ALTERNATION OF AN EXISTING PRODUCT USING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MATERIALS

ABSTRACT

The article deals with a study focused on the production of products with an emphasis on the use of environmentally friendly and recycled materials. Eco-design and the environmentally friendly product lifecycle are being increasingly taken into account and given greater emphasis considering the limited raw material resources of the planet. The properties that must be met by newly selected material were determined by the material analysis of selected products and their components. It was not just for the sake of exchanging existing materials for environmentally friendly ones, but the new materials also had to fully replace the parameters of the originally used materials. The article lists existing products that allow exchanging materials and are suitable for production. The products were selected for their potential of reducing negative environmental impacts. The results compare the environmental impact before and after the change of materials. New materials were selected from a matériO database that currently contains more than 8140 material samples. Changing existing materials allows us to lower the negative impact of the product and its life cycle on the environment. It is therefore of global importance to future generations. The choice of suitable materials depends on the technological, constructional, hygienic, aesthetic and psychological parameters of selected products. Many newly selected materials have even better properties than the original ones. Choosing new progressive materials is not just a matter of ecology, it’s also a way to improve product design, durability and production.

Keywords: ecodesign, recycled materials, environmentally friendly, future