Integrating ecodesign by conducting changes in SMEs

Despite the progressive use of ecodesign in the industrial world, taking into account environmental constraints remains problematical for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which seem to be remaining on the fringe of the movement. Beyond the lack of environmental culture in the enterprises, the problem stems from the ecodesign tools which have not been designed with any thought of integrating them into the enterprises' organisation. There is indeed no method for ecodesign integration in companies. We show in this article that, while in fact there is a thorough and varied set of ecodesign tools available, they will not allow ecodesign to become more widespread while they remain tools for experts. We are therefore putting forward a method to carry out the integration of ecodesign in SMEs during demonstration projects implemented with the assistance of advisory centres specialised in the industrial sector of the company.     

Economic benefits tied to ecodesign

This paper reports results of an empirical study conducted to assess the profitability of ecodesigned products. Indeed, the advantages related to ecodesign are numerous according to the literature on the subject. Not only is it considered to be an efficient environmental approach, it is also said to carry a number of economic advantages for the firms adopting it. Among these advantages, the potential reduction of costs and an increase in revenues are the most important drivers. Nevertheless, the economic benefits have not been demonstrated, only indicated as a potential outcome. The main purpose of the study was to assess the economic impact of ecodesigned products and to compare the results of French companies with those of Quebec.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 firms on their related ecodesign experience (15 in France, 15 in Quebec), the subsequent results were reached pertaining to the economic benefits tied to such an approach. In 24 cases, firms increased their profits with ecodesigned products. In three cases, profits are equivalent and in the three remaining cases, it is not obvious that the increased revenues compensate for the reduction of margin. French companies were found to be more profitable than the Quebec cases; this can be explained by the fact that French companies have a more systemic approach and therefore manage to make cost savings at several stages in the product life-cycle. We can conclude that the most important aspects to consider when getting involved in an ecodesign project is to focus on increased functionality of the product and to seek environmental and economic improvement on as many life-cycle stages as possible.     

Redesign of a component based on ecodesign practices: environmental impact and cost reduction achievements

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 composition-31% 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.     

Ecodesign methods focused on remanufacturing

Understanding the product's ‘end-of-life’ is important to reduce the environmental impact of the products' final disposal. When the initial stages of product development consider end-of-life aspects, which can be established by ecodesign (a proactive approach of environmental management that aims to reduce the total environmental impact of products), it becomes easier to close the loop of materials. The ‘end-of-life’ ecodesign methods generally include more than one ‘end-of-life’ strategy. Since product complexity varies substantially, some components, systems or sub-systems are easier to be recycled, reused or remanufactured than others. Remanufacture is an effective way to maintain products in a closed-loop, reducing both environmental impacts and costs of the manufacturing processes. This paper presents some ecodesign methods focused on the integration of different ‘end-of-life’ strategies, with special attention to remanufacturing, given its increasing importance in the international scenario to reduce the life cycle impacts of products.     

Environmental practices and firm performance: an empirical analysis in the Spanish hotel industry

The impact of environmental practices on firm performance raises an ongoing debate in which the review of the existing literature yields no conclusive results. Different methods have been used to study this relationship and most of the analyses have focused on manufacturing companies. This paper examines the link between environmental practices and firm performance in the Spanish hotel industry using two methods: a cluster analysis and a regression analysis. First, three groups were defined according to their environmental proactivity, and hotels showing a stronger commitment to environmental practices proved to reach higher performance levels. Second, through the regression analysis, findings showed that environmental practices impact significantly on several performance variables.     

The effect of ISO 14001 certification on toxic emissions: an analysis of industrial facilities in the north of Spain

During recent decades, the impact of industrial organisations on the environment has become clearly evident. It has also become more difficult to hide and more expensive. Globally, this has caused many enterprises to put all their efforts into seeking management instruments that allow them to reduce their negative impact on the environment as well as improving their economic efficiency. This environmental interest is either voluntary or forced by customers or by legal pressure. Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) are among the many tools that have appeared to fulfil that goal and that have drawn international researchers’ attention. The most popular system and the one most often used is the ISO 14001 standard.This paper examines empirically the influence that this certification exerts on the company’s pollutant emission policy. The analysis was carried out in four regions of Spain: Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and Castilla-León and includes 126 industrial organisations. The goal of this paper is to investigate the behaviour of the companies according to their emissions policies once they have achieved the ISO 14001 certification. In the paper the Toxics Release Index of 56 certified companies is compared with the Index of 70 non-certified companies. Through a statistical analysis based on the Student’s t-test and the Mann–Whitney U test, it was concluded that ISO 14001 does not represent an environmental proactivity signal clearly enough to result in a reduction of the company’s environmental polluting index.     

Quantifying producer and consumer-based eco-efficiencies for the identification of key ecodesign issues

We can find numerous case studies showing eco-efficiency being used as an analytical tool in ecodesign. But, all of these studies show that eco-efficiency being used only as an evaluation tool for design alternatives, not as a tool for the identification of key ecodesign issues. Here, we propose that producer-based eco-efficiency and consumer-based eco-efficiency can be used in identifying key ecodesign issues, which encompass not only the environmental aspects of a product, but also other aspects such as product quality and consumer satisfaction. The applicability of the proposed method was evaluated using 19 digital cameras. The results show that it is possible to identify weak points of a product in relation to the environment, product quality, and consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, it is possible to design a product that is environmentally friendly, while still maintaining a high level of quality and consumer satisfaction.     

Ecodesign tools for designers: defining the requirements

This paper presents the findings from a research project which set out to understand the type of requirements that industrial designers have of ecodesign tools, through the use of a web based prototype. Through qualitative data collection and analysis a number of important criteria for ecodesign tools were identified. The conclusions recognise the importance of developing holistic tools for industrial designers, identifying that a combination of guidance, education and information, along with well considered content, appropriate presentation and easy access, are all critical to their success. A framework for ecodesign tools for industrial designers is presented along with the evolution of ‘Information/Inspiration’ into a fully working web-based tool.     

Study of some explanatory factors in the opportunities arising from climate change

The purpose of this research is to analyze different factors behind the disclosure of corporate information on issues related to opportunities arising from climate change worldwide.To achieve that purpose we formulated a dependency model in which the dependent variable corresponds to the creation of a disclosure index on greenhouse gas emissions based on the opportunities arising from climate change and disclosed by companies on their websites. The sample used comprises companies from different countries and activity sectors considered as the most sensitive to greenhouse gas emissions.The results obtained point out that companies with higher environmental performance disclose a larger volume of information on opportunities arising from climate change on their websites, compared to companies with lower environmental performance. Likewise, companies from countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol disclose a higher volume of information on greenhouse gas emissions on their websites, compared to companies from countries which have not ratified it.     

Environmental aspects when manufacturing products mainly out of metals and/or polymers

The most fundamental aspect in the ISO 14001 standard Environmental management systems—Specification with guidance for use is to find out ways by which an organisation influences environment to a significant degree. This paper examines environmental data from companies manufacturing products mainly from metals and/or polymers. The data were collected in a uniform way by use of special guidelines. Weighting or valuation methods often used in life cycle assessments were used to quantitatively compare and rank environmental aspects. The study results suggest that, in general, the largest environmental impact in the investigated manufacturing sub-sector can be associated with product use and/or disposal phases. This in turn shows a need for more attention on environmental work on the design for environment than what the ISO 14001 standard requires. It is further suggested that weighting or valuation methods can aid in determining the significance of environmental impacts and aspects in the context of ISO 14001.     

Alternative function fulfilment: incorporating environmental considerations into increased design space

The focal point of this paper is the relatively unknown concept of alternative function fulfilment (AFF), which is a design strategy that can be used to generate new ways of fulfilling a certain function and is referred to in the context of ecodesign. It can be considered an attractive environmental innovation strategy, provided that the increased design space is used to create more sustainable products and services.This paper explores the AFF concept and discusses the implications of adopting this concept. It thus focuses on how design and business processes may need to change to allow the radical shift towards AFF, in order to facilitate the envisaged significant environmental improvements.     

Eco-design in innovation driven companies: perception, predictions and the main drivers of integration. The Spanish example

This study attempts to contribute to the scarce knowledge on how eco-design, and to broad extent sustainability, is connected to innovation driven companies. In particular, this cross sectional research verifies i) perception and knowledge of eco-design of the professionals from innovation driven companies in Spain, ii) specific eco-design strategies towards sustainability that innovation driven companies are integrating in their strategic plans and their application in the supply chain and iii) the companies’ future predictions on innovation and eco-design linkage. The methodology of this paper is based on a survey, developed defining measurable proxies for both eco-design and innovation approaches and conducted on 10,000 multidisciplinary professionals from Spanish innovation driven companies. The study shows that sustainability is a cardinal driver for innovation and that responses have specificities regarding company size, activity or respondent position. Innovation and eco-design strategies for the future aim to use materials with a lower environmental impact and to develop new concepts.     

关于申请上市及再融资企业环境保护核查工作的思考

目前,我国上市及申请再融资企业（或公司）环境保护核查工作已经历了启动、规范和研究发展三个阶段。本文分析了上市公司环境保护核查工作与开发建设项目环境影响评价、竣工验收监测或调查的关系,三者之间既有区别又有紧密的联系。指出重污染行业企业也存在生态影响问题,有必要对其生态保护与建设工作进行核查,并提出了生态保护与建设核查的主要内容。     

The value of adding design-for-the-environment to pollution prevention assistance options

The design stage of product development, recognized as key for determining costs and profitability, is also an unparalleled window of opportunity to champion the environment. During this early stage key materials, process, and energy source decisions determine the environmental impacts of a product for its entire life cycle. Integration of environmental factors into design is an emerging trend known as design-for-the-environment (DfE), ecodesign, or life-cycle design. From this perspective, designers gain inherent drivers for optimizing design and efficient use of resources. The intent of this article is to inspire expansion of pollution prevention assistance portfolio options to include DfE.     

Eco-efficiency and ecodesign in electrical and electronic products

Although it had been about 10 years since eco-efficiency and Factor X were proposed, these concepts were not actually utilized in companies. Accordingly, the author proposed eco-efficiency (Factor X) indicators and has actually utilized them since 2001 in companies, and has conducted many case studies of eco-efficiency and Factor X using these indicators. However, there remains an argument: the improvement of eco-efficiency (Factor X) is due to an improvement in functions and there is still a possibility that environmental impacts increase. So, this paper begins with a brief explanation of the proposed eco-efficiency (Factor X) indicators and the case studies. Next, eco-efficiency and ecodesign are discussed. This paper analyzes the relationship between functions and environmental impacts using results of quantitative evaluations and verifies the argument quantitatively. From this analysis result, the author found that most products improved the product's functions while reducing environmental impacts.     

Ecodesign of automotive components making use of natural jute fiber composites

Nowadays, the world faces unprecedented challenges in social, environmental and economical dimensions, in which the industrial design has showed an important contribution with solutions that provide positive answers regarding these problems. In particular, due to its relevance, the automotive industry confronts a moment of crises, and based on the ecodesign of products it has been transforming the challenges in opportunities. In this context, the use of natural fiber composites, produced in developing countries, have presented several social, environmental and economical advantages to design “green” automotive components. Thus, this work through LCA method demonstrates the possibility to use natural fibers through a case study design which investigates the environmental improvements related to the replacement of glass fibers for natural jute fibers, to produce a structural frontal bonnet of an off-road vehicle (Buggy). Results pointed out the advantages of applying jute fiber composites in Buggy enclosures.     

论实用性是开发建设项目环境影响评价的根本属性

分析了当前开发建设项目环境影响评价报告编制中存在的百科全书式大而全的资料堆砌式报告、片面追求脱离实际要求的技术先进性、报告编写不规范等问题,明确指出实用性是环境影响评价的根本属性,坚持实用性才能发挥环境影响评价的作用.     

Phytotoxicity and groundwater impacts of leaching from thermal treatment residues in roadways

The use of coal fly ash (CFA), municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash (MSWIBA) and flue gas desulfurization residue (FGDR) in road construction has become very common owing to its economical advantages. However, these residues may contain toxic constituents that pose an environmental risk if they leach out and flow through the soil, surface water and groundwater. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the ecotoxicity and groundwater impact of these residues before decisions can be made regarding their utilization for road construction. In this study, the physico-chemical characteristics, leaching and phytotoxicity of these residues were investigated. Specifically, multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the contributions of the leaching constituents of the CFA, MSWIBA and FGDR leachates to the germination index of wheat seeds. B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe and Pb were found to be more toxic to the wheat seeds than the other heavy metals. Furthermore, the leached concentrations of the constituents from the CFA, MSWIBA and FGDR were below the regulatory threshold limits of the Chinese identification standard for hazardous wastes. Analyses conducted using a numerical groundwater model (WiscLEACH) indicated that the predicted field concentrations of metals from the CFA, MSWIBA and FGDR increased with time up to about 30 years at the point of compliance, then decreased with time and distance. Overall, this study demonstrated that the risks resulting from MSWIBA, CFA and FGDR leaching could be assessed before its utilization for road construction, providing crucial information for the adoption of these alternative materials.     

中国对外投资中的环境管理研究

自"走出去"战略实施以来,我国对外投资步伐明显加快,规模日益扩大,取得了显著成绩。随着全球环境问题频发,经济、贸易与环境的关系日益成为人们关注的焦点。我国"走出去"企业的数量大大增加,国际舆论开始关注中国企业在海外的环境行为。一些媒体对中国企业社会责任方面进行批评,个别媒体还存在恶意歪曲中国形象的嫌疑。通过对中国对外投资环境问题进行研究和反思,我们确实发现中国企业在海外可能存在着很大的环境风险。这些问题如不能很好地解决,将影响我国的国际形象,也影响我国"走出去"战略的实施。中国对外投资企业的环境行为需要相关政策进行引导,也需要配套的环境咨询和服务业的支持。我国针对对外投资的环境保护政策还存在缺陷,现行的与环境相关的政策在操作和执行层面仍有待加强,应尽快出台相应的指南来引导和规范企业在对外投资中的环境行为,防范环境风险。