When we talk about carbon footprints we think about those forms we fill in online which ask us all kinds of probing questions about our homes, our cars and our activities which impact the planet. William McDonough’s book cradle to cradle discusses the concept of re-thinking how we design things extensively and gives us a new way of looking into the future of product design.

This is an eco-footprint of another kind which makes fantastic use of the concept of recyclability and re-usability in an ultr-cool way. Like McDonough states in his book over & over eco-friendly design does not have to be boring or less brilliant in functionality or visual appeal to fullfill it’s ecological responsibilities. It’s about the design approach.

Designer: Ben Chappell, has taken up the challenge with a not completely original but very much unique sneaker design which embraces the cradle to cradle thinking fully. The “Think” sneaker, a fully modular, meaning it’s made of seperate parts which can be removed & replaced, recyclable shoe.

Think of how long your trainers, even your favourite ones last, and what happens to them once they’ve reached that inevitably unwearable stage. They get stuffed into deep holes within the earth in the hope that they will just, “go away”.

One of the problems with recyclability of products is the dissassembly process which if problematic makes the reclaiming of the “nutrients” used to produce the product expensive and impractical. The beauty of modular designs is they are easy to disassemble and if designed with materials which can be perpetually reclaimed they enter a complete cradle to cradle cycle which means we never lose the “nutrients” used to produce the product. It is a shame that more products, after costing millions of dollars to conceptualize, design & manufacture have not been produced using this simple yet completely sustainable approach.

Might give you some inspiration next time you decide to sit down at the drawing board. Article found at - Yanko Design

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