Professor Jonathan Chapman, author and the University of Brighton's Professor of Sustainable Design, said Puma and Sony were just two global companies engaged in designing advanced products with built-in 'emotionally durable' design.
His inaugural lecture next month (22 January) will examine today's waste and ways to save the earth's precious resources.
The author of the book Emotionally Durable Design: Objects, Experiences and Empathy, which called for designers to act towards encouraging consumers to keep their belongings longer, Professor Chapman has pioneered the concept of designing products that people are loathe to throw away.
He said:
"We produce 40 tonnes of waste to make a tonne of products, and 98 per cent of these products are dumped within just six months of purchase. In a world smothered in people and products, it must be questioned what – beyond a conventional understanding of functionality – is all this 'meaningful stuff' really for, and why does it transform into 'meaningless rubbish' so quickly?"
His lecture will challenge the throwaway society and present a panorama of design tools, methods and frameworks that build resilience into the relationships established between users and products.
The way forward, he said, is: "Enhancing resource efficiency and brand loyalty by designing things that people want to keep for longer – building in emotionally durable design."
Professor Chapman's lecture Meaningful stuff: designing longer-lasting material experiences will be on 22 January at 6.30pm at the Sallis Benney Theatre in Grand Parade, Brighton.
Professor Chapman has pioneered the concept of designing products that people are loathe to throw away.