Developing sustainable products and services

In light of increasing pressures to adopt a more sustainable approach to product design and manufacture, the requirement to develop sustainable products is one of the key challenges facing industry in the 21st century. Hence, the concept of developing sustainable products as well as services is evolving as a key element of Cleaner Production. Sustainable product development initiatives (mainly through eco-design) have been evolving for some time to support companies develop more sustainable products. Ireland has been running the highly successful Environmentally Superior Products (ESP) initiative that supports industrial companies to incorporate a more sustainable approach to the development of products and/or services. The lessons learned from the ESP and other global Sustainable Product and Service Developments in industry and research, are being used to develop a method for effective sustainable product and/or service development (SPSD) in industry. The method is designed to provide pragmatic guidance to business and industry for developing sustainable products and services as well as incorporating this approach within existing corporate strategy, cleaner production and product development systems. This method is being developed by the authors at the Environmental Policy and Management Group (EPMG), Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Imperial College London, UK in conjunction with industry and practitioners. The method provides a framework for implementing SPSD throughout the entire lifecycle of a product and/or service. It can be used to identify, assess and implement the options for optimum sustainability in the design and development of a product and/or service. This paper describes the key features of this method.     

Eco-design implemented through a product-based environmental management system

Lucent Technologies (Lucent) has undergone considerable change in business strategy with the outsourcing of manufacturing activities. In order to control the significant environmental aspects of hardware products, Lucent's wireless business unit, Mobility Solutions, determined it would concentrate on the design of products: focusing on eco-design enables product sustainability to be improved, with each product generation providing a ‘start of pipe’ (front end) solution with attendant efficiencies.Mobility Solutions pioneered a product-based environmental management system (PBEMS) to formally address the impacts of wireless hardware products on the environment throughout the entire product lifecycle, regardless of where products are developed. This management system looks beyond the environmental impacts of manufacturing to include conceptual design, development, use by the customer, and final product disposal.The success of this approach can be attributed to the integration of eco-design with traditional hardware product realization processes. Through the PBEMS, business and environmental processes are simultaneously utilized to manage significant product aspects and to incorporate sustainability principles during product design. Many innovative eco-design tools are applied during the product realization process to identify areas for improvement of future products, and to verify that each generation of existing products is more sustainable than its predecessor. These eco-design tools include eco-roadmapping, design for environment guidelines and checklists, and lifecycle assessments.The Mobility Solutions PBEMS conforms to the requirements of the ISO 14001 international standard and has achieved third-party certification. By implementing environmentally responsible characteristics through eco-design programs, employees, customers, and the world community benefit from a consistent approach to the environmental management of wireless hardware products. Mobility Solutions continues to reap the value of sustainable product design that is both good for the environment and makes sound business sense.     

Proposal for new quantitative eco-design indicators: a first case study

Eco-design is a valuable approach in order to reduce the environmental impact associated with a product system, by introducing environmental considerations early on in its design. Different strategies are possible for the implementation of eco-design, depending on the intended goals as well as the characteristics of the products. The present work proposes a series of eco-design indicators and tests to what extent the application of these simple indicators provides a reliable indication of the reduction of environmental impact, as measured by commonly employed Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) indicators. The product chosen for the case study was a water source heat pump. Two of the newly-developed indicators were applied and compared to LCIA indicators, focussing on design for disassembly and for recycling. A good and robust correlation was found, providing support to the thesis that these simple eco-design indicators can be used as a proxy to quickly and effectively gauge the environmental improvements introduced in a product system at the design stage.     

Adopting and applying eco-design techniques: a practitioners perspective

This paper discusses the findings of a small scale research project which explored the possibility of adopting eco-design techniques. The paper focuses on identifying how eco-design techniques can be determined as being compatible with new product development processes. Via the development of a five stage ‘applicability framework’, this study demonstrates how a compatible suite of tools can be identified for application to product development processes. Testing and validation of this ‘applicability framework’, which was used to identify three key eco-design techniques; namely checklists, guidelines, and a material, energy and toxicity (MET) matrix, is shown to have taken place in relation to the development of a lightweight chemical detector product. It is established that checklists, guidelines and the MET matrix can be used both on a specific product, and also more generally in the design process. In particular, the MET matrix is shown as being used to successfully identify key environmental aspects of the product during its lifetime. The paper concludes by arguing that eco-design techniques may not have been more widely adopted by businesses because such methods are not necessarily generic and immediately applicable, but instead require some form of process-specific customisation prior to use, which can in turn act as a barrier to adoption. It is also highlighted that the shear diversity of pressures that come to bear during the product development process can also act as a barrier to adoption, and that the full integration of eco-design techniques will have to encompass approaches which overcome such pressures.     

Stepwise environmental product declarations: ten SME case studies

The lack of reliable communication tools is anticipated to become an important barrier to design and sell products with improved environmental performance. In this paper, environmental product declarations, EPDs, and in particular a Stepwise EPD approach is investigated as a means to overcome the communication barrier. The experiences of ten European SMEs who have tried to use Stepwise EPDs for market communication and as a basis for eco-design are described and discussed. The experiences suggest that Stepwise EPDs based on life cycle assessment can be a cost-efficient tool to improve the environmental performance of products. For normal marketing activities the Stepwise EPDs were disappointing. Using the underlying LCA as a platform for in-depth communication with selected parties in the supply chain showed more promise.     

Accelerating preliminary eco-innovation design for products that integrates case-based reasoning and TRIZ method

While the innovativeness and market potential of a new product is normally emphasized, its environmental impact is often neglected. Despite their ability to help designers reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle, many eco-design methods focus on the redesign of existing products, necessitating a more innovative design capacity. This work describes a novel model to accelerate the preliminary eco-innovation product design by integrating the advantages of case-based reasoning and the TRIZ method. Previous cases from a database support a novel design to satisfy functional performances under the CBR framework. The innovative principles and evolution patterns of the TRIZ method can enhance the design level of new products to achieve eco-innovation. Four eco-innovation concepts for a PC mouse demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.     

生态产品概念再定义及其内涵辨析

准确界定生态产品概念定义及其内涵是深入开展其理论研究和实践创新的前提和基础.该研究深入剖析了生态产品现有概念定义存在的问题,从我国提出生态产品价值实现理念的战略意图入手,在指明生产者的基础上,将生态产品定义为生态系统生物生产和人类社会生产共同作用提供给人类社会使用和消费的终端产品或服务,包括保障人居环境、维系生态安全、提供物质原料和精神文化服务等人类福祉或惠益,是与农产品和工业产品并列的、满足人类美好生活需求的生活必需品,分为公共性生态产品、准公共生态产品和经营性生态产品三类.阐明了生态产品与生态系统服务、经济产品、非生态自然资源之间的边界关系,明确了生态产品不仅反映了自然生态与人类之间的供给消费关系,还反映了人与人之间的供给消费关系.建议组织自然科学和社会科学领域的科研人员开展中长期联合攻关,解决生态产品价值实现过程中面临的科学技术难题,通过理论突破和技术创新抢占国际生态经济学研究的学术制高点.      

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.     

A new business model for baby prams based on leasing and product remanufacturing

A shift in business thinking from selling products to providing service solutions to customer needs is becoming noticeable. It is driven by increasing competition and the need to identify new profit centres for producers of mature products. This paper identifies a new product group that could be interesting from the product-service system perspective – baby prams. The study presents a new business model based on selling the function that baby prams provide through leasing prams. It discusses potential barriers and necessary changes in product design and the supply chain to make it work. The product-service system in this case could include the organisation of a reverse logistics system with different levels of refurbishment and remanufacturing of prams, partially by retailers. The new model may provide customers with a high quality pram in a “like new” condition for the period they need it, and may help avoid transaction costs of having to sell the pram on the second-hand market. Economic estimations point to a significant potential for increased profits, while the environmental potential should be further investigated.     

Sustainability evaluation of European household services

In this article we evaluate over 200 European household services in seven service areas related to household consumption. Services were chosen that contribute to at least two of the three dimensions of sustainable development: environment, social aspects, and economy. The analysed services are called sustainable home services indicating that they are provided to the customers directly at home or on the premises, and that they enhance sustainable development. It appears that the social effects of the assessed services are larger than their environmental and economic benefits. This is presumably at least partly due to the fact that in order to survive in the market, household services must first and foremost be socially beneficial to the users, in other words, improve the quality of life of consumers.     

Remanufacturing for the automotive aftermarket-strategic factors: literature review and future research needs

While the concepts of remanufacturing and reverse logistics are gaining popularity in practice, the available literature and theory on strategic decision making in these areas are limited. This paper is designed to address this gap, in particular, for the automotive industry aftermarket. In doing so, the authors reviewed literature pertaining to: customer demand(s), product design and development, cost-benefit analysis of reman, core (i.e., used product) supply management, reman competencies and skills, product life cycle strategies, reman and reverse logistics network design, relationships among key stakeholders, environmental considerations, regulations, and impact of emerging economies. The literature findings along with our experience in working with automotive reman products were used as inputs to guide the formulation of seven major propositions for the strategic factors in decision making within reman. The propositions were then tested through a case study. The case study reconfirmed many of the factors like product life cycle, regulations, etc. from the literature review and also identified new factors like OE customer requirements. Our results provide a foundation for further research for companies that deal with Original Equipment (OE) Sales, Original Equipment Service (OES), as well as Independent Aftermarket (IAM) business in the automotive industry.     

基于熵权灰靶生态系统服务价值模型的土地利用规划环境影响评价——以晋城市为例

生态系统服务功能价值法是土地利用规划环境影响评价中应用较为广泛的方法之一,然而其存在不同研究区域之间可比性较弱的问题,为增强可比性,本次研究引入灰靶理论及熵权理论,构建了熵权灰靶生态系统服务价值模型,并将其应用于山西省晋城市之中.结果表明,在规划目标年,晋城市下辖各区县中,城区、高平市、阳城县、泽州县、陵川县及沁水县的靶心度分别为0.3354、0.3913、0.4962、0.5020、0.5521及1.0000,进而基于上述结果,对晋城市下辖各区县提出了差异化的土地利用意见建议.本次研究成果从理论研究与实际工作方面都对晋城市及其它地区土地利用规划环境影响评价提供了一定的参考.     

Combining eco-design and user benefits from human-powered energy systems,a win–win situation

This paper presents the use of the human body to power electronic products, two product design cases applying human-powered energy systems and the relation with eco-design. The paper illustrated how the use of an alternative energy system (i.e. human-powered energy systems) offers new viewpoints to the design engineer and brings about environmental improvements. ‘Green marketing’ experiences from Philips teach us that environmental benefits should be backed-up by additional user benefits in order to be effective in the market. Human-powered energy systems offer these possibilities.     

Knowledge brokerage designs and practices in four european climate services: A role model for biodiversity policies?

Environmental policies are broadly claimed to rely on sound scientific evidence because of the complexity, the uncertainty and the diverging political stakes that characterize issues like biodiversity decline or climate change. Classical advisory formats like assessments or standing advisory bodies have proliferated widely – especially at the global and national levels – yet exert only a limited influence on political decision-making, particularly in sub-national and local implementation contexts. Against this background, scholars have called for ‘bottom-up’ approaches to Science-policy interfaces that move from ‘problem to policy’. In the area of climate change, numerous ‘climate services’ have evolved at national, sub-national and even local levels, with the promise of being more decision-oriented. Four climate services in three European countries (the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland) are investigated regarding whether and how they institutionalize and enact knowledge brokerage in a credible, salient and legitimate way. Focusing on the institutional and strategic design principles of this advisory setting in climate policy, insights are generated for the biodiversity policy field, where comparable settings are still broadly lacking.     

Frontiers in Green Chemistry: meeting the grand challenges for sustainability in R&D and manufacturing

Green Chemistry is the design, development, and implementation of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of substances hazardous to human health and the environment. It is an innovative, non-regulatory, economically driven approach toward sustainability. The unequivocal value of Green Chemistry to the business and to the environment is illustrated through industrial examples. Green Chemistry must be recognized for its ability to address sustainability at the molecular level. By designing for sustainability at this fundamental level, Green Chemistry challenges innovators to design and utilize matter and energy in a way that increases performance and value while protecting human health and the environment. The principles of Green Chemistry today need to become the core for tomorrow's chemistry, integrating sustainability into science and its innovations.     

Life cycle assessment to eco-design food products: industrial cooked dish case study

An industrial cooked dish is one of the food products with the most complex agri-food chain. In this study, an eco-design pilot experiment has been performed as a way to develop more efficient and sustainable agri-food products throughout its whole life cycle. To achieve this, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been carried out to identify and quantify the environmental performance of the production and distribution of a cooked tuna with tomato dish. The most important stages of the life cycle have been established taking into consideration the full environmental impact as well as the potential reductions achievable by the application of various improvements.     

北京郊区农田生态系统服务功能价值的评估研究

由于耕地面积显著减少,京郊农田生态系统总服务价值由1996年的4513384.07×10⁴元下降到2002年的3426990.22×10⁴元,减少10⁸6393.85×10⁴元。其中粮食作物的各项服务功能价值在逐年降低,其它作物有不同程度的提高。6年间农业总服务价值平均值大约是其农业增加值的8倍,相当于8元服务价值产出1元经济生产力。6年间接价值平均为3461605.08×10⁴元,大约为直接价值的6倍。农民承担了保护耕地资源的责任,却没有获得相应收益。从构成来看,在京郊现有耕作制度下,提供农产品份额为12.41%;调节大气成分和净化环境价值占据绝对主体,两者之和占农田生态系统总服务价值的77%(净化环境占37.51%,调节大气成分占39.48%);土壤积累有机质价值为4.4%;农业观光游憩价值为3.8%;维持养分循环为1.27%;蓄水功能为2.21%;而保持土壤服务功能最低,仅占0.01%。     

紫云英配施氮肥对稻田生态系统服务功能的影响

紫云英是南方稻田重要的绿肥作物,翻压还田后可替代部分氮肥,减少化肥用量,提高农产品产量和品质。基于农田生态系统服务功能价值理论与方法,选取农产品供给、气体调节、土壤养分累积和水分涵养4类服务功能,对紫云英翻压配施不等量氮肥各处理下的稻田生态系统服务功能价值进行了评估。结果表明：紫云英还田后配施氮肥提高了稻田生态系统服务功能总价值。与冬闲处理相比,冬种紫云英处理下的农产品总产出增幅达7.56%~20.83%,气体调节功能价值增幅为21.64%~37.61%,水分涵养功能价值增幅为8.74%~26.26%,稻田生态系统服务功能总价值增幅15.15%~41.39%,尤其以紫云英与氮肥配施效果较好,其中紫云英+优化施氮处理在农产品供给总价值、产投比、气体调节功能价值、涵养水分价值等方面最高。该研究初步核算了紫云英配施不等量氮肥条件下的稻田生态系统服务功能总价值,有利于全面认识冬种紫云英的综合效益,为种植绿肥的生态补偿政策提供理论依据。     

云南省生态资产与生态系统生产总值核算体系研究

生态系统作为重要的生态资产,为人类提供生态产品和服务,是人类生存和社会经济可持续发展的基础;生态系统生产总值（GEP）是生态资产提供的生态产品与服务价值总和,是生态资产的重要组成部分,也是生态资产对人类福祉的主要贡献。论文以云南省为例,分析了生态资产和GEP的内涵、关联与核算体系,评价了云南省2010年生态资产状况及其为受益者提供生态产品和服务价值的总和。评价结果显示：云南省2010年生态资产状况总体良好,林地、灌丛和草地生态系统的质量水平属于良等级;农田生态系统的质量水平差;生物多样性质量水平优。云南省2010年GEP总量为29 869.51亿元,其中,直接产品价值为4 132.69亿元,间接服务价值为25 736.81亿元。2010年GEP是当年该省国内生产总值（GDP）的4.13倍。研究结果表明,生态资产与GEP的核算,可以定量反映生态系统状况及其对区域社会经济发展的支撑作用,并为评估区域生态系统保护成效及建立生态系统可持续管理与绩效考核机制提供科学依据。     

A strategic design approach to develop sustainable product service systems: examples taken from the ‘environmentally friendly innovation’ Italian prize

The product service systems’ (PSS) sustainability potential is described in the framework of the new types of stakeholder relationships and/or partnerships, producing new convergence of economic interests, and a potential concomitant systemic resources optimization.In this perspective, it is argued that the design competencies should move towards those of the ‘strategic design’, thus introducing the concept of ‘strategic design for sustainability’: the design of an innovation strategy, shifting the business focus from designing (and selling) physical products only, to designing (and selling) a system of products and services which are jointly capable of fulfilling specific client demands, while re-orienting current unsustainable trends in production and consumption practices.Some examples of PSS are presented and discussed using the PSS categories ‘services providing added value to the product life cycle’, ‘services providing final results to customers’, and ‘services providing enabling platforms for customers’. The cases derive from an analysis of the ‘environmental friendly innovation’ yearly endowed prize submissions. The Politecnico di Milano University together with the Bocconi University and Legambiente (an environmental NGO) promotes the initiative in Italy.