Environmental sustainability is gaining a lot of weight within companies and governments, mainly because climate change is becoming more visible in developed countries, and because of new European and state legislation that every organisation must comply with.
This means transforming production processes, services and products towards circular and ecological models. So far, so good!
If we have so much waste it is because we have too much, we consume too much, and the trend is to continue consuming, but sustainably.
We need to continue extracting minerals from the earth to produce green batteries. It’s all nonsense, because the truth is that people don’t want to stop consuming as they do today. Consuming leisure, culture, travel, fashion, games, electronics, etc. Consuming everything and from all sectors.
It doesn’t work. Why?
There are many factors to consider, from the habits of society, the capitalist system or the value of the economy over environmental and social value.
When we design products, services or production processes we maximise the economic value to get the maximum profitability, but we will only obtain total profitability by designing accessibility together with circularity.
Designing accessibility and circularity
What does this mean?
Designing products/services that are suitable for all people.
Designing products/services that are suitable for all people. When you design accessibility, you take your products to the maximum level, we all benefit from the same product/service without the need to adapt. This translates into sales, revenue and maximising the profitability of the design.
For example the Oxo peeler which was originally designed for people with arthritis and has become the most widely used vegetable peeler in the world.
At the circularity level. All materials are valuable and useful. Let us observe how nature works: the waste of one is fertiliser for another, the food of one is what is left over for another, and in this way all species complement each other and coexist.
The waste from an industry such as textiles can perfectly well be used in the automotive industry, for example, and imitate the behaviour of nature, creating production chains where each agent is essential to maintain the balance.
In conclusion,
Organisations that focus on designing with people with disabilities in mind, those who have the greatest difficulties in our society, will obtain greater profitability from their products, services or processes.
And, only circular systems where each material serves as food for another industry will remain in time, achieving a feedback. This ensures that each industry is necessary and complements the other. Only in this way will the products be useful in all senses, for people, for the environment and for the economy.
Think Diversity
Design Accessibility
Create Inclusion