Practical Application

• Low-impact materials: choose non-toxic, sustainably-produced or recycled materials which require little energy to process
• Energy efficiency: use manufacturing processes and produce products which require less energy
• Quality and durability: longer-lasting and better-functioning products will have to be replaced less frequently, reducing the impacts of producing replacements
• Design for reuse and recycling:  Products, processes, and systems should be designed for performance
• Renewability: materials should come from nearby (local or bioregional), sustainably-managed renewable sources that can be composted (or fed to livestock) when their
usefulness has been exhausted.
• Healthy Buildings: sustainable building design aims to create buildings that are not harmful to their occupants nor to the larger environment. An important emphasis is on
indoor environmental quality, especially indoor air quality
• The main difference between sustainable design methods and conventional design is incorporating the entire environment of the project
• Biomimicry: an ancient concept recently returning to scientific thought that examines nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements— and emulates or takes
inspiration from them to solve human problems sustainably

Hannover Principles/Bill of Rights for the Planet

    A model of the new design principles necessary for sustainability is exemplified by the "Hannover Principles" or "Bill of Rights for the Planet," developed by William McDonough.

•  Insist on the right of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse, and sustainable condition.
• Recognize Interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend on the natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale.
Expand design considerations to recognizing even distant effects.
•  Respect relationships between spirit and matter. Consider all aspects of human settlement including community, dwelling, industry, and trade in terms of existing
and evolving connections between spiritual and material consciousness.
• Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems, and their right to co-exist.
• Create safe objects to long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance or vigilant administration of potential danger due
to the careless creations of products, processes, or standards.
• Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes, to approach the state of natural systems in which there is
no waste.
• Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate this energy
efficiently and safely for responsible use.
• Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve all problems. Those who create and plan should practice
humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a model and mentor, not an inconvenience to be evaded or controlled.
• Seek constant improvements by sharing knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers, and users to link
long-term sustainable considerations with ethical responsibility, and reestablish the integral relationship between natural processes and human activity.