The segments of "Giving Packaging a New Life" undoubtedly educated me about the various innovatory technologies utilised in the process and how extensive and thorough recycling actually is. It definitely makes me understand the importance of my role as an industrial design student to consider every facet of a product's life in order for the materials to be recycled.
The video displayed some really clever innovations, I was particularly fascinated with the idea of conserving resources through the aid of mixed plastics to produce pig iron. The process not only recycles mixed plastics produced by many sorting plants, but supports the production of pig iron as it replaces heavy oil on a 1:1 ratio, therefore conserving precious resources. I think this is a profound invention; reusing mixed plastics seems amazing enough, but to then use it to produce pig iron is an incredible way to add value to the material. I also found that that utilising various fully automated processes like infared scanners to detect composite carton in order to replace sorting by hand was an outstanding innovation. It is methods like these that make me understand the significance of recycling.
It is clear that with implemented recycling plans, consumers can take the necessary steps in order to contribute towards creating a more ecological friendly planet. It was pleasing to see that in the glass segment of the video, consumers care enough to sort glass into colours using the labeled bins to aid in the recycling process. Although sorting glass right down to colour seems a bit strict, I think by having glass, plastic, and paper bins and not just general rubbish bins available in public areas, people would choose the appropriate bin. It would be nice to see Australia implement similar programs as education plays a major role in the process, by streamlining the process it makes it less labour intensive for environmental services down the line, and ensures a more overall efficient process.
I believe that an eco-friendly world starts with knowledge, if people (not just designers) are educated about the affects of products and packaging on the environment, the necessary steps can be made to ensure the best possible waste disposal. The content in the video is beneficial for industrial designers to become aware of how to intelligently utilise resources in order to support the recycling process to its full extent. Educating ourselves about keeping up with technological advancements is an essential part of making clever decisions in the design process.
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