Sustainability frameworks provide structured ways of thinking about and measuring the environmental, economic, and social impacts of products and production. VCAA expects students to understand and apply these frameworks when analysing product design decisions.
Without a structured approach, sustainability can become vague. Frameworks provide:
- Clear criteria for evaluating design decisions
- A shared language between designers, manufacturers, and consumers
- Tools for measuring progress and setting targets
Triple Bottom Line (TBL)
Evaluates success across three dimensions: People (social), Planet (environmental), Profit (economic). A sustainable product performs well on all three, not just profit.
Circular Economy
Replaces the linear take-make-dispose model with closed loops: products are designed so materials cycle continuously through use, reuse, remanufacture, and recycling.
Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C)
Design philosophy where all materials are either biological nutrients (safely returned to nature) or technical nutrients (recovered and reused in industry). Waste = food.
Lifecycle Analysis (LCA)
Systematic assessment of environmental impacts across a product’s entire life: raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life.
6Rs
Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair — a hierarchy of sustainability strategies prioritising prevention over remediation.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Policy mechanism where manufacturers retain responsibility for products at end-of-life, incentivising design for disassembly and recyclability.
Design for Disassembly (DfD)
Design strategy ensuring products can be easily taken apart at end-of-life for repair, reuse, or material recovery.
| Design Decision | Relevant Framework(s) |
|---|---|
| Choosing recycled aluminium over virgin stock | LCA, Circular Economy, 6Rs |
| Designing snap-fit instead of glued joints | DfD, C2C |
| Using biodegradable packaging | C2C (biological nutrient) |
| Setting up a product take-back scheme | EPR, Circular Economy |
| Refusing to use PVC in upholstery | 6Rs (Refuse), C2C |
KEY TAKEAWAY: Sustainability frameworks are analytical tools. In exam responses, name the framework, describe its principles, and apply it specifically to the product or scenario given.
EXAM TIP: Questions often ask you to critique a product against a framework. Structure your answer: describe the framework, identify where the product aligns, and where it fails.
