ABSTRACT
This paper presents a project based on the Sociotechnical Design method (Guimaraes, 2010) for product and process design, which follows the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) approach to system design (McDonough and Braungart, 2002) the ZERI (Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives) methodology for sustainable chain development (Pauli, 1998) and is in accordance to the sustainability concept of the Triple Bottom Line or TBL (the interaction among people, planet and profit) proposed by Elkington (1999). Sociotechnical Design considers the basic needs of the population at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) and the residual materials available in the regions in order to transform them into high value products that attend the identified basic needs and was used for transforming a poor Brazilian
tO\V11 into a sustainable one. The project is being prototyped in the town ofPalmares do Sul, RS, to make possible the social, environmental and economic analysis for further improvements.
