Investigate, develop, and write a report that discovers and demonstrates why BBQs are discarded on such a large scale. You need to identify and document this detail. You need to capture both social and system problems, as well as capture quantifiable data of an existing BBQ of your choice. You will use eco$-$assessment tools such as CES Edupack to identify environmental problem areas such as high Co$2$ emissions and high energy use in the lifecycle, production, and transportation of the existing BBQ$.$ These are quantifiable data points that you must discover and document by imputing existing BBQ designs into evaluation software. For any new product, the design phase requires a deep understanding of existing solutions and the problems they may have. This investigation informs what is known as a design brief, and clearly defines project parameters that a new product needs to adhere to$.$ More and more, new products need to be environmentally friendly to stay in the marketplace. Companies developing new products need to demonstrate through data, circular economy frameworks and environmentally sustainable accreditation, that their products are better than existing products on the market. As consumers, moving into the future, we will have a greater ability to make informed choices on the level of environmental impact in the purchase we will make. This relies upon environmental assessments and accreditation so we can accurately compare one product Vs another. In Australia, we have an Energy Star rating for many white goods such as refrigerators. This is good, but also not perfect. To an extent, this helps consumers understand energy use and compares, a like product, with a like a product. This is good, but not fully understood by all consumers, and is limited from an environmental assessment point of view. As consumers and governmental regulations become more stringent around cradle$-$to$-$cradle and circular environmental impacts of manufactured goods, designers need to understand the tools to quickly compare, evaluate and justify their designs. Designers need to be able to evaluate existing products and create a Design Brief of environmental parameters that their products must achieve to be relevant in the marketplace.

The investigation should include;

$$ Identify existing research

$$ Capture your own field research$\backslash$

$$ Document design details that are flawed in existing BBQs

$$ Seek to understand the sociological aspects of the BBQ

$$ Define systems the modern BBQ currently sits in$.($reuse$,$ rent, recycling, purchasing, Swap and Go$)$ Question if this exacerbates why they are discarded.

$$ Understand associated problems such as shortfalls in reconditioning or recycling programs

Make sure to cover:

$$ Sociological aspects such as; why is the product used, how it fits in with other cooking systems in the domestic environment, frequency of use, and attitudes towards the product.

$$ How frequently is the product replaced, and why?

$$ Servicing $+$ Servicing system $+$ longevity

$$ Purchase system$/$process $($rent or buy, location?$)$

$$ Product end of life, expand by identifying shortfalls and what is done well

$$ Design details discussion$/$capture DFM$,$ DFD$,$ DFE details of existing products

$$ Specification breakdown of; weights and materials, place of manufacture $($try and find factory location$/$s of where the product was made$)$ and $($Complete an eco$-$assessment using ANSYS Edupack or SolidWorks Sustainability$)$

$$ Look at what makes a lesser or higher quality product in the product category $$ Find relevant standards, list requirements