2.6 Eco Design

2.6

Eco Design

Essential Idea: Eco-design considers the design of a product throughout its life cycle (from cradle to grave) using lifecycle analysis. 

Eco design is a more comprehensive approach than green design because it attempts to focus on all three broad environmental categories: materials, energy, pollution and waste. This makes eco design more complex, longer time scale, and difficult due to its holistic approach. 

The Major Considerations of the United Nations Environmental Programme Manual on Eco-design of 1996

• reduce the creation and use of toxic materials
• increase recyclability
• reduce energy consumption
• increase use of renewable resources
• increase product durability – reducing planned obsolescence
• reduce material requirements for products and services

Eco Design Philosophies

Cradle to Grave  is a design philosophy that considers the environmental effects of a product all the way from manufacture to disposal. It is a key principle of the linear economy where products live a single use before disposal 

Cradle to Cradle  is a design philosophy that aims to eliminate waste from the production, use and disposal of a product. It centers on product that are to be made again.

Life Cycle Analysis 

The assessment of the effect a product has on the environment (LCA) through five stages of its life: pre-production; production; distribution (including packaging); utilization; and disposal.

• Designers use LCA to assess and balance environmental impact over a product’s life cycle.
• It can highlight areas with opportunities to reduce the environmental impact.
• It makes the designer to think about changing product design to reduce the impact such a green or sustainable product designs
• LCAs can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental concerns by also evaluating its impact, aiding in informed decisions, and compiling an inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases.

The stages of LCA include:

• Pre-production,
• Natural resources
• Effect on environment 
• Transport of raw materials 
• Production,
• Is the process of manufacturing the protect - can have damaging effects to the environment or minimal
• Distribution including packaging, 
• Includes the transportation of product from factory to warehouse, store, and others 
• Could have a large impact depending on the materials used for packaging
• Utilization, 
• The product’s use and effect on the environment
• Disposal
• Depends on the product and the method of disposal – can it be recycled?
• Biodegradable objects can be reused, recycled, or left to be broken down back into the soil.

The Role of the Designer, Manufacturer, and User

Consideration of the environmental impact of any product, service, or system during its life cycle should be instigated at the earliest stage of design and continue through to disposal. Designers should have a firm understanding of their responsibility to reduce the ecological impact on the planet.

Here is a matrix of the levels of development for the designer, manufacturer, and consumer respectively:

Designer  Designer will have to plan the products obsolescence and how the object will be used, including its primary functions

Manufacturer  The manufacturer has more of an involvement with the production and distribution (including packaging) because they will have more of an involvement with the selection of materials, for example, sustainable materials compared to single use.

User  The user is mostly involved with the utilization and disposal of the product, and whether the product ends up being reused or recycled. This also includes purchasing habits and purchasing power.

Environmental Impact Assessment Matrix

Environmental impact assessment matrices generally consist of the entire life cycle analysis and can also be specific to each stage – for example, only going into full depths and analysis of the production stage. The environmental impact assessment matrix breaks down the processes into individual steps and focuses on the output in terms of resources used [these can include anything from water and soil pollution to energy consumption to air contamination].

Characteristics 

• Organizes the life cycle stages and the environmental considerations into an environmental impact assessment matrix in which elements differ in importance according to the particular design context (prioritization)
• Re-designing of  product or its manufacture can be altered once identified the areas of highest environmental impact
• For example, selecting less toxic materials or redesigning of its packaging can be implemented having identified this
• BUT a team of different specializations will be required to be able to accurately outline the environmental impact

Example of assessment matrix on air pollution specifically:

Example of assessment matrix on entire LCA:

Environmental and Economic Perspective

The impact of production and manufacturing methods and uses on a geographical scale:

Local: noise, smell, air pollution, soil and water pollution

Regional: soil and water over fertilization and pollution, drought, waste disposal, air pollution

Fluvial [found in rivers]: Pollution of rivers, regional waters, and watersheds

Continental: Ozone levels, acidification and winter smog, heavy metals

Global: Climate change, sea level rise, impact on the ozone layer

The impact of internal and external drivers for eco-design from an economic perspective:

Internal

• Manager’s sense of responsibility
• The need for increased product quality
• The need for a better product and company image
• The need to reduce costs
• The need for innovative power
• The need to increase personnel motivation

External 

• Government 
• Market demand
• Social environment 
• Competitors 
• Trade organizations
• Supplies