Ecodesign

Ecodesign, or eco-design, is an interdisciplinary approach to product and service development that seeks to minimize environmental impacts throughout a product's life cycle. It integrates environmental thinking into design decisions from concept to end of life, covering material selection, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life management. The aim is to reduce energy and resource use, lower emissions, minimize hazardous substances, and improve durability, repairability, and recyclability.

Ecodesign relies on life cycle thinking and tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing, and environmental impact assessment. Standards and frameworks include ISO 14040/44 on LCA, ISO 14006 on applying life cycle thinking, and policy instruments such as the European Union's Ecodesign Directive and related energy-related product requirements, as well as product environmental footprint schemes.

Design practices include selecting low-impact materials, designing for disassembly and repair, enabling modularity and upgradability, reducing packaging, and ensuring recyclability at end of life. Strategies such as product-service systems and service models can extend use and reduce overall resource consumption.

Applications span electronics, appliances, lighting, transportation, and household goods, with emphasis on energy efficiency and end-of-life options. Ecodesign supports the circular economy by encouraging reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling, as well as reducing waste and pollution.

Benefits include regulatory compliance, potential life-cycle cost savings, and improved brand value, while challenges include data availability, balancing cost and performance, and coordinating across supply chains and phases of a product's life cycle.