Sustainable product design is not limited to using materials from a replenishable stocks. It can be made for example form materials that are from a recycled source or are themselves recyclable. Sustainable product design can also mean designing for longevity through robust and easy to maintain design. It can even mean that the product itself contributes to reducing our carbon footprint through its use; as is the case with the Frontier Stove.
By using waste paper, cardboard and timber as a source of fuel, the Frontier Stove has a much lower carbon footprint than fossil fuel burning stoves. In addition we designed the stove to be lightweight, using less material and reducing the shipping weight; yet we were able to design in robust build quality to withstand the harshest of environmental conditions and be easily maintainable in the field.
Our involvement with this great product evolved over time. Initially, our client, Camping Solutions Ltd asked us simply to produce some technical drawings of their product so they could get a quote from a manufacturer for producing 5,000 units. After examining their handmade prototype, we suggested some changes that could be made to the products design that would improve its design for manufacture. The client accepted our changes and, realizing that we knew a thing or two about design for manufacture, commissioned us to select a suitable supplier for their product from our global business links
We followed the project right through the life-cycle management process. The stove is currently manufactured by one of our commercial partners in Asia and is supplied to the humanitarian aid organization Shelterbox It has helped thousands of displaced families in some of the world's toughest disaster areas, with 8,000 sent to Haiti alone.
The Frontier Stove was shortlisted for the Yanko Design Design for Poverty Award in 2008
You can buy your very own Frontier Stove from the Eden Project Shop
Better still, why not buy the Frontier Stove as a gift aid from Shelterbox and help a family affected by natural disaster.
You can read a product review of the Frontier Stove at glamping-uk.co.uk
You can also join Camping Solutions Facebook page and find out what real users think of the Frontier Stove
