The future of electronics: modular, sustainable, localized

"The longer gadgets last, the less overall environmental impact they have."

That's the underlying motivation for the work of self-proclaimed "post-industrial" designer Dominic Muren, who argues that the best products take inspiration from nature -- not in a green, leaf-clad way, but in a modular fashion that allows for consistency across product lines without inventing an entirely new platform each time.

In a brief Q&A with Jaymi Heimbuch on Treehugger, Muren offers insight into the recyclability of consumer electronics and why a "skin, skeleton, guts" approach could lead to more sustainable results in an industry that's known for being completely unsustainable.

A few of his points:

• A post-industrial world is one that begins from the ground up, not the top down. (Exhibit A: Apple.)
• Electronics are indeed modular to ensure economies of scale, but based on the assumption that "a near term low price is best, even if that results in lower long-term retained value."
• We need to move away from the approach that things need to be disassembled merely to melt them down or grind them up. Instead, we need an "ecosystem of pieces," like the clothing industry.
• There currently exists no business case for true modularity, because centralized production and economies of scale favor fewer, but more broadly appealing, products in large markets only.

Can we cut down on e-waste and energy consumption to produce products? As Muren said, it begins at the smallest scale, growing from the ground up.

Here's his fascinating talk at TEDFellows from last year:

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com