144 There is a need for new materials to replace some of those currently authorised, many of which are made of plastic due to weight, fire and maintenance considerations. An analysis of recycling and reuse possibilities for products at the time of ship construction would enable designers and outfitters to make conscious and well-informed decisions on what they use in their designs. They must consider the future replacement of worn-out items, the ease of updating out-of-fashion items by refinishing them or the use of timeless, classic designs. In the building construction industry, the ‘design for deconstruction’ technique aims to enhance the salvageability of parts and materials during the deconstruction process. This does increase costs as each piece has to be taken apart and decommissioned individually rather than demolishing a whole building. However, these costs can be offset by selling the components thus ensuring their reuse. Unfortunately, this depends upon future prices which cannot be predicted with certainty and therefore may fail to recoup as much of the costs as originally envisaged. Reduce waste Problems are not limited to the end of a vessel’s life. There is also wastage at its beginning. Simplification of architectural design and allowing more time for project planning would enable the preparation of more detailed engineering plans and more precise ordering of materials without any unnecessary surplus. Taking account of the dimensions of materials in their original form – such as the length of planks and the width of carpets – can enable the use of as much of the original piece as possible and thereby avoid off-cut waste. Waste avoidance must be considered throughout design, construction and refitting. For example, another source of avoidable waste is covering materials (often large rolls of unrecyclable plastic) used to protect existing structures while work is carried out. Contract terms could require the use of covering materials that can easily be reused. Encouraging suppliers to provide information on the life cycle of products can generate more sustainable results over the long term. Rather than a drydock generating tonnes of waste, all the items of a certain kind would then be able to be handled in groups and by type in specified ways, for example by being disassembled and turned into something else. If products could be designed from the outset with an understanding about what happens to them next, this would greatly reduce the volume of material going to landfill and raw material reuse would become the norm. ADDRESS ING INDUSTRY I SSUES – “Repair and reuse should be intrinsic parts of a design where possible. Contracts could include clauses specifying sustainability requirements for the vessel”
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