Ecodesign

Ecodesign is an approach to design of a product with special consideration for the environmental impacts of the product during its whole lifecycle. In a life cycle assessment the life cycle of a product is usually divided into procurement, manufacture, use and disposal.

Overview

As the whole product life cycle should be regarded in an integrated perspective, representatives from advance development, design, production, marketing, purchasing and project management should work together on the ecodesign of a further developed or new product as they have together the best chance to predict the holistic effects of changes of the product and their environmental impact.Environmental aspects which ought to be analysed for every stage of the life cycle are:

* Consumption of resources (energy, materials, water or land area)
* Emissions to air, water, and the ground as being relevant for the environment and human health
* Miscellaneous (e.g. noise and vibration)

Waste (hazardous waste and other waste defined in environmental legislation) is only an intermediate step and the final emissions to the environment (e.g. methane and leaching from landfills are inventoried). Equally are all consumables, materials and parts used in the life cycle phases accounted and all indirect environmental aspects linked to their production.

Having made up a list on which phase of the life cycle has which particular environmental aspect, these aspects are evaluated according to their environmental impact on the basis of a number parameters such as extend of environmental impact potential for improvement or potential of change.

According to this ranking the recommended changes are carried out and are reviewed after a certain time.

Environmental Effect Analysis

One instrument to identify the factors that are important for the reduction of the environmental impact during all lifecycle stages is the Environmental Effect Analysis (EEA).

For an EEA the following are taken into account:

* Customers wishes
* Legal requirements, market requirements (competitors) and
* Data concerning the product and the manufacturing process

See also

* Life Cycle Assessment
* Eco-innovation
* Environmental design
* Sustainability
* Sustainable design
* Sustainable development

References

* [http://www.eng.tau.ac.il/~bengal/Eco_Design.pdf Ben-Gal I., Katz R., Bukchin Y. (2008), "Robust Eco-Design: A New Application for Air Quality Engineering", IIE Transactions, Vol. 40 (10), p. 907-918.]

* Lindahl, M. Designer's utilization of DfE methods. Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on "Sustainable Consumption", 2003. Tokyo, Japan, The Society of Non-Traditional Technology (SNTT) and Research Center for Life Cycle Assessment (AIST).

* Wimmer W., Züst R., Lee K.-M.(2004), Ecodesign Implementation – A Systematic Guidance on Integrating Environmental Considerations into Product Development, Dordrecht, Springer

* ISO TC 207/WG3

* ISO TR 14062

External links

* [http://lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/lcainfohub/directory.vm The European Commission's Directory of LCA and Ecodesign services, tools and databases]
* [http://lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/lcainfohub/datasetArea.vm The European Commission's ELCD core database with Ecoprofiles (free of charge)]
* [http://www.ecodesignsociety.org Eco-design society]
* [http://www.dmc-e.net/index.php?lang=eng, The European Design Market center for Bamboo and Rattan products]
* [http://www.ecodesignarc.info/servlet/is/203/A%20Guide%20for%20EcoDesign%20Tools%202nd%20edition.pdf?command=downloadContent&filename=A%20Guide%20for%20EcoDesign%20Tools%202nd%20edition.pdf Introduction to Ecodesign Tools]
* [http://www.eea.nu/defaulteng.asp Environmental Effect Analysis]
* [http://www.eea.nu/ENGD_583.pdf Environmental Effect Analysis (EEA) – Principles and structure]
* [http://www.codde.Fr EIME, the ecodesign methodology of the electrical and electronic industry]
* [http://www.iea-4e.org 4E, IEA Implementing Agreement on Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment]