Product Design for the Environment : A Life Cycle Approach

After introducing the concepts of Sustainable Development, the authors discuss Industrial Ecology and Design for Environment as defined in the literature. They present the life cycle theory and approach, explore how to apply it, and define its main techniques. The book then covers the main premises of product design and development, delineating how to effectively integrate environmental aspects in modern product design. The authors pay particular attention to environmental strategies that can aid the achievement of the requisites of eco-efficiency in various phases of the product life cycle. They go on to explore how these strategies are closely related to the functional performance of the product and its components, and, therefore, to some aspects of conventional engineering design. The book also introduces phenomena of performance deterioration, together with principles of design for component durability, and methods for the assessment of residual life.

Finally, the book defines entirely new methods and tools in relation to strategic issues of Life Cycle Design. Each theme provides an introduction to the problems and original proposals based on the authors’ experience. The authors then discuss the implementation of these new concepts in design practice, differentiating between levels of intervention and