Overview

Small and medium-sized enterprises can serve as promising cradles for challenging ideas and pioneering initiatives. That is exactly what is required in order to make progress towards sustainable levels and patterns of production and consumption. Of all the continents of the world, Europe is most likely to lead the way towards a more sustainable relation with the environment. Having been the cradle of the industrialized world as we know it today, Europe again will lead the way in the journey of discovery to sustainable industrial practice, that is, if suitable conditions exist, and engaged and motivated entrepeneurs take the challenge and the role of the pioneer. Essential to these conditions is a set of values regarding the availability and properties of resources, the functioning of products and the impact upon the environment, now and well into the future, in Europe as well as globally. Furthermore, imagination, infor mation and encouragement will be essential. This manual provides ideas, tools, examples and guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that wish to develop products with the environment and the future in mind. It addresses product development and design with consideration for the whole life cycle of the product. This cycle is a process ranging from the identification and formulation of a need at the early stage of product development to the disposal of the product, after repeated usage, at the end of its life. A particular focus has been given to principles and criteria in the design of complex products.

Full Product Details

Author:   Siegfried Behrendt ,  Christine Jasch ,  Maria C. Peneda ,  Hans van Weenen
Publisher:   Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG
Imprint:   Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
Edition:   Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1997
ISBN:  

9783642645518

ISBN 10:   3642645518
Pages:   191
Publication Date:   06 October 1998
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Need for a Manual.- 1.2 Function of the Manual.- 1.3 Design of the Manual.- 1.4 Use of the Manual.- 2 Environmental Challenges for Enterprises.- 2.1 Dynamics and Limits to Growth.- 2.2 Limits to Ecological Capacity.- 2.3 Sustainability as a Guiding Principle for Economic Management.- 2.4 Challenges.- 3 New Framework.- 3.1 New Instruments.- 3.2 Environmental Management and Audit Scheme of the European Union.- 3.3 Ecolabelling.- 3.4 ISO Standardization.- 3.5 Environmental Laws and Regulations.- 3.6 Ecotaxes.- 3.7 Consumer Demands.- 3.8 Supplier Demands.- 3.9 Product Liability.- 4 Environmental Situation of Complex Products.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Environmental Weaknesses of Complex Products.- 4.2.1 Shortening the Life Span of Products.- 4.2.2 Product Designs that are Difficult to Disassemble or Recycle.- 4.2.3 Insufficient Collection, Return and Reuse Logistics.- 4.2.4 Low Use of Renewable Resources.- 4.2.5 Potential Toxicity.- 4.2.6 Energy Consumption.- 4.2.7 Disposal Situation.- 5 The Process.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Stakeholders for Life Cycle Design.- 5.3 Tools for the Design Process.- 5.3.1 Product Strategy Stage.- 5.3.2 Product-Formulation Stage.- 5.3.3 Product-Specification Stage.- 6 Principles and Criteria.- 6.1 Achieving Environmental Efficiency / Optimal Function.- 6.2 Saving Resources.- 6.3 Use of Renewable and Sufficiently Available Resources.- 6.4. Increasing Product Durability.- 6.5 Design for Product Reuse.- 6.6 Design for Material Recycling.- 6.7 Design for Disassembly.- 6.8 Minimizing Harmful Substances.- 6.9 Environmentally Friendly Production.- 6.10 Minimize Environmental Impact of Product in Use.- 6.11 Using Environmentally Friendly Packaging.- 6.12 Environmentally Friendly Disposal of Nonrecyclable Materials.- 6.13 Implementing Environmentally Friendly Logistics.- 7 Trade-Offs Between Criteria.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 What Trade-Offs Can Arise?.- 7.3 How to Solve These Conflicts.- 8 Environmental Assessment Tools.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Principles of Life Cycle Thinking.- 8.3 Life Cycle Assessment.- 8.3.1 Goal and Scope Definition.- 8.3.2 Life Cycle Inventory Analysis.- 8.3.3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment.- 8.3.4 Interpretation of Results.- 8.4 Product Summary Matrix.- 9 Does Life Cycle Design Pay?.- 9.1 Product Life Cycle Costs.- 9.2 What Are Design Costs?.- 9.3 What Are Environmental Costs of Production?.- 9.4 Product Pricing and Marketing Aspects.- 9.5 Product Use by the Consumer.- 9.6 End-of-Life Costs.- 10. Environmentally Innovative Cases.- 10.1 The Disposal-Friendly Television Set from Loewe Opta GmbH.- 10.1.1 Introduction.- 10.1.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.1.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.1.4 Outlook.- 10.2 The OCE 7050 Copier.- 10.2.1 Introduction.- 10.2.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.2.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.2.4 Outlook.- 10.3 The Greenpeace Clean-Tech Cycle.- 10.3.1 Introduction.- 10.3.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.3.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.3.4 Outlook.- 10.4 Hewlett Packard's Disassembly-Friendly Workstation.- 10.4.1 Introduction.- 10.4.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.4.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.4.4 Outlook.- 10.5 The Foron Refrigerator.- 10.5.1 Introduction.- 10.5.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.5.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.5.4 Outlook.- 10.6 The Wiesner-Hager Thesis Swivel Chair.- 10.6.1 Introduction.- 10.6.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.6.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.7 Launderettes with Long-Life Electrolux Washing Machines.- 10.7.1 Introduction.- 10.7.2 Essential Product Innovation.- 10.7.3 Advantages of the New Concept.- 10.7.4 Outlook.- 11 The Future.- 11.1 Resources.- 11.2 Product Development.- 11.3 Society.- 12 Appendix.- A.1 Literature.- A. 2 Institutes.- A.3 LCA Software Tools.- A.4 Life Cycle Assessment on the Web.

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