Sustainable Materials and their Applications in design: Handcrafted Hard Goods making in India

Abstract

The escalating environmental problems due to the rapid urbanization, industrialization, excessive consumption, un-responsible use of materials and ‘use-and-throw’ lifestyles have become one of the most serious problems of the twenty-first century. The volume of waste generated, the lack of waste segregation, insufficient recycling, landfill waste pollution and overreliance on non-renewable resources are having a significant impact on the environment through soil degradation, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss and on human health. In this context, traditional craft techniques and natural materials provide valuable lessons on sustainable production systems that are based on ecological equilibrium, communal involvement and conscious consumption. The study discusses selected traditional craft materials utilized in handcrafted hard goods production in India such as bamboo, wood, terracotta, sandstone, and sand casting metal which can be used sustainably.
The research is conducted by using a method of mixed methods which mostly qualitative data and some quantitative data is interpreted within the constructivist method. The study is based on a literature review, empirical observations, visits to the craft clusters, informal interviews, interaction sessions, lived experiences and participation-based learning with the artisan community in various regions of India. Field studies in bamboo craft clusters at Khatima and Delhi, sandstone craft clusters at Gwalior and Varanasi, metal craft clusters at Pareo near Patna, terracotta clusters at Uttam Nagar East and Jaipur and wood craft workshops at Varanasi. Materials, artisan behaviour, local ecosystems, cultural traditions, production systems and practices of sustainability are explored.
Comparative analysis of selected materials is done using different sustainability assessment frameworks such as; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), Triple Bottom Line (TBL), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), Circularity Assessment, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Eco-Design principles. The results indicate that bamboo has the highest overall sustainability if compared to other materials, as it has low embodied energy, is biodegradable, quick renewability, strong carbon sequestration potential, circularity and community participation. Wood and terracotta are also doing well in environmental, social and economic aspects due to being locally available, culturally continuous, energy saving process and biodegradable. The environmental impacts of sandstone and metal crafts are comparatively higher as compared to other crafts because of their high quarrying and mining costs, transportation and energy intensive production.
The study also emphasizes that sustainability of traditional craft systems is not just to be judged by the performance of the material. Sustainability outcomes are greatly affected by the human and artisan behavior, the cultural norms and traditions, the emotional bond that people have with materials, the size of production and the involvement of the community. The artisans who work at the domestic level were found to be more responsible about using materials than the market oriented mass production system. The study also shows that, mechanisation and industrial intervention, while achieving high production rates, can reduce the handwork value at the same time, it can reduce cultural identity and ecological balance if it is introduced without contextual understanding.
The paper makes the proposal that traditional craft ecosystems offer a lot of learning opportunities for sustainable futures regarding decentralised production, repairability, resource consciousness, low-energy production and symbiosis with nature. Results indicate that sustainable development is not to be achieved exclusively through the use of sophisticated technologies, but through evoking responsible human actions, engagement of local actors, the use of traditional knowledge and material cultures respecting nature. The study adds to the current debates on sustainability, circular economy, eco-design, and craft ecology by connecting traditional material practices with the current concepts of sustainability and suggesting a re-think of material selection and production systems for designers, policy makers, researchers, and communities.