Half a billion cheap electrical items go to UK landfill each year.

Shocked by this figure? We were.

Whether you’re a consumer of the goods, a manufacturer, or a designer like us - we all have a part to play in reducing this number.

The Guardian’s recent report notes things like disposable vapes, solar lights and usb sticks for being some of the highest numbers of Missing Capture products.? But we’re sure many of us also have items like, old phones, chargers and power banks too.

Who’s responsible for this amount of waste?

The consumer?

The manufacturer?

The designer?

Our view is that we’re all responsible, so we all need to action change.

What can we do about it?

The 16th to the 22nd of October is National Recycle week.? WRAP ?started this annual call-to-action week 20 years ago.? They are a British registered charity working with Businesses, Individuals, and communities to achieve a circular economy,

This year’s theme is Missing Capture and refers to the items that could be recycled but just end up as Messy Drawer clutter.

Having an amnesty on all of the above and taking them to designated recycling plants, donating some things to charity are ways to help with this problem.

The most impactful way to reduce waste though, is to not make things! but achieving this often requires fundamental shifts ?– for example moving to a Product-as-a-Service business model. PaaS

We’d like to suggest another course of action that calls to consumers and manufacturers alike.

Design for repair and maintainability is not a new approach, but it’s still not getting the consideration it should in new product development – The Right to Repair Regulations CBP-9302.pdf (parliament.uk)is beginning to accelerate this…

So here are a couple of thoughts on what to do to address this issue.

1.?????? Consumer:- When you go to buy anything new, really interrogate the product and question the following:-

• ?????? Will I be able to repair it to make it last longer? (eg battery repair, screens, bulbs etc)
• ????? How well is it made? Does it feel durable or flimsy?
• ????? What length of guarantee does it come with?
• ?????? Does the company offer a take-back or refurbishment service for their products?

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2.?????? ?Manufacturer:- You’re probably already on your sustainability journey.? You are most likely already looking at how to navigate the Net Zero landscape, whilst still making a profit, otherwise, what’s the point.? However, we implore you to look again, are you future-proofing your products, are your products easy to repair, do you work to the highest standards of quality to ensure that your products last? Could you do more?

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As a business involved in the design, supply and manufacture of products, we help to define the choices available to the consumer.? We have made it our business to rapidly learn how to solve for the lifecycle impacts of products during the design phase – giving end-customers the power to begin to choose products which can be repaired, recycled, or re-used.

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Where are you at on your sustainability journey and how could Octo help you?

[email protected]

#sustainability #design for repair #circular economy