What are the 6 Rs, and how does sustainable design reduce a product's impact?
The 6 Rs of sustainability (rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle), design for disassembly, the sustainability of materials and resources, renewable and finite resources, and how sustainable design choices reduce environmental impact across a product's life.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level Product Design on the 6 Rs of sustainability and sustainable design: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle, design for disassembly, renewable and finite resources, and how design choices reduce a product's environmental impact.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to know the 6 Rs of sustainability, explain design for disassembly, distinguish renewable and finite resources, and explain how sustainable design choices reduce a product's environmental impact across its life. This is the core of the sustainability theme, examined as recall of the 6 Rs and as applied reasoning about reducing impact, and it links to life cycle assessment and material selection.
The 6 Rs
Design for disassembly
Renewable and finite resources
Reducing impact across the life
Sustainable design reduces impact at every stage of a product's life: choosing lower-impact materials (renewable, recycled, recyclable, low embodied energy), efficient manufacture (less waste and energy, lean and JIT), an efficient and durable use phase (less energy in use, longer life, repairable), and a recoverable end of life (design for disassembly, reuse, recycling). The most effective designers apply the early Rs first (rethink and reduce the product, make it last and repairable) before relying on recycling, because preventing waste beats processing it. A strong answer applies several Rs to a named product, links design for disassembly to repair and recycling, and reaches a judgement that early design choices give the biggest environmental gains, which is exactly what Eduqas rewards. This connects directly to life cycle assessment, which measures the impact at each stage.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20194 marksState what is meant by 'reduce' and 'reuse' in the 6 Rs of sustainability, and give a design example of each.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 short-answer question. Marks for each meaning and example.
Reduce means using less material and energy to make and run a product (designing it lighter, with thinner sections or fewer parts, or making it more energy efficient), so a refillable bottle that uses less plastic, or a product that uses less power. Reuse means using a product or its parts again for the same or a new purpose rather than discarding it, so a refillable container reused many times, or a glass jar reused for storage.
Award marks for the meaning of each and a genuine design example. A common dropped mark is confusing reduce (use less) with reuse (use again) or with recycle (reprocess the material).
Eduqas 20216 marksDiscuss how applying the 6 Rs and designing for disassembly can reduce the environmental impact of an electronic product. Use examples to support your answer.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 extended question marked by levels of response. Reward the 6 Rs applied, design for disassembly and examples.
The 6 Rs: rethink the product (does it need to exist, or could a service replace it); refuse harmful or wasteful materials; reduce material and energy use; reuse parts and the product; repair (make it easy to fix and upgrade rather than replace); recycle the materials at end of life. Design for disassembly supports several Rs: using snap fits and screws instead of glue and welds, marking polymer types, and minimising material variety, so the product can be taken apart for repair, reuse of parts and clean material recycling.
For a phone or appliance: a replaceable battery, modular parts, standard fixings and labelled plastics extend life and improve recycling. A top answer explains the 6 Rs, links design for disassembly to repair, reuse and recycling, and concludes that early design choices, especially making products last and come apart, give the biggest environmental gains.
Related dot points
- Life cycle assessment (LCA): the stages of raw material extraction, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal, the inputs and outputs at each stage, carbon footprint and embodied energy, and how an LCA informs more sustainable design decisions.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level Product Design on life cycle assessment: the cradle-to-grave stages of extraction, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal, the environmental inputs and outputs at each, carbon footprint and embodied energy, and how an LCA guides more sustainable design.
- The social, moral and ethical issues in design and manufacture: fair trade and ethical sourcing, labour and working conditions, planned obsolescence and consumerism, the impact of technology on society and employment, and the designer's wider responsibility.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level Product Design on the social, moral and ethical issues in design and manufacture: fair trade and ethical sourcing, labour and working conditions, planned obsolescence and consumerism, the impact of technology on employment and society, and the designer's wider responsibility.
- Inclusive design and design for all, user-centred design, designing for diverse users including disabled and older people, the principles of inclusive design, and how empathy, user involvement and avoiding exclusion shape a product.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level Product Design on inclusive and user-centred design: design for all, designing for diverse users including disabled and older people, the principles of inclusive design, and how empathy and user involvement reduce exclusion and widen who a product serves.
- Selecting materials by balancing function, aesthetics, cost, manufacture, availability and environment, and the standard stock forms (sheet, bar, rod, tube, extrusion, section, granules, powder, wire) that materials are supplied in and how stock form affects waste and cost.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level Product Design on selecting materials and stock forms: balancing function, aesthetics, cost, manufacture, availability and environment, the standard stock forms materials come in, and how choosing the right stock form reduces machining and waste.
- Wasting processes (sawing, drilling, milling, turning, laser and water-jet cutting) that remove material, and addition and joining processes (welding, brazing, soldering, adhesives, mechanical fixings, 3D printing) that join or build up material, with their uses and trade-offs.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level Product Design on wasting and addition processes: sawing, drilling, milling, turning and laser and water-jet cutting that remove material, and welding, brazing, soldering, adhesives, mechanical fixings and 3D printing that join or build up material, with their uses and trade-offs.
Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas A Level Design and Technology specification (Product Design) — Eduqas (2017)