Design Issues: Is Sustainability just Recycling Deferred?

Sustainability or recycling? – There’s a case for both approaches to dealing with the World’s runaway affair with personal possessions. But however we look at it, even the most durable of products will end up being recycled at some point, and therefore, sustainability is essentially about delaying the inevitable. The problem with the concept of sustainable consumption lies in the consumers’ willingness or otherwise to embrace durability, in what is a largely fashion conscious, technology driven world. Durability may be a fashionable design concept today but what of tomorrow? New technology usually requires a new platform, so how do we achieve technical refreshment in an aging product? And how might we benefit from improved safety systems when we are saddled with a long-term product relationship? (Imagine how far behind the leading edge you would be now if the computer you were using had been manufactured in 2001!)