E-Book Overview
In recent years the increased awareness of environmental issues has led to the development of new approaches to product design, known as Design for Environment and Life Cycle Design. Although still considered emerging and in some cases radical, their principles will become, by necessity, the wave of the future in design. A thorough exploration of the subject, Product Design for the Environment: A Life Cycle Approach presents key concepts, basic design frameworks and techniques, and practical applications. It identifies effective methods and tools for product design, stressing the environmental performance of products over their whole life cycle. 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 demonstrating their use and effectiveness in specific case studies. The book not only presents evidence of the potential of the approach and methods proposed, but also analyzes some of the problems involved in developing eco-compatible products in the company context.
E-Book Content
Product Design for the Environment A Life Cycle Approach © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Product Design for the Environment A Life Cycle Approach Fabio Giudice Guido La Rosa Antonino Risitano Boca Raton London New York A CRC title, part of the Taylor & Francis imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group, the academic division of T&F Informa plc. © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC 2722_Discl.fm Page 1 Tuesday, November 29, 2005 1:18 PM Published in 2006 by CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-8493-2722-9 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-8493-2722-3 (Hardcover) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storag