Sustainable Outdoor Backpack
- a case study
MA Thesis | 2020
Tackling environmental problems caused by the textile industry requires new strategies replacing the current linear business models of products and take both the companies and the consumers into responsibility. This project is investigating the potentials and challenges of three different concepts in order to develop a sustainable design strategy for backpacks.
Concept
This Outdoor Backpack examines the intersection of the three design concepts mono-materials, design for disassembly and co-creation. These concepts offer a founded basis for sustainability through materiality, circularity and consumer research. The bag was created as an exemplary product from the combination of these three concepts.
Mono-Material research
The mono-material concept focuses on the material composition of a product. It means that the product is made entirely from one type of material—or that its components, which can be disassembled, are each made from a single material type.
When researching suitable materials, I had to carefully consider their intended use, including factors such as waterproofness, stability and abrasion resistance.
Based on my research which included eg. different testing methods and feedback from participants I chose the following materials for the final prototype: wood (frame and buckles), abrasion resistant polyester fabric and mesh (outer bag), bee wax coated woven wool (inner bag) and raw wool padding (harness, shoulder straps).
Current backpacks are made from several different types of materials that are sewn, welded and glued together, making them nearly impossible to separate for recycling purposes.
Design for Disassembly
The concept of design for disassembly focuses on assembling a product's components in a way that allows for easy disassembly, often without the need for high-tech tools. This facilitates the separation of materials for repair, recycling, upgrading or replacement, ultimately extending the product's life cycle.
The outdoor backpack from my research project can be disassembled into the outer bag, inner bag, stuffing buckles, and frame.
Co-Creation with participants
Including potential future users in the design process helps generate deeper insights and improves the quality and relevance of the final design. I conducted qualitative questionnaires, organized pandemic-friendly material workshops that participants could complete from home and carried out supplementary follow-up interviews.
Involving additional actors provided me with valuable inspiration and information, and gave me a clearer understanding of which materials evoked particularly strong reactions—contributing to a stronger emotional connection between users and the product.
After completing my master's thesis in collaboration with Heimplanet, I continued working with them to develop a polyester based mono-material backpack designed for industrial production.