Ecodesign: The search for new strategies in product development

Abstract

Many industries are now facing pressure from different directions to improve their environmental performance. Although some improvements can be achieved through the ‘clean-up’ of manufacturing processes, more proactive companies recognize that to make significant improvements they must consider the design of their products. This paper considers the subject of ecodesign, an emerging field for both research and practice, which aims to help organizations improve their environmental performance. It outlines the range of literature available in the field and describes some of the models currently in use. Ecodesign practice has not yet been widely explored and this is discussed, drawing on four short case studies to highlight the different approaches taken.