Most people are now aware of their eco-footprint and the need to cut carbon emissions. Local councils have set up recycling schemes and people are encouraged to reduce travel emissions, but this is not enough. Designers need to incorporate sustainability considerations into their work, and The Sustainability Handbook for Design & Technology Teachers contains both justification and inspiration for Design and Technology teachers wishing to introduce sustainable design into their lessons.
The authors of The Sustainability Handbook for Design & Technology Teachers introduce the big issues, link climate change and poverty to sustainable design, and encourage us all to develop as active citizens taking on our environmental responsibilities. Each of the six Rs – rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle – is considered in relation to each focus area, with suggested activities and sources of further information.
The Sustainability Handbook for Design & Technology Teachers has been produced by Practical Action in collaboration with the Centre for Alternative Technology.
- Introduction Sustainable Design - the big issues
- Why is sustainable design important? Climate change and sustainable design
- Climate change - got the message? Sustainable design and poverty
- Future generations and sustainable design
- Social, Economic & Environmental Choices
- Becoming an informed decision-maker
- Social responsibility means
- Economic responsibility means
- Environmental responsibility means
- An example - mobile phones
- Taking Practical Action
- Taking practical action in your department
- Taking practical action in food areas
- The Sustainable Schools initiative
- Taking practical action on material choices
- Material choices in your school rooms
- Taking practical action in energy choices
- Energy and trees
- The Six Rs - activities for students
- The six Rs - what are they? The six Rs spinner
- Rethink Needs and wants
- The 'Make Me' wheel
- Personal audit line-up
- Food technology - seasonal foods
- Systems & control - energy sources
- Graphics - promoting sustainability
- Textiles - cotton
- Product design - what price beauty? Product design - efficient food preparation
- Refuse
- Refuse these materials and products! Food - packaging, processing & transport
- Systems & control - ethical electronics
- Graphics - a sustainable day
- Textiles - unfair fashion
- Textiles - fair trade
- Product design - throwaway drinks containers
- Reduce Where's the impact? Product pairs
- Food - unhealthy food
- Food - energy use
- Systems & control - personal energy meter
- Graphics - a sustainable school
- Textiles - waste
- Textiles - costing the Earth? Product design - the newspaper bridge
- Product design - shopping bags
- Reuse The reuse challenge
- Food - leftover food
- Systems & control - WEEE and you
- Graphics - packaging
- Textiles - Traid remade
- Product design - small products
- Repair Disassemble me (if you can)
- Food - kitchen equipment
- Systems and control - fix it! Graphics - facelifts
- Textiles - encouraging repair
- Product esign - throw-away mentality
- Recycle Only part of the answer
- Food - biodegradable packaging
- Systems and control - batteries
- Graphics - what can be recycled? Textiles - processes
- Product design - Recycle or Reuse
- Eco-design Tools Eco-design web
- Design abacus
- Web and abacus templates
- Winners and losers
- Where to find more information
Ian Capewell works in Practical Action's education department and was previously a teacher and advisor in secondary education for over 25 years.