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Eduqas GCSE Design and Technology · C600
Eduqas C600 · Factors Influencing Material Selection Check the specification (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Choosing paper or board is not simply a matter of finding the right appearance and strength at the lowest price. Designers influence how much material a product uses, where it comes from, how long it lasts and what happens after use. Manufacturers influence purchasing, production methods and working conditions. Both therefore have responsibilities towards people and the environment.
These factors interact. A cheaper board may reduce the immediate manufacturing cost, but that saving needs to be considered alongside how the material was produced. Equally, an environmentally preferable material must still perform its job: packaging that fails to protect its contents can waste both the packaging and the product.
Availability also matters. A suitable material must be obtainable in the required quantity and within the production timetable. For printed paper and board products, cultural expectations can influence colours, symbols and images. Designers should consider the intended audience rather than assume that a design communicates the same meaning everywhere.
Paper and board can be made from wood fibres, so their production is connected to forest management. Deforestation is the clearance of forests. Removing forests destroys habitats and can reduce biodiversity, the variety of living organisms in an area. The responsibility is therefore wider than simply replacing the number of trees used: habitats and the species that depend on them matter too.
Using recycled fibres reduces demand for new wood fibres and gives discarded paper and board a further use. Where new fibres are needed, designers and manufacturers should seek materials from managed, sustainable resources. Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, certification is one example of a recognised sourcing scheme associated with responsible forest management.
Recycled material and responsibly sourced new material are not necessarily competing choices. A designer can use recycled board where it is suitable, while specifying responsibly sourced new fibres where the product requires them.
Environmental responsibility begins before a product reaches the customer. Designers can reduce manufacturing waste by arranging component shapes efficiently on a sheet and avoiding unnecessary material. Reducing excessive packaging also saves resources, provided the remaining packaging still protects the contents adequately.
During manufacture, the energy source matters. Using renewable energy can reduce reliance on non-renewable energy resources. Designers and manufacturers should also consider the environmental effects of production chemicals and the distance materials and finished products travel.
After manufacture, a longer useful life can reduce how often a product needs replacing. For example, a sound cardboard box can be reused for storage or another delivery rather than immediately discarded. Reuse keeps the existing product in service; recycling processes its fibres into material for another product.
Recyclability is useful only if the material is actually collected and recycled. Clear disposal information on a paper or board product can encourage users to separate it correctly after use. Designers should therefore think about the whole sequence: sourcing, manufacture, transport, use and disposal—not just whether the material is described as recyclable.
A sensible judgement balances these stages. Removing unnecessary packaging is beneficial, but removing essential protection is not. Similarly, a durable reusable box may justify using more material initially if it replaces several short-lived boxes.
UK manufacturers may buy paper and card from lower-income countries, described as 'third world countries' in the specification. Materials may be available at a lower price. Paper and card are not perishable, so, where delivery schedules allow, they can be transported slowly using cheaper transport rather than requiring rapid delivery.
However, a low purchase price does not by itself show whether sourcing is responsible. Low labour costs may contribute to the price, but manufacturers must consider whether workers receive fair pay and have safe working conditions. Exploitation occurs when workers are treated unfairly for someone else's benefit, such as being expected to work in unsafe conditions for unfairly low wages. Cheap materials should not be secured by transferring the human cost to employees.
Responsible purchasing can also bring benefits. Orders can support employment and the supplier country's economy. Opportunities for skilled workers to earn a fair wage can help reduce poverty and improve living standards. A successful paper and board industry can help communities manage natural resources sustainably. Large UK buyers may also have influence over suppliers and use it to encourage better working conditions.
The justified conclusion is not that all overseas sourcing is harmful or that all cheap material is acceptable. The decision should depend on the supplier's treatment of workers and management of resources, as well as price and reliability. Fair purchasing can support communities; purchasing that tolerates exploitation undermines that benefit.
The price of the paper or board alone is not the true manufacturing cost. An estimate should include:
Direct labour cost is calculated from the total labour hours used, not just the elapsed time on a clock. If two people each spend an hour making something, that is two labour hours.
Suppose a batch of 100 card presentation boxes uses £80 of board and other direct materials. Making the batch requires 4 labour hours at £15 per hour, and £40 of production overheads is allocated to it. Labour costs , or £60. The total manufacturing cost is , or £180.
For this batch, , so each box costs £1.80 to manufacture on average. That is a manufacturing cost, not a selling price: it does not represent the profit the business wants to make.
For a one-off prototype, estimate the materials actually needed, the making time and the relevant overheads. Trial pieces, failed attempts and offcuts use resources too. A prototype may cost more per item than a production batch because its preparation and trial work are not spread across many products.
An economic estimate puts a monetary value on making the product. Environmental and social costs also matter, even when they are not shown on the manufacturer's invoice. Forest habitat loss, production waste and harm to workers cannot be understood simply by comparing purchase prices.
A responsible decision therefore combines the cost estimate with a reasoned assessment of sourcing, working conditions, resource use and end-of-life options. The best choice is one that fulfils the product's purpose while avoiding unnecessary financial, environmental and human costs.
Balance function, appearance, availability and price with environmental, social, cultural and ethical effects.
For an analysis answer, develop a chain of reasoning: the sourcing decision → its effect → why that matters to the business, workers or environment.
For an evaluation, explain benefits and limitations, then make a justified judgement about the particular paper or board product.
Match your answer to the issue asked about: fair pay and safe working conditions concern people; deforestation, biodiversity and waste concern the environment.
In cost estimates, include materials, direct labour and overheads. Use costs and production quantities from the same period, and distinguish manufacturing cost from selling price.
It can see this note and what your specification asks for.
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Last updated
Responsible sourcing
Obtaining materials from suppliers whose environmental practices and treatment of workers meet responsible standards.
Exploitation
Treating workers unfairly for someone else's benefit, for example through unsafe conditions or unfairly low pay.
Biodiversity
The variety of living organisms in an area, including different species of plants and animals.
Deforestation
The clearance of forests, which can destroy habitats and reduce biodiversity.
Recyclability
The ability of a material or product to be collected and processed into material for new products after use.
Direct cost
An expense that can be directly linked to making a particular product, such as its materials or the labour used to manufacture it.
Overhead
An indirect expense of running production that cannot be attributed directly to one particular item.
Unit cost
The average manufacturing cost of one item: total manufacturing cost divided by the number of items produced.
Put your knowledge into practice — try past paper questions for Design and Technology
Responsible sourcing
Obtaining materials from suppliers whose environmental practices and treatment of workers meet responsible standards.
Exploitation
Treating workers unfairly for someone else's benefit, for example through unsafe conditions or unfairly low pay.
Biodiversity
The variety of living organisms in an area, including different species of plants and animals.
Deforestation
The clearance of forests, which can destroy habitats and reduce biodiversity.
Recyclability
The ability of a material or product to be collected and processed into material for new products after use.
Direct cost
An expense that can be directly linked to making a particular product, such as its materials or the labour used to manufacture it.
Overhead
An indirect expense of running production that cannot be attributed directly to one particular item.
Unit cost
The average manufacturing cost of one item: total manufacturing cost divided by the number of items produced.
Potential benefits: cheaper materials, economical slow transport for non-perishable paper/card, employment, fair-wage opportunities, reduced poverty and support for local economies.
Judge the supplier's practices, not price alone. Large buyers may influence working conditions and responsible resource management.
Include prototype trials and wastage. Manufacturing cost is not selling price. Consider environmental and human costs alongside the monetary estimate.