Eco-design Principles Research Articles

A Literature-Based Study on Leveraging Cultural Elements to Boost MSME Product Value

This study aims to examine how cultural elements can be a major added value in strengthening the identity of MSME products in the global arena. With a literature study approach, this study analyzed 38 relevant articles obtained through Google Scholar and other academic databases using keywords such as “cultural product design”, “SME product innovation”, “Kansei Engineering”, “ecodesign”, and “design management in MSMEs”. Although many studies have discussed culture-based innovation and design, the main gap found is the lack of integrated guidelines that link the stages of MSME growth with the application of culture-based design principles and sustainable innovation. Therefore, this study proposes an approach based on five stages of MSME development, namely at the initiation stage, information about culture-based product design is needed; at the growth stage, social networks are used to drive product innovation; at the stability stage, Kansei Engineering is adopted to meet the emotional needs of consumers; at the expansion stage, ecodesign principles are applied to increase global competitiveness; and at the maturity stage, MSME actors need to face complex design management challenges while ensuring sustainable innovation to remain relevant in the market. This study offers an integrated way to consolidate research related to culture-based design, while the scope for further research is directed at developing a culture-based strategy model for MSME business sustainability and empirical studies on specific MSME sectors.

Eco Airport Design: Rancangan Gedung Terminal Ramah Lingkungan pada Bandar Udara

Increasing awareness of the importance of environmental conservation has encouraged the development of eco-design concepts in various fields, including air transportation infrastructure. The main focus of this research is to propose an eco-friendly terminal building design for airports using the Eco Airport Design approach. The research will involve case studies of specific airports to investigate the potential and challenges of applying eco-design principles in airport terminals. The research methods used will include observation, environmental data analysis, and the study of related literature. This research aims to develop design guidelines and recommendations that promote energy efficiency, waste reduction, use of eco-friendly materials, layouts that utilize natural air and light, and improve the environmental quality around the airport. The results of this research are expected to significantly contribute to environmental protection efforts in the context of air transportation infrastructure, particularly airport design for tertiary categories or those serving up to one million passengers per year.

Tools, techniques, and trends in sustainable software engineering: A critical review of current practices and future directions

The quest for sustainability has extended its reach into the realm of software engineering, prompting an exploration of tools, techniques, and emerging trends to mitigate the environmental impact of software development and operation. This review provides a critical review of current practices and future directions in sustainable software engineering. In recent years, the software industry has recognized the need to address the environmental footprint of software systems, considering factors such as energy consumption, resource utilization, and carbon emissions. Consequently, a plethora of tools and techniques have emerged to support sustainable software development processes. These range from energy-efficient programming languages and frameworks to eco-friendly software architectures and design patterns. Moreover, methodologies such as Green Software Engineering (GSE) and Sustainable Software Development (SSD) have gained traction, emphasizing the integration of sustainability considerations throughout the software development lifecycle. By adopting practices like green requirements engineering, energy-aware testing, and eco-design principles, organizations can optimize their software systems for reduced environmental impact without compromising functionality or performance. Furthermore, trends in sustainable software engineering extend beyond traditional development practices. The rise of cloud computing, edge computing, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies presents both challenges and opportunities for sustainability. Techniques such as serverless computing and containerization offer potential benefits in terms of resource efficiency and scalability, while also introducing new considerations regarding data center energy consumption and electronic waste management. Looking ahead, the future of sustainable software engineering is marked by innovation and collaboration. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain hold promise for optimizing resource allocation, enhancing energy efficiency, and fostering transparency in sustainability efforts. Additionally, interdisciplinary collaboration between software engineers, environmental scientists, and policymakers will be essential in shaping a more sustainable digital ecosystem. The journey towards sustainable software engineering involves a multifaceted approach encompassing tools, techniques, and ongoing adaptation to evolving trends. By critically evaluating current practices and embracing future directions, the software industry can contribute to a more environmentally responsible and resilient future.

Greening Innovation: A Roadmap for Sustainable Product Development

In the midst of unprecedented technological advancements and rapid industrialization, the imperative for sustainability has emerged as a paramount challenge. This article explores the realm of sustainable product development at the intersection of innovation and ecological responsibility. Recognizing the profound impact of products on the environment, businesses and industries are shifting away from the traditional linear production model to embrace circular and regenerative approaches. Sustainable product development has become a linchpin for reconciling economic prosperity with environmental preservation. The article delves into the intricate web of interactions constituting a product's life cycle, addressing aspects from eco-design principles to circular economy practices and cutting-edge technologies. It provides insights and strategies for harmonizing the process of product creation with the imperatives of ecological sustainability, offering a roadmap for industries, innovators, and consumers to navigate towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Implementing a Complete Method of Eco-Design, Optimization, and Sustainability in Automotive Mirrors

Introduction: This article explores a novel approach to developing an environmentally friendly structure through the implementation of eco-design, optimization, and sustainability. The process consists of three key steps. Methods: Firstly, it begins with an understanding of eco-design principles aimed at enhancing the structure's durability by selecting relevant environmental aspects and design guidelines. Secondly, computer-aided design and optimization techniques are employed to identify efficient models, focusing specifically on lightweight structures. Lastly, the article discusses two different processes, namely injection molding and die casting, which can be used to minimize the environmental impact of the structure. Results: The article emphasizes the significance of eco-friendly design in promoting sustainability within the automotive industry. Conclusion: To validate these concepts, the study focuses on vehicle mirrors, which play a crucial role in improving driver visibility, safety, and situational awareness during driving, maneuvering, and parking.

Digital Twins: Enhancing Circular Economy through Digital Tools

Digital Twins: Enhancing Circular Economy through Digital Tools

Harmonizing Sustainability, Functionality, and Cost: Navigating Responsible Packaging Innovations in Modern Supply Chains

The notion of responsible packaging innovation has become a key tenet in the current supply chain architecture. This essay examines the complex interplay between cost, usability, and sustainability in the context of packaging methods. The shifting nature of packaging trends from traditional uses to modern sustainable solutions emphasizes the role's flexibility. The sustainability imperative is examined, with a focus on how packaging materials affect the environment and how the regulatory environment is changing. Responsible packaging integration into supply chains necessitates multi-stakeholder cooperation, where manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and consumers all work together to influence the course of sustainable projects. By transforming packaging from a passive defender to an active player in the customer experience, functional packaging innovations are being driven by advances in material science and user-centric design. The complicated balance between sustainability and financial feasibility is revealed by taking into account cost, including both initial investments and long-term consequences. Case studies from leading businesses in the sector highlight effective methods for implementing sustainable packaging while also highlighting the lessons discovered from difficulties encountered. Technological advancements transform the packaging industry by merging IoT-driven data and cutting-edge materials that support ecological obligations. The significance of packaging as a communication tool that communicates brand values and encourages loyalty has increased as a result of consumer perception and demand. The importance of packaging that connects with sustainability-conscious values is highlighted by the influence of the conscientious consumer on purchase decisions. But navigating problems like cost, convoluted supply networks, and consumer education calls for tact. The view for the future predicts trends including improved materials, digital integration, the adoption of the circular economy, and eco-design principles that will continue to influence supply chain packaging innovation. As a result, striking a balance between sustainability, usability, and cost within responsible packaging is not only a transformative journey but also a crucial step towards a more sustainable and resilient global supply chain landscape.

Revolutionizing Repairability of Industrial Electronics in Oil and Gas Sector: A Mathematical Model for the Index of Repairability (IOR) as a Novel Technique

The oil and gas (O&G) field is the most sought-after industry in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCCs) and holds significant importance in the region’s economy. Therefore, this sector requires various industrial electrical, and electronics equipment (EEE) products to perform multiple tasks throughout the upstream, downstream, and midstream segments. However, as these EEE products approach their end of life (EoL), the sector faces the challenge of managing failed units. As a result, replacing or recycling failed EEE products can contribute to the growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste), which can have severe environmental consequences. In addition, while some EEE products can be repaired or remanufactured with low reliability, many others cannot be fixed due to various technical reasons. This paper’s primary goal is to propose a circular economy strategy and sustainable practices that promote the longevity of industrial EoL electronic products in the O&G sector through remanufacturing. We introduced and implemented a new mathematical score, the Index Of Repairability (IOR), which aims to assess the ease of EEE repairability in the O&G sector and improve their lifespan and durability based on four criteria: design, spare parts availability, software access, and documentation. This novel mathematical metric leverages the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and set theory. Additionally, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can adopt and benefit from this innovative IOR by incorporating eco-design principles and designing more easily repairable industrial products for technicians, thereby reducing the negative impact of e-waste, enhancing stakeholder satisfaction, and minimizing downtime. Furthermore, governmental organizations can implement regulations and incentives to advocate for and mandate the use of the IOR by OEMs, ensuring that the electronics industry prioritizes repairability, remanufacturing, and sustainability.

Conceptualisation of an Ecodesign Framework for Sustainable Food Product Development across the Supply Chain

As the world population grows, the pressure to intensify an unsustainable food production system increases. At the same time, one-third of all the food produced is lost or wasted along the value chains. Therefore, it is crucial to develop methods to increase food production while decreasing resource usage and minimising the environmental impact. Ecodesign concepts have already been implemented in various sectors, reducing the environmental impact of products. However, published work has yet to analyse the potential of ecodesign for food production across the value chain. This review assesses the existing literature on ecodesign principles and proposes a conceptual framework of strategies to be applied to current food chains, addressing the challenges posed by current agrifood systems. We suggest that the relevant ecodesign principles fall into three main categories depending on the supply chain stage: “design for sustainable sourcing (DfSS)”, “design for optimised resource use (DfORU)”, and “design for end-of-life optimisation (DfEO).” Applying this framework across the supply chain could significantly reduce the environmental impact of food production and indirectly contribute to dietary change.

A circular economy approach to residential solar thermal systems

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether circular economy principles are applied in existing residential solar thermal systems, and to propose a pathway that will combine existing tools and methods for assessing life cycle data under proper design modifications and labelling options, to reach circular economy targets. The proposed holistic scheme covers various aspects (i.e., energy saving potential, environmental impacts, expected lifetime, recycling-reusing capabilities, use of advanced materials, and purchase cost) and comprises the implementation of eco-design principles based on life cycle assessment results and categorization of the final outcome via a circular economy modified label. Thus redesigned solar thermal systems will exhibit optimized characteristics being more lightweight and durable with minimized use of resources/waste and providing ease of disassembly of selected parts aiming for reuse options.

Understanding the importance of ecotourism by supporting eco-design principles

Abstract: Ecotourism is a form of tourism which involves delicate and relatively undisturbed natural areas, intended as a smallscale alternative to standard mass tourism. A walk through the forest or trail is not ecotourism unless that particular walk benefits that environment and the people who are involved. Ecotourism can be termed as ‘responsible tourism’ and ‘green tourism’, which focuses upon the responsibility of nature and its green development.[1] This paper studies the concept of eco-tourism and its various aspects which also involves eco-friendly materials. Its purpose is to educate the travellers, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly benefit the economic development. The results show that there is a need for eco-design and use of eco-friendly approach, which demands continuous efforts on Tourism Ministry state government, host community and tourists to support and promote Eco-tourism. The purpose of this study is to look at ways in which ecotourism and sustainable development can be evaluated and suggest ways to improve current ecotourism practices. Ecotourism definitions require that the indigenous host community receives the benefits and despite its small-scale and seasonal character, it has the potential to deliver economic benefits on multiple levels

Eco-design of portable solar-powered telescopic lamp for off-grid areas in Indonesia

<p><span lang="EN-US">This study describes the development of eco-design of portable solar-powered telescopic lamp for off-grid area in Indonesia. Several design requirements for the lamp, namely, sustainability, portability, affordability, and reliability, are the objectives of the design process in this study. Sustainability is achieved through renewable energy and the application of eco-design principles. Portability means it is lightweight, compact and can be carried anywhere inside a tube. This solar-powered telescopic lamp was designed with a 3.7 V, 15.6 Ah battery power specification such that the battery power is around 57.72 Wh. The optimal use of the battery is 80% of the total battery power that is 46.176 Wh. With a power of 46,176 Wh, the battery can turn on the LED strip light with a 4.8 W power specification for 9.62 h. The test results showed that the telescopic lamp endurance met the expected specifications. The real consumed power by the LED strips was around 1.9 W. The charging test using solar panels with 12 Wp specifications showed that it will be fully charged in around 3.8 h. However, the performance of the telescopic lamp, especially in the charging process, is affected by the environment condition, such as sunlight intensity, ambient temperature, and humidity.</span></p>

Integrating lean design and eco-design to improve product design: From literature review to an operational framework

Lean manufacturing accomplishments have led researchers and practitioners to consider extending lean to different engineering enterprise parts, including product and process development. However, in the early phases of product development, it is important to both reduce costs and improve a product's sustainability performance. This paper develops a framework to guide designers and manufacturing managers to design products that better meet customer needs and requirements for sustainable products and services. To achieve this, a critical review of the existing literature in the field of lean design, and eco-design was conducted to fill the research gap and then develop the proposed methodological framework. The integration aimed to create synergies to extend the integration benefits and promote rational use of resources and time to create value for customers by eliminating waste and unnecessary actions in the product development process. The main objective is to ensure the development of products with minimal negative impacts on the natural environment. To our knowledge, this is the first time in the literature that an integrated framework is bringing together lean design and eco-design principles, practices, guidelines, drivers, barriers, and success factors. The framework can potentially serve product designers, manufacturing engineers, sales/marketing personnel, in fact, anyone who has a vested interest in designing environmentally friendly products.

Identifying and Analyzing the Factors Affecting Disassembly of Products in Remanufacturing Organizations

Disassembly is a key operation that differentiates remanufacturing from traditional manufacturing. However, various factors that affects the process of disassembly are not clearly understood by the researchers. This study focuses on identifying and analyzing the factors that affect the disassembly process in remanufacturing organizations. A literature survey is conducted to identify the factors that can influence the disassembly of products. A total of 17 factors are obtained which are further classified into three main factors viz. Organizational Capabilities (OC), Process Choices (PC) and Product Attributes (PA). An approach based on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is utilized to analyze the factors for developing a list of priority of these factors. A team of 8 experts from industry and academia is involved in this research for collecting their opinions. Results of this study show that product attributes play a key role in the disassembly of products for remanufacturing. ‘Value of recovered products’, ‘number of components’, ‘sequence of disassembly’, ‘volume of cores supply’ and ‘implementation of ecodesign principles’ are identified as the top five factors affecting the process of disassembly. The findings of this research can be useful for effective disassembly of products in remanufacturing based organizations. The decision makers of remanufacturing organizations can use the priority list of factors developed in this study for managing the disassembly activities in the organization.

Combining technical, environmental, social and economic aspects in a life-cycle ecodesign methodology: An integrated approach for an electronic toy

The aim of this paper is to analyse the environmental impacts of the Conector® Enciclopedia, and to recommend and apply improvement strategies based on eco-design principles. For this purpose, the work develops a methodology that integrates life cycle assessment (LCA) and eco-design. The LCA was performed using the GaBi 9.2 software and the CML 2002 method. To evaluate the influence of the operating hours of the toy two use scenarios were defined: ‘minimum use’ and ‘continuous use’. The comparison was made on a common functional unit of ‘hour of use’. Results showed that the environmental impact of the original toy was heavily dependent on the use phase, given the comparatively large impact caused by employed batteries. Beside the batteries, the electrical and electronic circuit and the game board were the components with the greatest environmental impact in the production stage. Based on the environmental profile of the toy, different strategies were identified, proposed to the company and developed in an eco-designed toy version. The new eco-designed version of the toy achieved approximately 50% impact reductions in all impact categories in the production stage, with very small investments. Despite the environmental benefits found in the eco-design product, the paper concludes that also the consumer acceptance and the technical and economic viability should be considered, trying to maximize the ecoefficiency of the solutions. • The eco-design of an electronic toy was performed proposing improvement strategies. • Life Cycle Assessment was applied to identify the processes to be eco-designed. • The highest environmental impact of the original toy was found in the use stage. • Eco-design measures reduced more than 50% the environmental impact of the toy. • Consumer acceptance and technical and economic viability should be also considered.

Material saving and building component efficiency as main eco-design principles for membrane architecture: case - studies of ETFE enclosures

ABSTRACT Compared to the traditional materials, textile membrane and foil structural enclosures use minimal quantity of materials to cover spaces or close façades, thanks especially to their tensioning ability, by shaping themselves to the forces ways, with a few additional stiffening components. However the environmental compatibility, due to their actual fossil fuel origin, together with the thermal, optical, and acoustic performances are crucial factors to be verified during the design phase. The need of understanding their potentials and limits in terms of eco-efficiency is on the debate. Starting from these concepts, the aim of the research is to demonstrate the advantages of the Life Cycle Design strategy answering to the environmental sustainability of membrane building components.The authors found out two eco-efficiency principles for the application of membranes and foils, orienting the designers towards a more sustainable whole life spanned lightweight technology’s choice. The main advancement of this research is presented adding new ETFE membranes case studies to the initial analysis (Monticelli, Zanelli, 2016). The aim of this ex-post application of the principles on built examples is the demonstration of their validness for the designer’s need and the intention is to spread their use during the early design stage. The calculation on a wider and different use of membranes allowed to sketch benchmark reference rates. The results of the data analysis show how lightweight technologies offer a high degree of freedom in shaping geometries and forms, while only their optimized application can guarantee a sustainable and LCA effective result.

Sustainability and environmental impact of fused deposition modelling (FDM) technologies

This paper consists in a review of environmental issues of additive manufacturing technologies, mainly in those related to fused deposition modelling. The versatility, reduction of equipment costs due to patents expiring and the great flexibility offered by 3D printers have driven the amazing increase of these technologies in the last years. On the other hand, the democratization of additive manufacturing also poses some issues regarding environment; it is important to also have into account the potential effects of these technologies in the environment, coming from energy consumption, materials, and wastes produced. A review of different research works dealing with environmental impact of additive manufacturing, such as products’ life cycle assessment, energy and materials consumption, and particles and gases releases (mainly due to health issues), has been performed. The assessment performed has helped highlighting the importance of environmental issues in additive manufacturing, according to the number of published papers. The main findings are the importance of establishing a method for applying eco-design principles taking into account the specific features of additive manufacturing.

Promoting Sustainable and Circular Plastics Use in Egipt with Implementation of Ecodesign Principles

Abstract Green Supply chain, Green Packaging, Eco-labels, and Eco-design strategies are concepts that are discussed frequently within scientific and political debates. Eco-design strategies for Lifecycle Design include the Eco-design Strategy wheel which presents eight Eco-design strategies: New concept development, Selection of low-impact materials, Reduction of materials usage, Optimization of production techniques, Optimization of distribution system, Reduction of impact during use, Optimization of initial lifetime, and Optimization of end-of-life system. This research investigates specifically the selection of low impact raw materials phase using the European Union as a benchmark to improve the Egyptian situation and aims to apply the closed loop cycle to the Egyptian Plastics Industry. Its goal is to enlight the way towards Sustainable and Circular economy system in Plastics manufacturing sector in Egypt while emphasizing the financial benefits from the Business and Marketing perspectives rather than the Environmental perspective only.

A multi-criteria index to support ecodesign implementation in manufacturing products: benefits and limits in real case studies

ABSTRACTThe growing attention to environmental sustainability is not reflected in the effective implementation of ecodesign principles in the industrial context. The main barriers are related to the propensity of companies to optimise only specific aspects directly affected by legislation and to the higher priority given to other drivers such as performance, cost and aesthetics. The present paper faces this issue by proposing an approach to support designers to concurrently deal with environmental, economic and technical performance in all the key phases of the product development process (selection of drivers, evaluation of design alternatives, preservation, sharing and reuse of knowledge, etc.). The approach is grounded on a multi-criteria index, called Product Impact Index (PII), which allows weighting different drivers, verifying the satisfaction of the company’s goals, and comparing different design solutions. The method has been successfully applied in two case studies to support the redesign of a cooker hood and a freestanding cooker. Results confirmed its usefulness and effectiveness in overcoming the common barriers to ecodesign implementation in the industrial context.

Can the choice of eco-design principles affect products’ success?

Despite the potential to lead to enhanced environmental performance, the extent to which eco-design leads to success is still unclear. In order to lay bare the effects of eco-design implementation, this paper focuses on understanding the correlations between specific eco-design principles and success through an exploratory study. A sample of 178 products, characterized in terms of their success levels and implemented eco-design principles, was statistically analyzed. The results indicate a number of positive correlations for principles that tend to favor success (e.g. intensified use and product/service systems) and negative correlations for principles that tend to moderate the chances of success (e.g. minimize packaging). Although the mechanisms that cause this phenomenon should be further investigated, the findings can provide designers with additional recommendations for the selection of eco-design principles.