Ecodesign approach

Ecodesign can be applied to existing or new offerings, whether they are products or services. The basic premise of the ecodesign approach presented here is that there is the function to be provided by the offering is identified and the opportunities for improving its environmental performance are identified in line with other traditional criteria. As shown in Figure 4.3, ecodesign is one of the steps in realizing a product with improved environmental performance.

Environmental Assessment Product (System)

Definition Life cycle

Perspective Stakeholder Perspective

Ecodesign Environmental _{Communication}

Figure 4.3: A systematic approach in implementing ecodesign.

For an existing offering, the first task in ecodesign is to define a product to be improved

environmentally. This involves identifying product components, parts, and materials, plus life cycle stage information of the product. This task is the same as defining a product system. The output from this task is the product composition, product system, and life cycle stage data. In addition, technical parameters of the product relevant to the significant environmental aspects,

environmental parameters, are also identified.

Based on the product defined, the environmental aspects of a product are assessed from two different perspectives: life cycle perspective and stakeholder perspective. The former is to assess the environmental aspects of a product system based on the environmental impact caused by the product system. The latter is to assess the environmental aspects of a product based on the stakeholders view such as legal

requirements, market demands, and competitor’s products. Commonly used tools for the former include life cycle thinking and/or life cycle assessment (LCA). For the latter, the

environmental quality function deployment (EQFD) and the environmental benchmarking (EBM) are common tools in use. Instead of full LCA, simplified or screening LCA is often considered practical tool for the environmental assessment of a product for ecodesign. Simplification can be made either by reducing the effort for data collection or focusing only on particular types of environmental impacts or parameters. Use of similar data, database, omitting certain life cycle stages, and exclusion of particular inventory parameters are examples

of the former approach. Performing LCA on CO2 is an example of the latter approach.

The output from the environmental assessment task is a set of significant environmental

parameters of a product on the environment. Ecodesign task commences with these parameters. Below is a step-by-step procedure to implementing ecodesign task with relevant tools identified in bracket (Wimmer, Zust, and Lee, 2004).

1) Link the significant environmental parameters to relevant environmental strategies. (Any set of environmental strategies and guides)

The company SCA Hygiene Products has worked with the environmental improvement of its diaper and tissue products along their life cycle. By analyzing where the highest impact is, and use developed tools and procedures, a reduction of the products environmental impact is possible. In the development of new products there are procedures within the company that checks that necessary measures are taken to have environmental, product safety as occupational health assessments to reduce negative impact.

LCA has been used in more than ten years in the company as a regular “check” of products being developed and going for launch. It has been one of the tools in the company’s environmental work as an established part of the product development processes. Other tools used are environmental

management systems (EMS), product safety approvals, data collecting, assessment procedures, etc.

These assessments allow the company to focus efforts where maximum business value can be obtained. For example, in some business segments the most important concern could be demonstrating wood fibre is obtained from sustainable source. In other segments, meeting the requirements for eco- labels could be the key issue. The processes of mapping the life cycle aids supply chain management.

LCA has enabled the company to focus limited human resources on those environmental issues of most importance. Because there is a trend from society to demand more environmental information about the products, either for policy input or as information to make informed choices, to be able to provide good, environmental information can be of competitive value.

2) Identify relevant implementation measures for the improvement of the environmental parameters belonging to a certain environmental strategy. (Any checklist that allows evaluating implementation measures).

3) Develop redesign tasks for the chosen implementation measures.

4) Develop product specification. It consists of fixed and wished specification.

5) Identify function of the reference product and then add new function and/or modify existing function based on the product specification (Function analysis).

6) Generate ideas to realize the function. (TRIZ, brain-writing, brainstorming, patent search, etc).

7) Generate variants. Assembling idea

corresponding to each function of the newly improved product generates the variants. 8) Develop product concept by selecting variant.

Variants are evaluated against criteria such as economic, technical, social and environmental ones

9) Continuing detailed embodiment design, layout, testing, prototype, production and market launch.

Upon completion of the ecodesign task, an environmentally improved product and/or service, is developed. Next task is then to communicate the environmental aspects of the eco-product to the market with the hope of increasing market share or at the least to enhance the image of the product and the company.

Conclusion

This introduction describes ecodesign, how the introduction of the environmental quality in business modifies the classical product development process by the introduction of new concepts and activities (product requirements readjustment, environmental product evaluation and ecodesign guidelines application). It should also be remembered that the introduction of environmental quality into product development processes is highly influenced by a company’s environmental attitude, strategy or policy, in other words, the mixture of what a company can, want and must do in the environmental issue, influenced by

environmental, competitive, financial and social considerations.

References

Cooper RG (2001). Winning at new products: Accelerating the process from idea to launch. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing. International Organization for Standardization: ISO TR 14062 (2002) Environmental management - Integrating environmental aspects into product design and development.

Wimmer W, Zust R, Lee K (2004). Ecodesign Implementation: A systematic guidance to integrating environmental considerations into product development. Springer.