Product innovation through ecodesign

The implementation of Ecodesign and sustainable product development methodologies should not only help companies in developing products with a good environmental performance but also reduce internal costs. But it is kind of a paradox that even if costs can be reduced, Ecodesign methodologies and strategies are not fully accepted by product developers. This paper will discuss why it is essential to include beneath technological aspects, ethical as well as social aspects into any kind of Ecodesign education and training.

This paper aims to provide an analysis of the different types of available ecodesign tools, their benefits, capabilities and problems, to understand how these instruments could serve as a foundation for developing a practical body for sustainable product design, thus allowing the design to be able to promote a shift to a paradigm of sustainable production and consumption.

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2011

This paper focuses on ecodesign and its application in the footwear industry aiming to identify how the ecodesign can be applied to the redesign of a shoe component in order to minimize the environmental impact and simultaneously reduce costs of production and assembling. The factors that influence the use of ecodesign, the benefits and the difficulties were also investigated. A longitudinal case study was developed in a company that produces shoe stiffeners. The process of ecodesign implementation and the practices of ecodesign considered during the product redesign were analyzed. A cost reduction of about 10% was observed (in relation to the use of natural fibers and polymers in its compositione31% of biomass and 69% of fossil material). Toxic materials were completely eliminated and a reduction of energy consumption was also noticed (during the injection process). The main contributions of this study are: ecodesign constructs to be further researched the conjoint analysis of technological ability and market potential in a redesign project, and the requirements to gain managerial support for a redesign project.

Design Studies, 2013

The practice of eco-design requires relating traditional design criteria to new environmental criteria. So far, few studies have investigated the nature and singularities of eco-design. This article provides some elements of response based upon the redesign of a consumer product (disposable razor). The study was conducted by three groups of experienced eco-designers using existing eco-design tools (SIMAPRO, ECOFAIRE, ECODESIGN PILOT). A protocol analysis with a three-level coding of transactions was carried out for this purpose. Two main findings are reported: (1) environmental assessment, solution finding and strategy definition are the activities which differentiate eco-design from design; (2) environmental initial assessment and strategy definition are more heavily influenced by eco-designers' expertise than support from tools. Keywords: ecodesign, protocol analysis, design team, product design. issue of environmental information with regard to how it is managed by professional experts in ecodesign, redesign or innovation is tackled by (Bakker, 1995). All the above illustrate the necessity to better understand the articulation of design phases and the support of eco-design tools in teams. This article thus aims to gain understanding in the eco-design approach practiced in design teams. We intend to highlight the influence of eco-design tools in resolving problems. How are eco-design tools handled by designers to match the design context? How are shared eco-design vision and strategies constructed in design teams? We provide elements of response through the analysis of the team work of 23 experienced eco-designers working on a same redesign brief and supported by three distinct tools. The following research question is considered: "What is the nature and singularity of eco-design compared to design?" After defining the activity, methods and tools from a theoretical standpoint (section 1) we pursue our study by a protocol analysis of three design sessions (sections 2 and 3). In section 4 where results are presented, a detailed view of two distinctive phases is provided. The different viewpoints on the problems induced by the tools are examined. Results are discussed in section 5. The conclusions of this work (section 6) fit into a more general framework, whose aim is to characterize the dynamics of learning in eco-design according to the initial expertise (or not) of designers. 1 Characteristics of the eco-design activity Firstly, we intend to review the typical steps of an eco-design approach, and secondly to summarize the contribution of eco-design methods and tools to the design of environmentally-sound products. We close this chapter by stating hypotheses regarding the specific nature of eco-design activities compared to design activities. 1.1 Steps of the eco-design activity Le Pochat et al. (2007) suggest an adaptation of the eco-design process mentioned in (ISO/TR 14062, 2002). Two core activities are emphasized within the conceptual and detailed design phases: environmental assessment and environmental improvement. Environmental assessment aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of an existing product or service, whilst environmental improvement is focused on the search for environmentally friendly solutions. Eco-design tools supporting those two activities are available, complemented by traditional decision making and communication tools. Brezet & Van Hemel state that, with the integration of environment in design, new activities have appeared in the traditional product development process (Brezet & Van Hemel, 1997, p. 49). These new activities deal with: the search for environmental information, initial environmental assessment and environmental strategy. The last two seem to differentiate eco-design from traditional design according to Collado & Ostad-Ahmad-Ghorabi (2010). In order to help companies on a practical level to reduce the environmental impacts of their products, a systematic approach was created (Brezet & Van Hemel, 1997). Current eco-design tools have certainly been strongly influenced by this early work of systematization. This step-by-step approach embeds seven steps in its initial version, and nine in the latest manual, entitled 'D4S' (Design for Sustainability) (Crul & Diehl, 2009). Finally three core activities are put forward, namely environmental assessment, solution finding and strategy. Those are defined more precisely in next subsections .

Product Management & Development, 2017

The use of laptops computers is increasing and this model surpassed the desktop computer as the most popular of the personal computer market. On the extended use situations, the laptop can causes ergonomic issues, and the use of an adjustable table is demanded to raise the screen to the user eye-line height in order to alleviate this problem. The manufacturing of the laptop stand causes environmental impact, still requiring the production of other complementary peripherals for the stand to be effective. this paper describes a simplified LCA-Life Cycle Assessment linked to an ESW-Ecodesign Strategy Wheel method application highlighted a great opportunity of innovation during the evaluation of the manufacturing process of the UpTable portable laptop stand, providing solutions for both the ergonomic issue and the environmental sustainability. Proposed manufacturing process eliminates the peripherals redundancy and promotes economy of supplies with no prejudice to the portability that characterizes the device, reducing the environmental impact during the manufacturing process, utilization and discharge of the product.

Sustainable products have arrived on the market and faced competition with traditional products with one extra challenge: they normally tend to be more expensive than traditional ones. Customers are yet to pay more for these products as they are alerted for environmental impacts. However, the gap between knowledge and action is being decreased slowly. One of the factors for this sluggish behavior is that the standing economic equation does not cover environmental issues. Traditional approaches for feasibility studies are yet to be changed, as initiatives such as the eco-cost emerge. From a Product Development Process point of view, customer satisfaction and selling price are two very important inputs that drive the process from the early beginning and determine whether the resulting product will achieve market success or not. A more sustainable product tends to be more durable as it reduces scrap. Currently, the world economic chain is configured respecting the pace in which products are consumed, as consumers are accustomed with traditional products and their durability. As the world grows more sustainable, the economic chain will be sustainability-driven and therefore, require more durable products and services. Using a bibliometric approach, this article proposes a review of sustainable product development and its interface with these economical and customer perception issues. First, research domains were prescribed and keywords were defined to narrow the search. Databases were selected and researched using boolean codes. The resulting list was finally reviewed and filtered, as to refine the search accordingly after defined criteria. Findings include (but are not limited to) a growth in the number of published articles year after year and also a list of journals with most publications in this research field. Finally, this article points new trends to be explored inside product development.

Design Science

Ecodesign has gained significant traction in recent years ranging from academic research to business applications at a global scale. Initial emphasis on the environmental aspect of design has evolved to include economic and social aspects, with projects ranging from small-scale products to large-scale industrial systems. In this paper, the authors re-analyse 10 of their major ecodesign research projects of the past ten years to identify five categories of challenges and promising future directions for ecodesign research. This paper is primarily a retrospective position paper based on the authors’ experience of actual design studies, providing also a relevant literature review and summary of design practices.

EcoProduction, 2014

Eco-design is used as a tool in the manufacturing and services sectors for improving the sustainability of products by integrating environmental aspects into the design stage, where most of the product impacts are determined. Laws (e.g., EU eco-design directive) and international schemes (e.g., ISO 14006) have encouraged the use of eco-design in companies, as well as the literature has reflected the advances in methodology and the widespread of case studies in different economic sectors. This chapter aims to show a combined Design for Environment (DfE) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology for implementing ecodesign in companies. The steps and tools of the methodology, as well as the most common strategies are described. Product Carbon footprint (PCF) has an important role in the methodology in two main ways. First, PCF is one of the indicators that can be calculated with LCA, being an understandable environmental indicator used in companies not only as quantitative data of the current environmental performance but also as benchmark for further improvements. Second, PCF is used as strategy for environmental communication to consumers through eco-labeling. The main strength of Carbon Footprint is that stakeholders (business and consumers) are aware of and understand its meaning due to the presence of carbon emissions and global warming in mass media and public science studies.

2005 4th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, 2005

optimal criteria to integrate them within a proper procedure for evaluating and improving environmental The achievement of the optimum agreement between impacts related to the entire product life cycle. This technical aspects and characteristics, and environmental approach was developed throughout its application to an aspects has become very hard task for designers: it is industrial case: the redesign of an electric vehicle was clear that better results can be achieved by planning of performed with the aim of improving the environmental numerous aspects concerning the whole life cycle of performances of such a product particularly during its use products from the initial stages oftheir development.