Product Development and Waste Reduction Strategies
Identify Opportunity
Identifying a need or problem is the first step to gathering information. Background research helps us understand how others have addressed similar situations. We can consult books, magazines, newspapers, the internet, or personal interviews.
Design
Once an opportunity is identified, we design the new product. This creative stage involves imagining and conceptualizing. Product design includes researching materials, determining shape and size of components, and planning assembly. Detailed drawings are essential, including specifications for use, if applicable.
Organization and Management
Technology projects require planning, detailing tasks, sequence, and estimated time. Responsibilities must be assigned, resources secured, and product delivery planned (advertising, distribution, marketing, etc.). Managing and coordinating these actions is project management.
Implementation
This is the manufacturing stage, where the product is built according to the design plan.
Evaluation and Improvement
This stage involves reviewing the process and product to refine it. Differences between the design and finished product may arise from design errors or changes made during construction to optimize (e.g., reduce costs or time). Performance testing is crucial to identify design or manufacturing flaws.
Waste Reduction Strategies
Reduce: Reject unnecessary packaging. Prioritize reusable items over disposables (e.g., cloth napkins over paper ones, shopping carts over single-use plastic bags).
Reuse: Maximize product lifespan before disposal. Reuse glass containers and shopping bags.
Recycle: Many household materials are recyclable. Return used products to the production cycle to conserve raw materials and energy.
Repurpose: Use waste materials in different processes, either directly or after pretreatment.