Abstract
This paper follows up the suggestion made in an earlier note that the disposal of products at the end of their useful life, and of by-products of their use, should be considered at the time of product design. Practical suggestions are made on how to incorporate the disposal perspective in a concurrent engineering team. Doing this will reduce the life-cycle cost, and incidentally encourage an approach to design that promotes full recoverability of materials and a safe environment. Taken together these recommendations will be instrumental in avoiding the privation and scarcity that will surely result from neglecting the far downstream perspectives of product development. The ideal of 100% recoverability of materials is held out as possible, provided solar power becomes viable soon. In the final section an initial set of disposability guidelines for designers is presented. They deserve to be deepened. Efforts to standardize recycling processes are essential to reduce the enormous variety existing today.
