ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses three strategies: selecting low-impact materials, maximising energy and water efficiencies, and designing for waste minimisation. Defect or wear-out is the main reason for replacing appliances. The occurrence of defects appears to be dependent on the age of the good, the purchase price and the size of the household using the good. Durability can be enhanced by the use of high-quality materials and by improving reparability. Design for durability is about changing consumer attitudes. Upgradable design is suitable for short-life electronic products that are undergoing rapid change or for products that are composed of separable units. The difficulty with modular designs, particularly with longer-life products, is the ability to predict change that can be incorporated into such a design. Remanufacturing is the restoration of used products, or components, to a condition that has performance characteristics similar to those of new products. Remanufacturing is used for domestic electrical and electronic products.
