Cleaner products in the Nordic countries based on the life cycle assessment approach: The Swedish product ecology project and the Nordic project for sustainable product development

Abstract

Experiences from the implementation of the approach of ‘cleaner products’ or ‘environmentally sound product development’ in general, and from the use in this process of computer tools for life cycle assessments in particular, are covered in this paper. The work has been done within The Swedish Product Ecology Project, and its joint Nordic continuation Sustainable Product Development. The projects aim at integrating environmental optimization in product design and product development by developing user-friendly computer tools for calculating the total environmental impact of products from cradle to grave. The Product Ecology Project started in 1992 and finished in 1994. The Nordic Sustainable Product Development Project will be reported in 1995.