Are
you a student looking for information about green materials?
The EcoDesign Foundation has done extensive research assessing the ecological impacts of a number of materials and determining how best to minimise and, where possible, make up for those ecological impacts.
EDF's has a distinct approach to materials impact assessment. At the simplest level, you should always select materials that are (at least two of the following, in this order):
- non-toxic in manufacture, use and disposal (to humans and ecosystems)
- recovered from disposed products or structures
- manufactured using less energy or energy generated from sustainably renewable sources
- derived from sustainably renewable resources
- avoiding the use of material production (including energy generation) altogether, that is, by doing away for the need for a new product or replacing the need for a new product with a service or an existing product.
- extending the life of all material products, by making the initial product last as long as possible (reliable, serviceable, upgradeable), by making it shareable, by designing subsequent lives for its components and materials
- redesigning the use of the product made from the materials selected to ensure that the product only services more sustainable ways of living and working.
The philosophy behind this approach is explained in the What are Sustainments? section of the website, and the accompanying Newsletter.
Reports that reflect this approach of our research on plastics, concrete and steel are available on this website in the Publications Section .
You may consider helping EDF out with its research into the sustainability of materials, monitoring and reporting on particular areas of interest. We are currently reviewing on-line sustainable material databases in our links section and would welcome your input. Have a look at the Ways of Participating in the EDF section of the website. There are also significant benefits to becoming a student member of Change Design.
