Design for Disassembly: Potential for Durability

The practice of sustainable design requires an analysis of the environmental, social, political and economic impact of a product throughout its entire lifecycle. There is much research into the manufacturing and waste management phases; however, little attention has been paid to the 'use' phase of the life cycle. Joseph Fiskel acknowledged in 1996 that, "the longer the life of a product, the more eco-efficient it is, since the same amount of material delivers a larger amount of economic value". This paper will evaluate how the premature obsolescence of technology, the obsolescence of quality and the obsolescence of desire can be managed by using Design for Disassembly (DFD), and applying it to the 'use' phase of the lifecycle to increase product durability.