IB Design Technology ~ Topic 2 [Resource Management and Sustainable Production]

The level at which a resource is renewable. The rate that a resource can be replenished.

A natural resource that can replenished with the passage of time, or does not abate at all.

A natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown as it does not naturally re-form at a rate that makes its use sustainable, for example, coal, petroleum and natural gas.

Natural resources that have been identified in terms of quantity and quality.

Reuse of a product in the same context or in a different context.

Using the materials from obsolete products to create other products.

The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing structure or device.

Rebuilding a product so that it is in an “as new” condition, by repairing it, cleaning it, or replacing parts.

Significantly redesigning a product from its original form, with improved engineering.

Strategies used to reduce the waste produced by a product or in the production and disposal of a product.

The reduction of total material and energy throughput of any product and service.

The processes of separating the component parts of a product to recover the parts and materials.

An economy based on the make, use, dispose model.

An economy model in which resources remain in use for as long as possible, from which maximum value is extracted while in use, and the products and materials are recovered and regenerated at the end of the product life cycle.

Strategies for the separation of components of a product in order to recover raw materials.

A form of energy production that generates electricity through the treatment (usually combustion) of non-recyclable waste.

Addresses the complex issue of recycling waste electronics by improving the collection, treatment, and recycling of these materials at their end of life.

The total energy required to produce a product.

The method with which energy is used.

The method with which energy is stored for later use.

The method with which energy is transported from a source to where it is used.

An electrical supply distribution network that can be national or international. International grids allow electricity generated in one country to be used in another.

Simultaneously generates heat and power for a local community, either through the combustion of fuel, or a solar heat collector. The plant is close enough to the community so that the heat generated can be dispersed through the community efficiently.

The ability of an individual to use devices to create small amounts of energy to run low-energy products.

Defining numerically the carbon emissions generated by a particular product.

A device consisting of two or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy.

An electronic component that temporally stores electrical energy.

The amount of electric charge it can deliver (measured in amp-hours).

Humans intervention in the reduction of carbon emissions.

A type of battery made of manganese dioxide, lithium, and copper. High relative cost, high efficiency, low environmental impact.

A type of battery made of lead sulphate and lead. Low relative cost, low efficiency, high environmental impact.

A type of battery made of manganese dioxide, lithium, and copper. Medium relative cost, high efficiency, low environmental impact.

A type of battery made up of nickel oxide-hydroxide, cadmium, potassium hydroxide. Medium relative cost, medium efficiency, high environmental impact.

Products, services or processes that reduce waste and require the minimum amount of non-renewable resources.

Laws considered collectively to address a certain topic.

Products which are improved and developed over time leading to new versions and generations.

Where a completely new product is devised by going back to the roots of a problem and thinking about a solution in a different way.

Technology that is used to reduce pollutants and waste at the end of a process.

Solutions that are implemented to deal with the whole system, rather than just components.

Designing in a way that takes account of the environmental impact of the product throughout its life.

Laws and regulations that are based on conservation and sustainability principles, followed by designers and manufacturers when creating green products.

The avoidance or minimization of producing waste in relation to the production, use and disposal of a product.

The anticipation of potential problems in relation to the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of a product.

A design strategy that focusses on three broad environmental categories - materials, energy, and pollution/waste.

A design philosophy that considers the environmental effects of a product all of the way from manufacture to disposal.

A design philosophy that aims to eliminate waste from the production, use and disposal of a product. It centres on products which are made to be made again.

The assessment of the effect a product has on the environment through five stages of its life: pre-production; production; distribution (including packaging; utilization; and disposal.)

Software that allows designers to perform Life cycle analysis (LCA) on a product and assess its environmental impact.

The synergistic merging of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information and communication technologies and cognitive science.

A cycle that every product goes through from introduction to withdrawal or discontinuation.