SDA: Sustainable Design Awards

Sustainable Design Awards Toolkit

3.3 - Developing An Ecodesign Strategy

Ecodesign strategies have been usefully classified into 7 areas, largely as a result of work done at Delft University in The Netherlands. A manual for designers- commonly known as the 'Promise Manual' has been published by UNEP based around the work at Delft (Ecoredesign:a promising approach is its full name). The table below shows this classification and the meaning of all the terms is fully explained in the manual. The @ symbol is used to imply that the need for the product is being met, but in a different way … not just a 'better kettle'. For example the Internet provides significant new opportunities for the de-materialisation of current means of music delivery. The other 'numbered strategies concern ways of improving the existing product, which is sometimes known as ecoredesign.

@.	New Concept Development De-materialisation Increase shared use Provide a service	4.	Optimise Distribution Less/cleaner/reusable packaging Energy efficient transport mode Energy efficient logistics
1.	Physical Optimisation Integrate functions Optimise functions Increase reliability and durability Easy maintenance and repair Design for modularity Promote product-user relationships	5.	Product Use Lower energy consumption Cleaner energy sources Reduce consumables Cleaner consumables Reduce consumable waste
2.	Material Selection Cleaner materials Renewable materials Low energy content materials Recycled materials Recyclable materials Reduce material use	6.	End of Life Reuse of product Re-manufacturing Refurbishment of product Recycling of materials Safer incineration Design for disassembly
3.	Optimise Production Choose alternate production processes Fewer production steps Lower/cleaner production energy consumption Less production waste Fewer/cleaner production consumables

Ecodesign Strategy Wheels

One of the best ways to develop and describe your ecodesign strategy is to complete an ecodesign strategy wheel. Apart from this use, the wheel has many functions, it can be used:

as a visual representation of the existing products

environmental profile;

to provoke new improvement options;

to visually represent the scope of new product development;

to aid improvement option decisions, tradeoffs etc;

as a visual representation of before and after environmental profiles.

as a communication tool between employees, suppliers and end users (consumers).

Method for plotting an existing products environmental profile

1. Assign a rating (0 is poor and 5 is excellent) as to how the existing product relates to each of the seven strategies.
2. Plot each of the seven points on the strategy wheel along the corresponding axis.
3. Connect all seven points.

The area that is generated is a visual representation of the existing products environmental profile.

Ecodesign Tools

3.1	Single Issue Approaches
3.2	Whole Lifecycle Approaches
3.3	Developing An Ecodesign Strategy
3.4	Examples Of Year 2 Loughborough Students' Projects

Toolkit Index

	Section 1. Sustainability Issues
	Section 2. Companies and Products
	Section 3. Ecodesign Tools
	Section 4. Inspirational current work