The feasibility of including sustainability in LCA for product development

The feasibility of combining the concept of sustainability principles and the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is examined. The goal is to achieve an operational tool that incorporates sustainability in product development and strategic planning. While the method outlined has the structure of LCA, it emphasises aspects and parameters often omitted from traditional LCA. The analysis and results can be either qualitative or semi-quantitative. Although a qualitative analysis is less time consuming, it can still highlight the important issues. Qualitative information, which is easily lost in a quantitative analysis, can be emphasised. One of the conclusions is that the method is well suited for screening analysis.     

New concepts in product use for sustainable consumption

The paper presents the main results of a recent study on sustainable use of products. It reveals that strategies of use intensification and useful life extension are environmentally beneficial. Moreover, analysis of household washing and winter sports illustrated that successful implementation of sustainable use patterns occurs as a shift of use regimes. Such regimes are the result of a complex interplay of supply and demand side factors, relationship among actors, technical trajectories, organisational structures etc. One decisive factor is the presence of strategic players, so called “change agents”. In addition, four user types have been identified in a representative survey (“ownership-oriented”, “open-minded”, “consumption-oriented”, “low interest”) to which use intensification and useful life extension can be targeted.     

Standardized and simplified life-cycle assessment (LCA) as a driver for more sustainable biofuels

The assessment of environmental impacts along the life cycle of biofuels is a complex and resource-demanding task that cannot be afforded by small producers in developing countries. Therefore, certification schemes bear the risk that small and independent producers will be locked out and the market for sustainable biofuels will be dominated by international investors and large-scale plantations. However, many environmental impacts of various production chains of biofuels and feedstocks are already known. This knowledge has been used to create a web-based questionnaire for a “Sustainability Quick Check for Biofuels” (SQCB, http://www.sqcb.org). SQCB reduces the need for user entries to the most relevant and best-known parameters of the biofuel production chain. Based on this user input, a specific inventory is automatically modelled and linked to background data. SQCB then calculates the environmental impact assessment and checks the results against sustainability criteria. Since the results are calculated immediately, key environmental factors can be interactively analyzed. One major goal of the SQCB is to support the market entrance for local biofuel producers, given that strengthening local stakeholders is a key driver for empowering rural communities in development countries.     

Collaborative activity with business partners for improvement of product environmental performance using LCA

Collaborative activities with business partners have potential to improve environmental performance of product and life cycle assessment (LCA) is an essential technique to implement eco-design of product and production process. However, collection of LCA data from supply chain is a major issue for LCA practitioners. We propose a Supply Chain Collaboration Model (SCCM), which is a framework for collecting producer-specific LCA data from business partners and for promoting improvement activity of product environmental performance. We demonstrate the practicability of the SCCM using three case studies. In each case study, two or three partner companies organized a product improvement project and carried out process analysis techniques such as LCA and material flow cost accounting (MFCA). As a result, improvement activities from the economical standpoint could provide an incentive for business partners to collect LCA data, and thus the SCCM is an effective framework for eco-design.     

Handling trade-offs in Ecodesign tools for sustainable product development and procurement

Trade-off situations often occur in the product development and procurement processes when alternative solutions emphasize different aspects that have to be balanced against each other. Ecodesign tools can be used in both product development and purchasing, for example to prescribe design alternatives, assess environmental impacts or to compare environmental improvement alternatives. However, it is not always clear what should be chosen in trade-off situations. In this study, 15 different Ecodesign tools were analyzed to ascertain whether a valuation is included in the tools, in what way the tools give support in different types of trade-off situations and whether the tools provide support from a sustainability perspective.Nine of the 15 tools analyzed included a valuation and were able to provide support in a trade-off situation, but the support was not sufficient. The valuation should include a life cycle perspective and a framework for sustainability. Otherwise, it can lead to strategically incorrect decisions from a sustainability perspective with concomitant risks of sub-optimized investment paths and blind alleys. However, all the analyzed tools can be complemented with other tools and methods based on strategic planning towards sustainability in order to include a framework for sustainability.     

Functional and systems aspects of the sustainable product and service development approach for industry

The Sustainable Product and/or Service Development (SPSD) approach is a pragmatic industry support encompassing a range of strategies aimed at maximising environmental and social performance in all types of “offerings” whether they are “products”, “services” or Product Service Systems (PSS). Implementation of the approach was tested in industry and conclusions reached on the effectiveness of the strategies included in terms of developing an offering with improved sustainability performance as well as practical use as an industry approach. Two strategies incorporated are functional and systems thinking, as these are seen as key for increasing the environmental benefits of offerings. This paper summarises the SPSD approach, general industry testing results, describes how and why functional and systems strategies are incorporated in it and industry testing results relating to their use. This provides valuable information on how functional and systems related considerations can be practically and effectively included in sustainable offering development.     

A mathematical programming tool for LCI-based product design and case study for a carpet product

Products are produced by a series of energy-intensive transformations of raw materials such as crude oil. The life cycle inventory (LCI) of mass and energy usage in these supply chains is one measure of overall environmental performance. In this paper, we present a methodology to examine the life cycle choices available for a product and optimize these choices based on criteria derived from mass and energy efficiency. A two-phase framework for production path construction followed by optimal path selection was developed. This framework can be applied to improve the overall LCI energy characteristic of a product when there are different production and recycling options for different product constituents. The scope of the life cycle is from raw material extraction through the production system and does not include the use and disposal phases. The approach is illustrated in a case study of the EcoWorx™ carpet system of Shaw Industries, which includes the inclusion of several recycled material options.     

The sustainable innovation design diamond for micro-sized enterprises in tourism

This paper suggests a method for supporting sustainable innovation processes within micro-sized enterprises (MsE) in the tourism industry. Based on the sustainable innovation design diamond model, it underlines the main steps in the process of developing successful sustainable innovation on such a small scale, solitary or within a network. A brainstorming tool is the pivot of the method, supporting the creative processes that are needed for new or joint idea generation and at the same time creating awareness about the potential MsE have and the possibilities for collaboration. First tests with the brainstorm tool indicated there is a need and use for the design diamond.     

A method for sustainable product development based on a modular system of guiding questions

In this paper, we present a method for sustainable product development (MSPD) with the aim of integrating social and ecological aspects of sustainability with a strategic business perspective in product development. The method applies backcasting from basic principles for sustainability, which allows a strategic approach, and it includes a modular system of guiding questions that are derived by considering these principles and the product life cycle. Initial testing in Swedish companies indicates that the suggested MSPD promotes a ‘bird's eye’ perspective and encourages and aids development of products that support society's transformation towards sustainability. Furthermore, it is concluded that the modular system provides flexibility and user-friendliness.     

Cradle-to-cradle design: creating healthy emissions – a strategy for eco-effective product and system design

Eco-effectiveness and cradle-to-cradle design present an alternative design and production concept to the strategies of zero emission and eco-efficiency. Where eco-efficiency and zero emission seek to reduce the unintended negative consequences of processes of production and consumption, eco-effectiveness is a positive agenda for the conception and production of goods and services that incorporate social, economic, and environmental benefit, enabling triple top line growth.Eco-effectiveness moves beyond zero emission approaches by focusing on the development of products and industrial systems that maintain or enhance the quality and productivity of materials through subsequent life cycles. The concept of eco-effectiveness also addresses the major shortcomings of eco-efficiency approaches: their inability to address the necessity for fundamental redesign of material flows, their inherent antagonism towards long-term economic growth and innovation, and their insufficiency in addressing toxicity issues.A central component of the eco-effectiveness concept, cradle-to-cradle design provides a practical design framework for creating products and industrial systems in a positive relationship with ecological health and abundance, and long-term economic growth. Against this background, the transition to eco-effective industrial systems is a five-step process beginning with an elimination of undesirable substances and ultimately calling for a reinvention of products by reconsidering how they may optimally fulfill the need or needs for which they are actually intended while simultaneously being supportive of ecological and social systems.This process necessitates the creation of an eco-effective system of “nutrient” management to coordinate the material flows amongst actors in the product system. The concept of intelligent materials pooling illustrates how such a system might take shape, in reality.     

产品再回收设计的经济性分析

研究表明，产品性能的70％～80％是由设计阶段决定的，而设计本身的成本仅为产品总成本的10％，因此考虑当前环境效益和经济效益的共同要求，企业开展产品的绿色设计是十分必要的。立足于产品的绿色设计，构建了产品再回收设计的经济性分析模型，以保证产品在回收处理阶段的成本与收益之间的均衡。     

基于循环经济的产品可持续发展研究

高新技术的迅速发展和市场环境的不断变化导致了产品更新换代速度的加快,加剧了资源消耗和环境污染。而基于循环经济的特征,开展产品可持续发展理论研究,可以指导产品自身的可持续协调发展,使产品由生产后的静态使用发展到性能或功能的可持续生长,可持续满足市场的全维需求。初步探讨了产品可持续发展的相关内涵、现状及其哲学意义,并分析了产品可持续发展的主要研究内容,对基于循环经济特点的产品可持续发展模式提出了初步讨论。     

Comparing LCA results out of competing products: developing reference ranges from a product family approach

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has proven useful in comparing the environmental impact of alternatives, life-cycle phases or parts in a product. To date, benchmarking a new product with previous environmental information entails a degree of subjectivity. This paper presents LCP-families, a concept to develop reference ranges for environmental impact of a new product. A new product can be catalogued as environmentally better or worse than a percentage of its competitors, depending on what position it occupies in its LCP-family. Three case studies of packaging products are carried out to show the applicability and usefulness of the concepts presented.     

Decisions to reduce greenhouse gases from agriculture and product transport: LCA case study of organic and conventional wheat

A streamlined hybrid life cycle assessment is conducted to compare the global warming potential (GWP) and primary energy use of conventional and organic wheat production and delivery in the US. Impact differences from agricultural inputs, grain farming, and transport processes are estimated. The GWP of a 1 kg loaf of organic wheat bread is about 30 g CO₂-eq less than the conventional loaf. When organic wheat is shipped 420 km farther to market, organic and conventional wheat systems have similar impacts. These results can change dramatically depending on soil carbon accumulation and nitrous oxide emissions from the two systems. Key parameters and their variability are discussed to provide producers, wholesale and retail consumers, and policymakers metrics to align their decisions with low-carbon objectives.     

Options for broadening and deepening the LCA approaches

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has matured over the past decades and become part of the broader field of sustainability assessment. To strengthen LCA as a tool and eventually increase its usefulness for sustainability decision-making, it is argued that there is a need to expand the ISO LCA framework by integration and connection with other concepts and methods. This paper explores the potential options for deepening and broadening the LCA methodologies beyond the current ISO framework for improved sustainability analysis. By investigating several environmental, economic and social assessment methods, the paper suggests some options for incorporating (parts of) other methods or combining with other methods for broadening and deepening the LCA.     

Does the potential of the use of LCA match the design team needs?

Today, most people involved in the industrial engineering community (consultants, manufacturers, researchers and institutional actors) assert that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the most successful tool to assess environmental considerations in the product design process. This assertion is addressed in this article through a simultaneous check of the potential of this tool and the environmental needs of the design team. After a comparison of this potential to these needs, the following assertions may be made: (1) LCA is not an adequate tool for the designer, because its utility in the design process is limited to an analysis of existing products or well defined products at the final stages of the design process, and (2) LCA is not useful in creating a learning dynamic (awareness) within the company, because it does not improve the legitimacy or the credibility of environmental considerations. Moreover, it may generate confusion within the design team while restricting the capacity for innovation within the company. This paper concludes that, in the product design field, the LCA tool should be considered as a specialized tool handled by a specific player (the environmental actor) and should be dedicated to the strategic evaluation of new concepts.     

LCA与环境决策

应用生命周期评估对一个产品体系在其生命周期中的投入产出对环境造成的影响进行评估，可以帮助人们对全过程和全方位来认识事物，从而有利于避免环境决策的失误。     

Emerging design strategies in sustainable production and consumption of textiles and clothing

This study contributes to current knowledge of sustainability in textile and clothing production and consumption. When the textile and clothing industry aims to promote sustainability, the main change factors have been linked to eco-materials and ethical issues in production. At present, however, business models are mainly linked with a large volume of sales and production. Although industrial development has moved toward smaller environmental impact, production as well as consumption has increased to levels where the benefits of technological development are reduced. A change is thus needed to reach a systemic transformation, not only in production but also in consumption. The aim of this paper is to open up the discussion on opportunities for radical change in this industry. The paper presents ways to rethink and redesign business in the textile and clothing field by offering an overview on several design strategies that exist today in niche markets. Furthermore we evaluate how interested consumers are in these design strategies and discuss the opportunities these design approaches offer to sustainable development through new value creation.     

LCA中清单分析数据的获得

清单分析是ＬＣＡ继目标界定后的一步重要操作,工业量极大,本文从我国具体情况出发,开发了一套获取产品ＬＣＡ清单数据的方法,介绍了通过行业污染系数获取产品的社会数据以及借助企业生产的质量流程图收集和检验企业数据的具体步骤。     

A tool to implement sustainable end-of-life strategies in the product development phase

Responding to constantly more demanding European legislation, notably for electrical and electronic equipment, worn-out vehicles or hazardous substances, manufacturers have to develop End of Life (EoL) strategies. The challenge today is to assess which “product EoL process” would be profitable for an enterprise given the business model in place. Most of the Original Equipment Manufacturers recycle or subcontract reverse logistic and EoL treatments. Recycling is currently the most common solution but it is far from meeting the goals of Sustainable Development. We believe that, integrating constraints from EoL strategies into the early phases of design is one important aspect that needs to be improved. We are currently combining this idea with principles from concurrent engineering to develop design aids which permits designers to compare their products to “Remanufacturable Product Profiles”. However, conscious those EoL solutions often involve several strategies; it is now envisaged to develop tools to help designers make optimal decisions while designing a product considering 3R strategies: Reuse, Remanufacture and Recycle. In this paper, our vision of why and how to integrate EoL strategies in the early design phases is presented, and what tools to apply 3R strategies are envisaged, considering the evolving architecture of the product, and the translation of transversal information into design criteria.