Ecodesign means integrating environmental factors into the design process of all types of products, from toys, packaging, household appliances to industrial products like compressors. It requires life cycle thinking, with the environmental impact minimized at all stages of the product cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to end of use. Ecodesign is also a key to success in the transition to a circular economy model. The ecodesign rules of thumb are a guide to develop products that fit in the circular economy. This unique book serves as a key guide for designers, organizations, governments, companies, or anybody else with an interest in a sustainable future, by addressing three main topics: First, ecodesign is explained for what it is and how it fits with the necessity for a sustainable planet. Second, ecodesign is shown to be a coherent and practical process with a plan and tools that can be used to provide solutions for the environmental challenges the world faces. Third, the impact of the ecodesign approach is elaborated for enterprises, governments, and consumers. Both legislation and consumer pressure for more sustainable goods and services require industry and academia to come up with meaningful solutions that consider economic, societal, and environmental aspects alike. This book provides the necessary clarity and tools to assess current products and support and inspire design of new ones to minimize the environmental impact and improve the circularity. Contents: * Necessity of Ecodesign * Emergence of Ecodesign and the Circular Economy Model * Design for X * Ecodesign Tools * Ecodesign in the Product Development Process * Stimulating Ecodesign * Ecodesign and Entrepreneurship * Ecodesign and Governance * Ecodesign and Consumers

This book highlights cutting-edge ecodesign research, covering product and service design, smart manufacturing, and social perspectives in ecodesign. Featuring selected papers presented at EcoDesign 2019: 11th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, it also includes diverse, interdisciplinary approaches to foster ecodesign research and activities. In the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it addresses the need for the manufacturing industry to design innovations for sustainable value creation, taking into account technological developments, legislation, and consumer lifestyles. Further, the book discusses the concept of circular economy, which originated in Europe and aims to increase resource efficiency by shifting away from the linear economy. Focusing on product life cycle design and management, smart manufacturing, circular economy, and business strategies, and providing useful approaches and solutions to these emerging concepts, this book is intended for both researchers and practitioners working in the broad field of ecodesign and sustainability.

In order to meet the challenges of sustainable production, industries have more responsibility in controlling product-related environmental aspects throughout the whole life cycle of a product, since industrial products have potentially larger impacts than on-site emissions. This book looks at Ecodesign as a special form of product management, integratable into Total Live Cycle Management.

Stakeholders such as environmental directives and customer demands for reducing environmental impacts of a product require innovative and environmentally improved products. Therefore a systematic approach and effective methods and tools are needed in the early phase of product development. The basic elements for optimized process management in the design department are described in this book. The book provides twelve easy to follow steps for implementing ECODESIGN in a company. It gives clear advice how to integrate environmental considerations into product design and development, and combines ECODESIGN with Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Communication. Chapters on Product modeling, Life Cycle Assessment, ECODESIGN tasks, Product Improvement and Environmental Communication use the previously developed ECODESIGN PILOT (www.ecodesign.at/pilot) and show its application to a real product example. The book comes with two web tools: one is the ECODESIGN PILOT, used to find measures to environmentally improve a product within a short time. The other is the ECODESIGN PILOT's Assistant (www.ecodesign.at/assist): an expert system, which helps to find the right improvement strategy for a product. Audience This book will be of interest to environmental and sustainability managers, engineers in research and product development, to designers, environmental experts, and consultants, as well as to students working in this field.

This book addresses the implications of the Industry 4.0 paradigm in design for the environment. We examine the opportunities for, and challenges of, the implications of cyber-physical systems, big data analytics, Internet of things, additive manufacturing, and simulation in a range of areas in an eco-design context. These include selecting low impact materials, choosing manufacturing processes with environmental considerations, end of life strategies, applying design approaches for disassembly, integrating economic and social components into environmental studies, and stakeholder’s involvement. This volume takes a step toward this journey to explore how the three pillars of technology, sustainability, and evolving consumers could shape the future of the product’s design.

The end of the post-war economic boom was marked by the recognition of the environmental problem with the oil crises of the 1970s and, in 1972, the first major UN conference devoted to the human environment. Successive international meetings have resulted in a context where technical change, innovation and industry have assumed a central place in the creation of a new model of society. Against this consensus, the author demonstrates from economic analysis and wide-ranging examples that the environmental innovation doctrine and ecodesign methods remain fragile and can lead to paradoxical results.

A large part of the lifecycle environmental impacts of a product are determined at the design stage, why The EU Eco design Directive’s potential for application to non-energy related themes has come under the spotlight in recent years with Nordic countries at the forefront. In this report potential eco design requirements that can be drawn up for non-energy-related products are in focus. Textiles are here used as an example, and a light application of the approach has subsequently been applied to the furniture sector. Clothing and home textiles were chosen due to significant wastage in the value chain due to fast fashion, dropping quality and relatively low repair and reuse rates. The project was initiated and financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers and led by its Working Group for Sustainable Consumption and Production. A separate Policy Brief (ANP2018:739) is also published.