Abstract

The useful lifetime of hi-tech consumer products is at an all-time low. Is there designed-in obsolescence and does it matter if we throw away equipment rather than repair it? As responsible engineers, what can we do to improve the lifetime of products?

Societal and technology changes together with the emergence of new materials have encouraged a change in design approach. Have we now reached a tipping point where for example the presence of plastics in the marine environment means we have to change how we do things for the good of future generations and the planet?

Making equipment sustainable, at least in the short term, is often less profitable than being unsustainable. Techniques and ways to minimise the additional cost of being responsible are presented. Also the role of legislators in setting standards and requirements is considered.

Chris Moller is the Director of Evonet Energy. He is a CEng with the IET and a Research Visitor at the Open University in Milton Keynes, researching Renewable Energy in the Developing World. He is the technical lead for the Repair Cafe community https://repaircafe.org/en/about/ in Cambridge.

To make a booking please go to: https://localevents.theiet.org/efbe2f