Image courtesy of Sustainability Victoria

Deconstruct & Re-construct: Design for a Circular Economy Past Event

Date

Thu 30 May 10:00am - 12:00pm

Tickets

Free, Booking Required

Venue

Storey Hall, RMIT
Building 16 (Storey Hall) - RMIT University, 348 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Access

Accessible bathroom, Assistance animals welcome, Seating available, Wheelchair accessible

Join Sustainabiliy Victoria and Regen Melbourne for a discussion focusing on sustainable design, including the life cycle of products, the materials we use, and what we could be doing to change end of life and replacement practices. Learn how to rethink materials and products in a circular economy framework; discover innovative ways to deconstruct and re-construct items to minimise waste and reduce environmental impact, and network with like-minded individuals and experts in the field.

In the session hear Elizabeth Chamberlain (iFixit), John Gertsakis (Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence) and Sarah D’Sylva (Hyloh) talk about how we can change our current system to adapt to less material use through clever and considerate design, using the right materials.

Participants

Regen Melbourne

Regen Melbourne is a platform for ambitious collaboration, in service to Greater Melbourne and the host of bold projects for a regenerative Melbourne. Regen Melbourne was born in the dual crisis of the Black Summer fires and the COVID-19 pandemic. A small group of interested organisations and individuals quickly became a larger group and a nine-month community-led research process began. They explored a collective vision for a regenerative Melbourne and included participatory workshops, leadership interviews, roundtables, and countless hours of data analysis. The result was their foundational report, Towards a Regenerative Melbourne, which was released in April 2021.

Elizabeth Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability iFixit

Liz Chamberlain directs iFixit’s international advocacy for legislation that protects our right to fix our own things, fighting disposable culture and unnecessary waste. She has an academic background in rhetoric and has been writing about repair and e-waste for iFixit since 2012. Her work has appeared in Wired, Business Insider, and The Wall Street Journal. She lives in San Luis Obispo, California, with her husband, two rabbits, and a tortoise.

John Gertsakis

John Gertsakis is the director of thr Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence, and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. John is a sustainability practitioner across diverse industries with a focus on product stewardship, circularity and extended producer responsibility. His policy, stewardship and design projects cover appliances, automotive, consumer electronics, office furniture, floor coverings, textiles and plastic products used in the healthcare sector. He is a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Circular Economy recently established by the Australian Government.

Sarah D’Sylva, Co-founder and Circular Strategist Hyloh

Sarah gets people…a trained industrial designer that has mastered the art of manipulating materials and minds. Lucky for us she uses her power for good, by making sustainable choices sexy. Responsible for developing circular concepts for products, spaces and industries, she uses her experience in Design Strategy, CMF Design and Eco-Design to help global organisations navigate the seismic shift we are experiencing when it comes to the materials we use. Previously a Senior Design Strategist at Material ConneXion in New York, Sarah’s love of material was ignited by working alongside material scientists.