Ecodesign

The impact on the environment and human health associated with the preliminary stages of manufacturing, the manufacturing process itself, distribution, use, and disposal of products is becoming increasingly important on the path to sustainable development.

The decisions made during the product planning and design phase have a significant impact on both product-related costs and environmental impacts. Those involved in the product development process can influence every phase of the value chain and the material life cycle of the product, and specifically promote environmentally friendly innovations. Ecodesign aims to find environmentally friendly solutions in an integrated life cycle assessment in order to reduce the overall environmental impacts of a product. It therefore supplements the classic requirements for product development, such as functionality, safety, ergonomics, and cost-performance ratio, with the requirement of environmental friendliness. Ecodesign is thus a core element of sustainable corporate management.

The environmental performance of products requires quantitative and qualitative assessment criteria and supporting tools. A range of checklists, manuals, and even software solutions based on the methodological principles of life cycle assessment are available for this purpose. Specific guidance on incorporating environmental aspects into product planning and development is now also provided by international, European, and German standards and guidelines. The award criteria for ecolabels such as the Blue Angel can also serve as a guide for the environmental performance of the respective products.

With the Ecodesign Directive, the European Commission has created a framework for setting minimum requirements for specific product groups for the first time. The aim of the directive was to improve the environmental performance of energy-related products by setting ecodesign requirements that take into account the entire life cycle. The Ecodesign Directive has been replaced by the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

In order to raise public awareness of ecodesign and promote innovation, the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency have been awarding the German Ecodesign Award annually since 2012. It is awarded by the German government to products, services, and concepts that are both innovative and of the highest quality from an environmental and design perspective. The competition is open to companies of all sizes and from all sectors, designers, and students.

A criteria matrix has been developed as part of the Federal Ecodesign Award. It is intended to provide guidance to competition participants and the judges of the Federal Ecodesign Award, and can also be used as a tool and practical tool for design practice.

The following approaches help to effectively reduce the environmental impact and resource consumption ("ecological backpacks") attributed to products throughout their life cycle:

• Reducing energy and raw material requirements throughout the entire life cycle of products;
• Increasing use of renewable raw materials, taking into account their availability and regeneration rate as well as the associated environmental impacts compared to the use of non-renewable raw materials;
• Increasing the usability and durability of products and optimizing their benefits (durability, ease of repair, adaptability, functional enhancement, and multifunctionality);
• Promoting reuse and improving environmentally sound recycling (reuse and reprocessing of products and product parts, recycling-friendly design, reduction of material losses);
• Minimizing emissions from products during their life cycle (pollutants, radiation, noise, etc.) to the extent that is technically unavoidable or acceptable from an environmental and health perspective;
• Reduction or substitution of substances that are harmful to the environment, health or circular economy, and development of the necessary substances with environmentally friendly and health-compatible properties.

In addition, the above guidelines were specified in a project and made available to design students and practitioners in a clear and concise form. The result is the Ecodesign Kit learning and information portal. It offers a structured repository of materials with information and learning materials that specifically address the many detailed questions that regularly arise from general approaches to design practice.

Starting with environmental impact areas and material and process issues, and moving on to ecodesign principles and analysis and evaluation methods, environmental science knowledge is explored. Using illustrative practical as well as calculation examples, the Ecodesign Kit aims to give students and teachers an understanding of the potential environmental impact of products and provide them with tools that will help them gain an initial impression of the environmental relevance of design decisions. Another component in the Federal Environment Agency's efforts to develop practical guidelines that provide support and build expertise is the the publication "Introduction to Ecodesign" (Link see below). It is intended to offer designers and others involved in ecological product design a guideline and assistance in their daily work. The publication, which is available also as an e-book, addresses issues of ecological product design and life cycle thinking. It is aimed at anyone interested in contemporary design who is equally concerned with design and environmental protection.