
Reclaimed wood from old railway sleepers or sea defences is definitely worth using.
Finally, designers may wish to consider the ancient Japanese notion of 'wabi', which is the appreciation of natural forms and flaws. An example can be found in the Tokugawa Palace in Nagoya, where an exquisite tea room interior makes a feature out of a particularly gnarly knot in a supporting beam, rather than excising it as a blemish.
Which paper is best for the environment is a controversial issue, with many proponents for each of the major types: virgin, recycled, kenaf, cotton, and hemp. In my experience this probably means that there is not a whole lot to choose between them in the big scheme of things. They are all grown materials that can be recycled and are compostable.
This really is a topic area that could fill a whole book, but in summary, my opinion is that recycled paper is often better overall for 'low art' applications. Carefully-chosen virgin paper made by mills with a demonstrable environmental track record and which are 'totally chlorine free' are acceptable for 'high art' full colour applications.
Hemp is almost always grown organically, although evidence of organic certification is worth seeking. The material is used in a truly remarkable range of product types, including clothes and accessories, string and rope, paper and paperboard, food, fuel, furniture, bedding and construction materials, cosmetics, art supplies and hemp-based plastic. The oil in hemp seeds has a wealth of industrial uses, and nutritionally, it's a rich source of essential fatty acids.
Jute and sisal also have useful physical properties.
An unexpected application of cardboard is as a building material, replacing more material and energy intensive products such as concrete or steel. Architect Shigeru Ban has designed about a dozen buildings using cardboard tubes as primary structural supports and walls. A prototype cardboard building for Westborough School in Essex, England uses 90% recycled materials and is 90% recyclable at the end of its life.
The biggest challenges in designing with cardboard are overcoming the twin threats from fire and water. Cardboard is surprisingly good in fire, behaving in a similar manner to solid timber, charring on the surface rather than burning quickly. A range of treatments can be added to minimise the surface spread of flame, and reduce risk.
Water is the main challenge, as wet cardboard will lose strength very quickly. At Westborough the wall design incorporates a three level approach to keep moisture out. A recycled plastic coating material outer layer, both inside and out, protects an inner load bearing core. The main panel will be as water-resistant as possible, using techniques researched from the packaging industry. The third level will give the paper in the card itself a small amount of water resistance, through an additive that can be removed if the card is re-pulped.
Cardboard is also a fantastic packaging material, with extremely clever folding systems able to replace most polystyrene foam packaging.
Ceramics generally have much lower embergy than plastics or metals, so advanced ceramic applications such as Kyocera's ceramic knives and engine parts are worth considering.
Glass is often made up of 20% or more recycled cullet, and it is also possible to find 100% recycled glass. However, high performance glass will usually be mostly virgin.
Foamed glass is an interesting product that is very light and strong, making a good insulator and structural material.
Stone is obviously heavy, so is a bad idea for mobile or packaging applications. But it is excellent for construction.
Slate such as welshslate.com is a very low impact material indeed, and is waterproof and non-combustible (AA Fire rating) as well as being unaffected by UV light, normal extremes of temperature, atmospheric pollution, sea air and salt spray, moss and lichen growth, rot or insect attack. It's compatible with all building materials and lasts for more than 100 years.
For reference, this is my snapshot summary of battery types:
Disposable Batteries (alkaline like Duracell) or lithium: No Thanks!
Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) rechargeable: No Thanks!
Nickel Metal Hydride(NiMH) rechargeable: OK
Lithium Ion rechargeable: OK
Alkaline rechargeable (Rayovac / RAM): OK
No battery at all (e.g. mains or muscle- powered): Best
Here's the story with bleaching:
Chlorine Gas (Cl2): No Thanks!
Chlorine Dioxide(ClO2): Better, but still No Thanks!
Hydrogen Peroxide: OK
Sodium hypochlorite (ordinary household bleach): OK
Oxy-bleached(oxygen): OK
No bleaching at all: Best
There are several approaches to reduce the impact of printing:
· vegetable-based (soy and linseed) inks that replace petroleum oil with vegetable oil;
· water-based inks that substitute water for solvent;
· waterless inks that eliminate the need for alcohol-containing fountain solution; and
· energy curable inks and coatings that solidify rather than dry to eliminate the release of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere.
There are an increasing number of paint manufacturers making paint which is water soluble, solvent free, petrochemical free, and that use non-azo and non-heavy metal pigments. Auro are based in Braunschweig, Germany, and they have an impressive line-up of ingredients as well as a pile of environmental awards. They make everything from gloss paints and varnishes to adhesives and polishes. Their paint range uses:
* plant oils like linseed oil which is mostly from organic sources and all from within 20 miles of the factory;
* plant resins like dammar resin, fairly sourced from tapping a tropical tree, and pine wood resin;
* plant and animal waxes like carnauba wax and beeswax;
* earth pigments like umber, ochre and iron oxides;
* plant colours like madder, indigo and mignonette; and
* water, (unless the paint is supplied as a powder) some of which is rainwater collected at the factory site.
Other European brands include Livos and Holzweg.
The rule of thumb is that with plastics, the simpler the better. The more pigment, plasticisers, fire retardants and other additives that are used, the more unfavourable the environmental performance becomes. However, physical performance such as flexibility and UV resistance is vital for a product to work and so compromises must be made.
Polyethylene and PET are the most commonly recycled plastics and so are the most recyclable ones to use. For recyclability, a limited number of plastics should be used (ideally just one), and they should not be bonded or glued together in a way that compromises their disassembly for recycling.
Fortrel Ecospun polyester is a very successful material that can be used as textile fibre.
Durat is a surface material made of 50% recycled polyester.