Background

A single-use product, also known as a disposable product, is designed for a single use, after which it is disposed of or recycled. Some common single-use products are plastic bags, paper cups and plates, plastic cutlery, paper tissues, toothbrushes, razors, surgical masks and gloves, and so forth. Some disposable products are intended to be used for an extended period, for example a vacuum cleaner bag; other disposable products are intended for multiple uses, such as a toothbrush: and others are intended to be used once only, such as a paper cup. Disposable products are most often made from paper, plastic, or cotton, but some products such as cigarette lighters may be assembled from parts made of different materials such as plastic and steel. Single-use products provide a number of advantages: they are convenient, cheap, hygienic, efficient, and so forth. Therefore in some situations, such as a canteen on a train or food service in an aeroplane, plates, cups, and cutlery are disposed of, precluding the need to wash up after meals. However, single-use or disposable products are also contributing enormously to the problem of pollution, which is made worse by the fact that the materials persist in the environment for decades or longer. This situation is clearly unsustainable. Sustainable single-use products can be used to alleviate the problem of pollution, if the products are made of natural materials or materials that that will biodegrade in the environment before they can do harm.
 

The design brief

Design a sustainable single-use product to replace an existing non-sustainable disposable product that is in common use. Your sustainable single-use product ought to replace a non-sustainable product and yet provide the same or similar functions or service of the original, while other aspects of the product may be different. For example, a returnable glass milk bottle provides the same function as a milk carton, while its production and distribution are different. Construct a working prototype of your sustainable single-use product and test it. Work on this project in a small team with a group of your classmates.
 

The design thinking process

​​​​​​​Follow the six stages of the design thinking process to ensure that you are thorough and do everything necessary to succeed in your design project. First, you endeavour to understand the design topic and EMPATHISE with the needs of the users. With that understanding, you can DEFINE what is essential to the product or system that you are designing. Then you IDEATE, that is, you creatively come up with ideas and develop them. The next step is to PROTOTYPE your chosen design solution in a physical form and improve it through trial-and-error. Then you TEST your design idea to elicit the opinions of users. And finally, at the end of the process, you REFLECT upon your project to benefit from the experience. Use the appropriate methods from the Design Thinking for Schools website as you proceed along the design thinking process.
 

Note for teachers

Read the guide for teachers on Safety for the PROTOTYPE Stage for Level IV to safely supervise this design project.