At Charlwood Design ‘sustainability’ has been a central philosophy of our practice long before it evolved as a buzzword for responsible, environmentally friendly living. Our sustainable design principles have led to patentable product innovations, improved Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues, reduced manufacturing costs and countless benefits for the manufacturer, the consumer and our environment.

Being green doesn’t mean sacrificing a product’s aesthetics or functionality. And our clients won’t have to choose it as an optional extra. We know sustainable design works. We’ve made it a priority in our product design process. Our studio is currently in the process of becoming 100% carbon neutral.

We were the first Australian design studio to join the Designers Accord which rallies for the integration of sustainable design principles in all practice and production. Paul Charlwood drew on our model when he established the Design for the Environment Partnership between the Design Institute of Australia , Sustainability Victoria and RMIT’s Centre for Design. This partnership led to the software tool Greenfly to assist designers with eco-design strategies and the environmental impact of their products.