Realizing the environmental impact of soft materials: Criteria for utilization and design specification

Araji, Mohamad T.; Shakour, Sadeka

doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2012.07.053

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…By integrating environmentally sustainable materials into building projects, it is possible to significantly reduce environmental impacts through less energy consumption, less natural resource depletion and pollution, plus less toxicity for both the occupants and the entire ecosystem. These both minimise the negative impacts on the environment and occupants whilst maximising positive impacts over the lifecycle of a building (Araji and Shakour, 2013;Kang and Guerin, 2009). …”

Section: Materials Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmentally sustainable interior design: A snapshot of current supply of and demand for green, sustainable or Fair Trade products for interior design practice

Hayles

2015

International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment

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Although environmentally sustainable interior design (ESID) has become a major issue in interior design practice, according to the literature the frequency with which interior designers make sustainable choices in real practice is still limited, particularly where materials selection is concerned. This research aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes a sustainable material choice and subsequently undertake a study of the current supply of and demand for green, sustainable and Fair Trade (GSFT) products for interior design practice.In the first instance a desk study of currently available GSFT materials was undertaken. Following this non-participant structured observation of accessibility of GSFT products and a survey on the supply of GSFT materials was undertaken. Finally semi structured interviews with retailers were conducted.The results demonstrate the wide range of GSFT products that are currently in the marketplace (including fabrics, window treatments, surface materials, flooring, walls and ceilings) and indeed many of these materials and products could be sourced from the retail outlets surveyed during the research. However it was not easy to readily identify GSFT products and frequently the researcher had to look through volumes of materials, relying on personal knowledge and manufacturers' literature to determine the provenance of the materials marketed. Sourcing products in this way is inefficient and time consuming and has been highlighted as a barrier to engaging in ESID in the literature.Only a small number of the retailers interviewed have actively encouraged their customers to purchase GSFT. This reluctance to promote GSFT may reflect a lack of information on the provenance of materials to hand but also their belief that people are not aware of the benefits of either sustainable or green materials and therefore not engaged in ESID. If they perceived that there was a greater demand for GSFT products, the retailers may choose to promote these materials more effectively.The research has confirmed how difficult it is to find information on the provenance of materials to encourage the practice of ESID. Better access to a basic knowledge of sustainability as well as more up-to-date information about sustainable materials will play a critical role in promoting sustainable practice.

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Section: Materials Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmentally sustainable interior design: A snapshot of current supply of and demand for green, sustainable or Fair Trade products for interior design practice

Hayles

2015

International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment

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“…In the office furniture industry, industrial designers and facility managers are aware of the environmental impact caused by the production. (Mohamad T. Araji, 2013) The design issues related to furniture are two main issues: the functional and design objectives for the environment. The furniture must be productive and practical.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Determinant of Consumers’ Socio-Economic Attributes on Their Choices of Environmental Friendly Furniture style.

Kwangsawat

Rugwongwan

2017

E-BPJ

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This article presents the determinant of consumers' socio-economic including personality, attitudes, lifestyle and the physical characteristics of the residence. That determines the consumer's demand for environmentally friendly furniture. This is a test of the demand for different types of furniture. According to economic conditions consumer society. The research found that overall style of furniture requirements. The consumers demand modern style furniture, western style, use natural materials to produce, high technology in production and the furniture is cool shade is moderate. The design should take into account the socio-economic conditions of each consumer group. To serve as guidelines for the environmentally friendly design furniture that is suitable to the demand of consumers.

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“…Planned obsolescence has become so commonplace in the industry over the last 20 years that the term fast fashion has been coined to specifically denote low-cost clothing that imitates luxury fashion trends and encourages disposability (Joy et al 2012). More recently, the term fast furnishings has been applied to the design of low-cost home/soft furnishings, which similarly involves shortened cycles in the manufacturing, marketing, and consumption of residential and commercial interior textile products such as upholstery, window treatments, carpet/rugs, bedding, and decorative pillows, and likewise can have deleterious impacts on human health and the natural environment (Araji and Shakour 2013;Rastogi 2009;Wright et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the production of conventional cotton involves the use of large amounts of pesticides and insecticides, some of which remain in the finished textile product throughout its life cycle (Chen and Burns 2006). Additionally, textile production processes, such as scouring, dyeing, and finishing, are often performed with chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment (Araji and Shakour 2013;Cobbing and Ruffinengo 2013;Thiry 2005). Chemical finishes and adhesives applied during the production stage (e.g., stain and flame retardants) may be released into the environment during the later stages of product consumption and disposal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another concern that arises during the use of interior textiles and fast furnishings is the negative impact on indoor air quality (Araji and Shakour 2013;Daisey et al 2003;Tremblay et al 1999). Studies examining interior spaces with high concentrations of furniture, such as schools and offices, have found that poor indoor air quality also can cause "sick building syndrome" a physical reaction to indoor air quality usually in the form of fatigue and respiratory problems (Jaakkola et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An exploration of designers’ perspectives on human health and environmental impacts of interior textiles

Calamari

Hyllegard

2016

Text Cloth Sustain

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Fast fashion and fast furnishings contribute to the unsustainability of the textile industry in multiple ways, and the deleterious impacts of fast furnishings, in particular, have encouraged some companies to embrace more holistic and sustainable approaches to interior textile design. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore designers' perspectives on if and how decisions made during the design process for interior textiles may impact human health and the environment throughout the product life cycle, and if and how these decisions may be influenced by the engagement with and/or responsibilities toward stakeholders. This research was informed by multiple frameworks, including the design for the environment (DfE), product life cycle assessment (LCA), and stakeholder theory. Data were collected using an interpretive, qualitative research method that involved in-depth interviews with 12 US designers/design managers who specialize in the development of residential and/or commercial interior textiles. Findings revealed that participants demonstrated professional understanding of human health and environmental issues during the preliminary stages of the life cycle, including raw material selection, textile fabrication, and finishes and treatments, whereas understanding of such issues at the later stages of the life cycle (packaging and transportation, consumer care, and post use) tended to be more theoretical rather than strategic. Findings also revealed differences among designers employed by DfE-oriented companies and designers employed at more conventional companies with respect to their apparent understanding of how decisions made during the design process may impact human health and the environment throughout the product life cycle. This research contributes to our understanding of the role that designers may play in mitigating the negative impacts of interior textiles throughout the product life cycle. A limitation of this study is the size of the sample; conclusions are based upon the insights gained from 12 designers of interior textile products, and thus may not be generalizable to all designers/companies in the residential and/or commercial interior textile industry.

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Realizing the environmental impact of soft materials: Criteria for utilization and design specification

Cited by 15 publications

References 28 publications

Environmentally sustainable interior design: A snapshot of current supply of and demand for green, sustainable or Fair Trade products for interior design practice

Environmentally sustainable interior design: A snapshot of current supply of and demand for green, sustainable or Fair Trade products for interior design practice

The Determinant of Consumers’ Socio-Economic Attributes on Their Choices of Environmental Friendly Furniture style.

An exploration of designers’ perspectives on human health and environmental impacts of interior textiles

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