ABSTRACT
Environmental, economic, and social sustainability are an increasingly global issue, with environmental, health, and political pressures impacting the way manufactured goods are made and distributed. This chapter considers the potential of 3D printing to contribute to future proofing manufacturing in the face of short-term, emergency production demands. It discusses paradigm changes to production systems to help sustain manufacturing when material supply and downstream demand are both unstable and designing for the circular economy and extended producer responsibility. The chapter also provides an overview of how global megatrends have influenced the impact of 3D printing for sustainability and could potentially impact the role and output of designers in the future. In addition, the chapter highlights the societal imperative for revising existing production systems and attitudes. It draws a line under the industrial revolution and current mass production, discussing reasons for a radical rethink of design, supply, consumption, and product disposal based on additive manufacturing.
