Daniela Cristina Antelmi Pigosso

Ecodesign Maturity Model: criteria for methods and tools classification

Ecodesign is a strategic design activity established to conceive and develop sustainable solutions in line with the concept of life cycle thinking striving for environmental sustainability. Nowadays, the implementation of ecodesign practices into product-service systems (PSS) development processes, are difficult because the ecodesign practices are not systematized and also because the current maturity level of a company is not considered in the selection of practices to be applied. Depending on the maturity level in ecodesign application, there would exist some ecodesign practices that are more suitable than others. This paper presents the efforts that are being carried out in a cooperative project between Brazil and Germany (BRAGECRIM) to develop an Ecodesign Maturity Model to support the application of ecodesign practices in the development of remanufacturable production equipment. Specifically in this contribution, it will be presented the criteria that were used to classify the ecodesign methods and tools in order to support the selection of the most suitable ones according to the company maturity level and goals. During the systematic literature review, it was identified and classified 105 ecodesign methods and tools according to 13 criteria. The results and the state of the art of the ecodesign methods and tools are presented in this paper.

From Ecodesign to Sustainable Product/Service-Systems: A Journey Through Research Contributions over Recent Decades

Corporate approaches towards sustainability integration into product development have significantly evolved since the early 1990s. Ecodesign, defined as the integration of environmental issues into product development, arose in the 1990s as a key concept for the enhancement of products’ environmental performance. An intense development of ecodesign methods and tools could be observed in the 1990–2010 period, leading to successful pilot cases in industry, in which environmental gains were demonstrated. In the 2010s, the need for a systems perspective to solve the environmental crisis has been highlighted, and the concept of product/service-systems started to gain momentum due to the high potential for enhanced environmental performance and improved competitiveness, by means of new business models and dematerialization. Recently, a transition towards Circular Economy and the integration of social innovation into sustainability initiatives can be observed, which leads to strategic and holistic sustainability considerations in the design of complex systems. In this chapter, the evolution of sustainability concepts and their integration into product development is presented and exemplified in three periods: 1990–2010; 2010–2020 and 2020–2030. While the first two periods present the actual development of the field, the last period represents the evaluation and projection of the trends developed by the authors. By analysing the three periods, the authors aim to discuss the journey from ecodesign to sustainable product/service-systems over the last decades, experienced by academia and practitioners, and to highlight their views on how the field is going to develop over the next 10 years.

Proposal of an Ecodesign Maturity Model: supporting Companies to improve Environmental Sustainability

Ecodesign is a strategic design activity for conceiving and developing sustainable solutions. The implementation of ecodesign in product lifecycle management (PLM) is still a challenge today because companies find it very difficult to determine which practices are the most suitable for their reality, drivers and current maturity level. This paper presents an Ecodesign Maturity Model that aims to support the application of ecodesign practices in PLM, improving the environmental performance of products. The model comprises three elements: Ecodesign Maturity Levels, Ecodesign Practices, and Application Method.

Product/Service‐Systems for a Circular Economy: The Route to Decoupling Economic Growth from Resource Consumption?

Product/service‐systems (PSS) that focus on selling service and performance instead of products are often mentioned as means to realize a circular economy (CE), in which economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption. However, a PSS is no implicit guarantee for a CE, and CE strategies do not necessarily lead to decoupling economic growth from resource consumption in absolute terms. Absolute resource decoupling only occurs when the resource use declines, irrespective of the growth rate of the economic driver. In this forum paper, we propose a two‐step framework that aims to support analyses of PSS and their potential to lead to absolute resource decoupling. In the first step, we present four PSS enablers of relative resource reduction that qualify as CE strategies. In the second step, three subsequent requirements need to be met, in order to successfully achieve absolute resource decoupling. Conditions and limitations for this accomplishment are discussed. Danish textile cases are used to exemplify the framework elements and its application. We expect that the framework will challenge the debate on the necessary conditions for CE strategies to ensure absolute resource decoupling.

Systematic Approach to Formulate PSS Development Project Proposals in the Fuzzy Front End

Product-service systems (PSS) adoption has increased over the last years due to its potential for innovative value creation. However, the identification of ideas and opportunities in the innovation planning and the structuring of PSS projects are still incipient in organizations, following the same patterns adopted for product development. Currently, there is not a systematic approach that can be followed for the formulation of PSS proposals in the fuzzy front end. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a method for defining PSS project proposals based on attributes that should be considered by companies during this definition. The systematization of PSS attributes may help increase the knowledge about different PSS projects that can emerge in the front end, thus leading to the discovery of opportunities that are not apparent in the existing business models and give rise to new ideas that can be translated into successful projects.

Métodos e ferramentas de Ecodesign: revisão bibliográfica sistemática

Todos os produtos causam impactos ambientais ao longo do seu ciclo de vida, da extracao da materia-prima ate a sua disposicao final. O ecodesign, uma abordagem pro-ativa de gestao ambiental, atua no desenvolvimento de produtos de forma a minimizar os impactos ambientais durante todo o ciclo de vida dos produtos. A nao obtencao das potencialidades do ecodesign, como previsto na decada de 1990, pode ser explicada pelo intenso desenvolvimento de novos metodos e ferramentas de ecodesign em detrimento do estudo e aprimoramento das existentes. Este trabalho teve como objetivo o levantamento do estado da arte, a classificacao e a sistematizacao dos metodos e ferramentas de ecodesign por meio da realizacao de uma revisao bibliografica sistematica. A classificacao realizada pode contribuir com a selecao dos metodos mais adequados para cada empresa, de acordo com o seu direcionamento estrategico e com os produtos que sao desenvolvidos.

Ecodesign Maturity Model: the Ecodesign Practices

Ecodesign is essential to companies that have recognized that environmental product responsibility is vital to long term success. However, its application has not reached companies worldwide over the last decade. It is still not clear which ecodesign practices should be selected and how to manage the process of integration into the product development process and continuous improvement. The paper presents the Ecodesign Maturity Model (EcoM2), a model that aims to guide companies in the Ecodesign implementation, and focuses the discussion on the Ecodesign Practices, one of the EcoM2 components.

Improving Environmental Performance of Products by Integrating Ecodesign Methods and Tools into a Reference Model for New Product Development

New product development (NPD) is a critical process to improve a company’s competitiveness. As environmental impacts generated throughout the product lifecycle are significantly determined during the early phase of its development, NPD plays a crucial role in enhancing the environmental performance of new products. Ecodesign may be defined as the systematic introduction of environmental concerns during product development. Despite the fact that several opportunities for competitive advantage have been associated to ecodesign the implementation of this concept has not reached companies worldwide mainly due to the gap between eco-oriented and product-oriented research. Thus both points of view must come together in order to achieve ecodesign benefits. This paper aims at proposing a systematic approach to do it by introducing some selected ecodesign methods and tools into the early phases of a reference model for NPD. The expected result is a set of structured activities that can successfully combine ecological and business perspectives. This paper presents some preliminary results on the field of sustainable product development (SPD) conducted by the authors.

Prototypical Implementation of a Remanufacturing Oriented Grinding Machine

Considering the current scenario of limited resources and increased environmental regulations, frameworks to support the development of more sustainable production equipment are sought. Remanufacturing can bring benefits in terms of extending product lifetime by allowing multiple usage phases. Due to the diversity of mechanical, electrical and electronic components with different degree of replacement criteria of grinding machines, remanufacturing emerges as a relevant approach. The aim is to present a prototypical implementation of a remanufacturing oriented grinding machine, based on a storyboard which describes the main activities carried out during the machine lifecycle, including a comparative LCA of end of life scenarios.

Ecodesign Implementation and LCA

Ecodesign is a proactive product development approach that integrates environmental considerations into the early stages of the product development process so to improve the environmental performance of products. In this chapter, the ecodesign concept will be discussed, in terms of its implementation into manufacturing companies. Existing methods and tools for ecodesign implementation will be described, focusing on a multifaceted approach to environmental improvement through product development. Additionally, the use of LCA in an ecodesign implementation context will be further described in terms of the challenges and opportunities, together with the discussion of a selection of simplified LCA tools. Finally, a seven-step approach for ecodesign implementation which has been applied by several companies will be described.