Giving Packaging a New Life

Even though paper has a recycle limit, it is amazing that about 60 percent of waste paper is used to create new paper. However it is still a shame that there is a finite number to how many times you can recycle paper due to the property loss. 

I didn't know how tetrapak would be recycle due to the vast quantity of layers that are used to make such a product and I didn't think it would be able to be recycled so efficiently and without waste. All the excess plastic and aluminum going to the cement factory. 

Broken glass can be recycled infinitely with no property losses. Recycling glass is also beneficial as it allows for a more efficient glass to be made as the melting point decreases allowing for less energy input. 

More than two thirds of plastic is recycled, which has saved a huge amount of raw material. Sorting the plastics homogeneously allows for the plastic recycling process more efficient and allows for the plastic to have material properties that are close to the properties of virgin material.

What shocked me was that in the recycling processes for plastics, synthesis gas and pig iron can be produced. Plastic is used in the production pig iron as a catalyst, being it is injected into the blast furnace. The conglomerate reacts with the iron ore and removes the oxygen creating pig iron. The plastic therefore replaces oil on a 1to1 scale, saving our natural resources. 

The Story of Stuff

How you think the information presented could be useful (or not useful) for your future career as an industrial designer. 

The information that was in the video, Story of Stuff, is incredibly useful to reference whilst making decisions about sustainable design as it highlights the many flaws that occurs with the design and manufacturing network. The current structure of our production and consumption patterns are described as a linear system on a finite planet, which is why we are having such a huge impact on our environment. E-waste is increasing and so are the types of toxic chemicals that we use to produce them are harming the environment significantly which can also be said about bottled water. 

How has this movie challenged your stereotypes, prejudices, philosophy? 

It was my belief that if every product that was made could be recycled and that consumers recycled all their goods, that we would no longer need to find new resources, but unfortunately due to the huge amounts of waste during the manufacture process this isn't the case. When a consumer has one garbage can of waste, the manufacturing plant produces seventy garbage cans, which is why more efficient manufacturing processes are required.

I was also made aware that there is an extremely hight materials throughput, where of total materials that have been sold, 99% of all products are trashed within 6 months. And with consumer consumption increasing drastically, we can only believe this will increase too. 

I did know that there was a huge amount of e-waste produced each year but i didn't realise how toxic it was and how it was ‘recycled’ if thats what it can be called. All electronic products should be designed to last or have the ability to be upgraded whilst using non toxic materials. This would impact slightly on the profit, but as an iPhone costs around $200 to make and $900 to buy, I think an environmentally friendly materials improvement is still possible... 

It was a shock to be told how much oil is used to produce all the bottled water in a year, with a massive 80% being used in landfill and downcycled instead of recycled. It was also fascinating to hear that bottled water was 2000 times more expensive than tap water, which I would have never thought about before this video. It was also interesting to hear that bottled water is less regulated than tap water and that most bottled water is just filtered tap water. 

Will the realizations or insights change the way you act or think?

Yes, I didn't realise that incinerators were so bad for the environment and that dioxin and other horrible fumes were released with such detrimental impacts. Through my designs I hope to prove that I believe how all electronics products should have the ability to be upgraded, instead of obsolete and that the choices of materials are environmentally sustainable.

 What are the THREE most important “take home messages” to you and how do they impact you? 

We need to become less focused on how advertising affects us through limiting that amount of products that we buy and try to improve the amount of stuff that is recycled. 

Don't be fooled by perceived obsolescence, purchase and design products that can be upgraded and have minimal environmental impact when being recycled.

Understand that even when products can be recycled they are not always recycled to their true potential.

If you were in charge, what will you do to change the situation? 

If I was in charge i would inform people about the negative impacts that are occurring within society and the environment due to choices that place people in harms way. I would make sure that all manufacturing companies were halving their waste each 18 months and I would make sure that every product is environmentally sustainable

How its Made: Packaging

The information provided in these videos was very informative. I didn't realise that recycled paper is more malleable than new paper and that paper and plastic deteriorate in properties, giving them a limit of recycle times. I also found it interesting how there are so many different types of product manufacturing techniques available. The video clearly shows the extremely efficient manufacturing processes which are being utilised in every type of packaging which is exactly what i expected from products that end up being so cheap to the consumer. 

Through the cardboard box video, I would have liked to know if waxing a box changes its recycling ability which I later found out to be false and has no impact on it. I did not think that in packaging products, so many layers were used. It is amazing to see how layers of different materials are used within the same item of packaging to add a different property to the final product. 

These videos have shown me how much thinking needs to occur before anything goes into the manufacturing world as everything is made with such speed and on such a massive scale. It is also incredible to see how much energy is used to make such simple products, differently a place of improvement to make products more environmentally friendly (like the use of using cullet in glass).

The most important thing that I heard in these videos was that plastic has a recycle limit. Furthermore, reprocessed plastic can not exceed 10 percent when making a new bottle due to the loss of some physical properties. Which I used to believe was like metal and could be constantly recycled. It is because of this new knowledge that lead me to believe that if I was in charge, more money would be spent on developing a more efficient manufacturing processes and more efficient materials to make the same end product.

This new knowledge absolutely changes how I know look at plastics and how I will use current plastics through my industrial design career. I do understand how fast technology progresses and hopefully within the next few years there are massive improvements within materials and manufacturing processes that allow better quality products with less energy consumption and equal or less cost to the manufacturer.