Eco-sustainability is above all a lifestyle choice and a way of thinking. It is an ethical approach to preserving the environment that is reached (though with difficulty at times) by bringing our needs into line with the needs of the planet. Technology has a fundamental role in all that because it is thanks to the constant evolution of technology that we can currently speak about low environmental impact products, energy savings, the second life of products and much more. A sustainable object has to be a well-designed object that was designed to reduce waste, to use recyclable materials, to save energy when in use and to be durable. Secondly, it is an object that was produced with environmental respect in each stage of the manufacturing, processing, packaging and distribution cycles. Designers and manufacturers have got to cooperate to reach a common goal. We spoke to some of them about technology and environmental sustainability. In questa pagina: lavabo e vasca da bagno della serie Edge in quarrycast®, prodotti da Victoria+Albert (2012). Lavabo da appoggio della serie Barcelona in quarrycast®, prodotto da Victoria+Albert (2011). Nella pagina opposta: collezione Linfa di Laminam, lastra in ceramica effetto legno, disponibile nelle varianti colore Cotone, Canapa, Corteccia, Cenere, Cocco (2011). Dettaglio della lastra Filo Mercurio di Laminam, in ceramica effetto tessuto.
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This page: sink and bathtub from the Edge series in quarrycast®, produced by Victoria+Albert (2012). Counter top sink from the Barcelona series in quarrycast®, produced by Victoria+Albert (2011). Next page: the Linfa Collection by Laminam, ceramic sheet with a wood effect available in various colours including: cotton, hemp, bark, ash and coconut (2011). Detail of the Filo Mercurio sheet by Laminam, in ceramic with a woven effect.
GORDON GUILLAUMIER/DESIGNER www.gordon-guillaumier.com Environmental sustainability is a key theme for designers and manufacturers, but what does it mean to design a sustainable product? The concept of sustainability has become a fashionable topic, and that means unfortunately that it is often abused even in our sector. I have the feeling that this term is frequently cited without a real reason. From what I know, it is a complex concept with an uncertain definition that leaves room for free interpretation by designers and manufacturers.