Chem321:Discussion 13

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The new screwdriver

Discussion - "How might you design a screwdriver differently, to make it affordable, functional AND sustainable?"

• Well, I'd start with using fresh oranges that are grown in season and locally. To avoid extra charges on the oranges, transport should be cut so that they're fairly local. Picking up a bag at a local farmers market would be best. The vodka... I'm not sure. Maybe if it was produced in the United States and not imported it would be cheaper, but it would have to go through a different processing technique to make it more sustainable. I hear they make organic vodka, which is also more sustainable. But, since I think we're supposed to be talking about the tool, to make a screwdriver more sustainable, I'd use compounds (formulated through green chemistry) that aren't as harmful as the plastics in the handle, that take less energy to produce, and aren't immortal. These compounds would replicate natural compounds found in nature, which would therefore be cheaper to produce, and would cost less in the market. The plastic handle could also be replaced with a natural substance, such as wood. I don't know how we could replace the metal- it must be a strong material that can handle putting screws into things, but also something that doesn't have a shelf life of 500 years. As stated in the homework, 'clean' processes in green chemistry are often more affordable than their 'dirty' counterparts, so the product would be cheaper if it was produced sustainably. HKopelson (talk) 16:07, 4 August 2012 (EDT)

I thought for a minute you were going to grow all the materials for the screwdriver, then I got it....! Martin A. Walker 01:38, 11 August 2012 (EDT)

• If I were to make a screwdriver more sustainable, one thing I would try to do is make it out of a compound that is easier to break down than steal, since steal if not broken down properly can pollute highly and harmful pollutants are emitted. I would keep the handle being made out of polypropylene, it is a cheap plastic that has no harmful emissions to the environment. A metal that a screwdriver could be made out of, that isn't as harmful to the environment is iron. If the metal portion of the screwdriver is made out of iron, it would be better for the environment but it would still be able to do what a screwdriver is suppose to use. Although, no metal or plastic is really "good" for the environment.. I do not thin that a screwdriver could do it's job without these products, I feel as though it would break too easily. amannme192Amannme192 (talk) 10:28, 5 August 2012 (EDT)

• It is a bit of a difficult task to maintain an affordable cost of production while ensuring functionality and sustainability because in my mind when I think of sustainability I don’t think of a big manufacturing process I think of more of a craftsmanship type production which raises prices of products considerably because you are paying for the time, materials and skills it took to make that screwdriver. If the screwdriver was handmade by a craftsman then the price would rise a bit but the last thing you would have to worry about is the functionality of the screwdriver because it would be made to last an extremely long time and it could be sustainable because even if you were using steel that you had to mine or a wooden handle not everyone would be able to afford a screwdriver or 5 screwdrivers maybe even, people would share them and value them more so the demand wouldn’t be as high. But if I were to stick to all three of those aspects I would try to make manufacture the screwdriver using less metal or a kind of metal that was still strong so it would last but not as expensive or wasteful to mine, I would design it to so that people could replace the handle or any part so that they wouldn’t have to throw the whole thing away if one part broke, I would also take the life-cycle of the screwdriver into consideration and so at the end of its life it could be disassembled and each part recycled. I would also try to choose materials that were already recycled if possible and design the production process to be “benign by design” and cut out unnecessary steps or substitute materials. Ashley (talk) 15:36, 8 August 2012 (EDT)

• If you are trying to make a screwdriver more sustainable you need to assess the energy that it takes to make the product, the materials that are used, and the disposal process. I think it would be important to look at the production of the screwdriver and see what can be improved in the process to make it more environmentally friendly. By doing this, it could make the production less expensive and could make the production more sustainable. While looking at the production process I think that it would be important to see what materials are being used to make the screwdriver and look into other materials that could be substitutes. If substitutions could be made for the input materials then it might also help the disposal and recycling process if the materials found for substitutes came from reusable resources. The metal, plastic and/or rubber that is being made into the screwdriver can easily be found from recycled metals, plastics and rubbers to make the product have a more efficient life cycle. Balbiaka (talk) 14:51, 9 August 2012 (EDT)