Sustainable Product Design Research Articles

Evaluating Ecodesign Methodology in Yacht Design

The yachting industry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices driven by regulatory requirements and evolving consumer expectations. This study explores the application of Life Cycle Design (LCD), also referred to as ecodesign, methodologies within yacht design to address environmental challenges. Despite the critical importance of early-stage design in determining a product's environmental impact, the yacht sector lacks industry-specific sustainability guidelines.This research investigated the practical implementation of a generic LCD methodology - specifically the MPDS (Method for Product Design for Environmental Sustainability) - through an intensive workshop involving young professional yacht designers. Participants were tasked with developing concept designs for a 50-foot charter yacht, applying six LCD strategies: use extension, material consumption reduction, energy consumption reduction, material life extension, toxicity reduction, and resources conservation.The study outlined both opportunities and limitations in applying MPDS to yacht design. While participants achieved incremental improvements in certain strategies, the research highlighted the need for context-specific adaptations. Challenges included the methodology's generic nature and the complexity of yacht design processes.The findings underscore the potential of LCD principles in promoting sustainability within the nautical industry and provide a foundation for developing tailored guidelines that can effectively integrate environmental considerations into yacht design processes.

Integration of the Theory of Planned Behavior, Regulatory Pressures, Environmental Awareness, and Economic Perception in Influencing the Intention to Adopt Material Value Conservation Principles

This study investigates the key factors influencing the intention of plastic-based medical device manufacturers in Indonesia to adopt Material Value Conservation (MVC) principles in sustainable product design. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a foundation, this research integrates environmental awareness, regulatory pressures, knowledge of MVC, perceived ease of adoption, and perceived economic value to develop a comprehensive analytical model. A quantitative survey was conducted with 70 manufacturers located in the Greater Jakarta area, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control have a significant direct effect on adoption intention, while regulatory pressure and knowledge of MVC influence intention indirectly through mediating constructs. Although environmental awareness and technical knowledge are high among respondents, perceived economic value remains the most significant barrier due to concerns over initial implementation costs. The study's novelty lies in its empirical extension of TPB within the context of circular economy adoption in the healthcare manufacturing sector. It provides practical implications for policymakers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to enhance sustainability through targeted incentives and regulatory frameworks. This research contributes to the academic literature by demonstrating the interaction between psychological, institutional, and economic variables in shaping green manufacturing intentions in an industry with high environmental impact.

Examining Sustainable Product Design Technology: a Comprehensive Exploration of Trends, Innovations, Challenges, and Future Horizons

Examining Sustainable Product Design Technology: a Comprehensive Exploration of Trends, Innovations, Challenges, and Future Horizons

The Need for Change: A Roadmap for the Sustainable Transformation of the Chemical Industry

The chemical industry faces major challenges worldwide. Since 1950, production has increased 50-fold and is projected to continue growing, particularly in Asia. It is one of the most energy- and resource-intensive industries, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and the depletion of finite resources. This development exceeds planetary boundaries and calls for a sustainable transformation of the industry. The key transformation areas are as follows: (1) Non-Fossil Energy Supply: The industry must transition away from fossil fuels. Renewable electricity can replace natural gas, while green hydrogen can be used for high-temperature processes. (2) Circularity: Chemical production remains largely linear, with most products ending up as waste. Sustainable product design and improved recycling processes are crucial. (3) Non-Fossil Feedstock: To achieve greenhouse gas neutrality, oil, gas, and coal must be replaced by recycling plastics, renewable biomaterials, or CO2-based processes. (4) Sustainable Chemical Production: Energy and resource savings can be achieved through advancements like catalysis, biotechnology, microreactors, and new separation techniques. (5) Sustainable Chemical Products: Chemicals should be designed to be “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD), meaning they should not have hazardous properties unless essential to their function. (6) Sufficiency: Beyond efficiency and circularity, reducing overall material flows is essential to stay within planetary boundaries. This shift requires political, economic, and societal efforts. Achieving greenhouse gas neutrality in Europe by 2050 demands swift and decisive action from industry, governments, and society. The speed of transformation is currently too slow to reach this goal. Science can drive innovation, but international agreements are necessary to establish a binding framework for action.

Report on Polymer Reduction Strategies in iPhone Products Using IRM's 3D-IDPT Analysis

This report investigates Apple's polymer reduction strategies in its iPhone product line through the lens of the 3D-IDPT model in Information Resource Management (IRM). It analyzes Apple's evolving approach to sustainable product design—transitioning from plastic-intensive components to environmentally friendly alternatives such as fiber-based packaging, metal casing, and wireless charging. The study highlights Apple’s strategic goals, including carbon neutrality, material recycling, and circular economy practices, while also identifying risks such as increased costs and supply chain complexity. Employing SWOT, VRIO, and PESTEL models, this research provides a multidimensional evaluation of Apple’s plastic reduction initiatives. Furthermore, it applies the 3D-IDPT model’s spatial, temporal, and constructional dimensions to explore Apple’s information behavior and strategic diffusion across its ecosystem. The findings suggest that Apple’s plastic reduction efforts not only enhance corporate environmental responsibility but also generate long-term brand and market value, serving as a benchmark for sustainability in the consumer electronics industry.

The Implementation of Sustainable Supply Chain in The Beauty and Personal Care Industry in Indonesia: The Natural Resource-Based View

This study aims to understand the knowledge of the beauty and personal care industry in Indonesia about sustainable supply chain and assess the impact of consumer views about sustainable supply chain implementation on corporate image and purchase intention. Specifically, the study tests the relationships between customers’ knowledge regarding firms’ sustainable supply chain practices and firms’ corporate image. Sustainable supply chain practices are measured through the extent of sustainable procurement, sustainable warehousing, sustainable product design, sustainable energy, sustainable transportation, reverse logistics, and sustainable waste management. Customers’ perception on the corporate image would further increase their purchase intention. The research uses a quantitative approach by surveying 438 beauty and personal care product users. The results show that sustainable waste management is the most recognized and perceived implementation that contributes to a good corporate image regarding sustainability. Therefore, beauty and personal care companies can leverage the customer perception of sustainable supply chains by emphasizing sustainable waste management through different strategies and educating customers on sustainable supply chain practices. The findings of this study provide valuable insight into the practical effectiveness of sustainable chain supply in the beauty and personal care industry and provide input to future sustainability efforts on the environment, society, and economics.

Enhancing project-based learning in engineering education: a hybrid DT-CDIO-RA framework for sustainable product design

This study presents a structured hybrid framework integrating Design Thinking (DT), the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) methodology, and Root Assessment (RA) to enhance project-based learning (PBL) in engineering education. The framework addresses limitations in conventional PBL by embedding iterative ideation, structured engineering processes, and systematic decision-making. Applied to the development of a Seed Injecting Machine, the framework enabled students to engage in user-centric design, sustainability-driven decision-making, and iterative prototyping. The DT phase guided empathy-driven ideation, while CDIO structured concept realization through detailed design, fabrication, and testing. RA facilitated a multi-criteria evaluation process, prioritizing technical feasibility, sustainability, and user adoption metrics. This methodology provided a robust PBL model, aligning experiential learning with real-world constraints. Students gained hands-on expertise in interdisciplinary problem-solving, stakeholder-driven design, and sustainability assessment. The proposed DT-CDIO-RA framework enhances engineering education by bridging theoretical learning with applied innovation, equipping learners with competencies critical for sustainable product development.

Sustainable design of bamboo weaving products based on style generative adversarial network and Grasshopper technology

To explore the design innovation of traditional bamboo weaving handicrafts and realise the sustainable development of bamboo woven patterns, a generation and design method of bamboo woven patterns in combination with the style generative adversarial network (StyleGAN) and Grasshopper (GH) is proposed. The artificial intelligence (AI) is taken as the technical framework and the research is divided into three stages. Firstly, StyleGAN is used to train the data set composed of existing bamboo woven patterns to generate new bamboo woven patterns which have not been seen in the market. Secondly, new patterns with high weaving feasibility are selected, and hand-drawn bamboo woven patterns are drawn through the collaborative design of fashion designers. Finally, parameterised modelling of weaving patterns is carried out by using the GH plug-in in Rhino software, thus a new bamboo woven patterns model library is established. The patterns are successively mapped into the design of women’s bamboo woven bags, and finally, the product shape and style that customers are satisfied with are generated. The research results show that combining StyleGAN in AI and GH parametric modelling technology provides a new idea for the sustainable design of bamboo woven products and has a broad application prospect.

Durable Design: What Role for EU Design Law in the Green Transition?

Abstract The European Commission’s Sustainable Products Initiative aims to make products more sustainable, reusable, repairable, recyclable, and energy-efficient. To that end the recently adopted Ecodesign Regulation sets requirements for circularity in production processes and sustainable product design. The purpose of the economic-driven EU design law is to incentivise investment in product design, with no consideration given to environmental or other interests. In this contribution, the author examines the question of how the traditional design protection regime relates to sustainability demands. The author also addresses the question of whether – and how – design law can support the transition towards a more sustainable, circular economy.

From Toxic Legacy to Circular Economy: Rethinking Ewaste Management and Its Environmental Implication

The explosive growth of consumer electronics and the shortening of product life cycles have triggered a global surge in electronic waste (e-waste), making it one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. E-waste includes discarded devices such as smartphones, computers, refrigerators, and televisions—each embedded with valuable yet hazardous materials. This research article explores the multifaceted dimensions of e-waste management and its environmental implications, with a particular emphasis on the disparity between formal and informal disposal systems. While developed countries often rely on regulated frameworks and technological recycling infrastructure, much of the world’s e-waste ends up in developing nations through both legal and illegal means. In these regions, unprotected workers, including children, are exposed to toxic substances during manual dismantling processes, resulting in significant health risks and environmental degradation. The paper highlights how improper disposal contaminates soil, water, and air through the release of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and microplastics. It critically examines existing global management practices, regulatory mechanisms, and their effectiveness. Drawing upon case studies and recent data, the study argues for a multi-pronged solution involving policy reform, industry accountability through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and public awareness. Technological innovations in eco-friendly recycling and sustainable product design also hold promise. Ultimately, the paper calls for international cooperation and systemic change to transition from a linear to a circular electronics economy, wherein waste is minimized, resources are recovered, and environmental and human health are preserved.

An enhanced multidimensional requirement oriented quality function deployment method for sustainable self service machine design

Self-service machines provide round-the-clock access to various services, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing waiting times, and minimizing human errors. However, their design has traditionally prioritized business functionality and user experience, with minimal attention to sustainability principles. As finite resources and environmental concerns gain prominence, embedding sustainability into self-service machine design is crucial for promoting resource efficiency, environmental protection, and social responsibility. Current sustainable product design methods tend to focus on environmental features, often overlooking the multidimensional requirements necessary for a balanced approach. Addressing this gap, this study proposes an enhanced multidimensional requirement-oriented quality function deployment method, which uses multiple one-dimensional quality of houses to independently process requirements across different dimensions. This approach effectively reduces the complexity associated with traditional quality function deployment, enabling a more comprehensive and strategically aligned design process. By prioritizing key sustainability dimensions, this method offers a robust framework for developing sustainable self-service machines, aligning design outcomes with sustainability goals.

Achieving Product Sustainability: Analyzing Key Factors Influencing Sustainable Product Design in Manufacturing Companies

ABSTRACTDeveloping environmentally and socially responsible products through effective sustainable product design (SPD) is essential for addressing sustainability challenges. Successful implementation of SPD requires a comprehensive evaluation of various influencing factors. Although numerous SPD factors have been identified in existing research, further research is needed to investigate their interrelationships and identify those most relevant to SPD decision‐making. This study aims to explore and validate key SPD factors by organizing them into clearly defined dimensions, enhancing their interpretability and manageability. A structured methodology was employed, involving the identification of SPD factors from existing literature, questionnaire design and pretesting, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and net rating analysis. The research validated 20 key SPD factors: 8 economic factors grouped into product dependability, manufacturability, and costs; 6 environmental factors structured into resource utilization and end‐of‐life management; and 6 social factors organized into user‐centered design and stakeholder well‐being. By providing a comprehensive set of SPD factors, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable design. It also provides practical insights that enable manufacturing companies to conserve natural resources, enhance their environmental and social responsibilities, and improve stakeholder well‐being, thereby supporting sustainable development.

An approach for integrating water use assessment into the design processes of the Indonesian batik industry

ABSTRACT Strategic product design and the optimisation of the structural features of a design can be an effective way to minimise resource consumption. Because water is one of the resources used in the production process, the principles of sustainable product design can be applied to water use. However, limited research has been conducted to date. This study introduces an approach for integrating water use assessment into the design processes of the Indonesian batik industry. This approach allows batik designers to explore alternative production scenarios for a given concept design and quantify the water use for each scenario. In turn, this enables them to make better-informed decisions regarding the best concept design and production process in terms of water use. The efficacy of this approach was demonstrated by its application to an example batik fabric. This approach assists in defining production scenarios based on key characteristics of the design, such as the colours in the design, and enables the quantification of water use in batik production through process simulations. This contribution has the potential to enhance design processes by allowing batik designers to analyse water use when creating batik designs and providing opportunities to develop strategies for reducing water use.

Economic Drivers in Sustainable Innovation: The Impact of Cost and Process Selection on New Product Design

This study examines the effect of cost information and process selection on total costs in sustainable new product design. This study uses an experimental design with the research objective to evaluate how these two variables contribute to cost efficiency and greener product innovation. To achieve this goal, students of the Accounting Study Program from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta as a substitute for professional designers in the development of new products were asked to fill out a questionnaire to evaluate their design choices, consider the sustainability aspects, and identify the challenges they faced during the process. The interaction effect was also assessed to review the correlation effect of these factors on sustainable product design, with the results showing that the interaction effect of the two variables has a significant impact on the total cost, supporting the hypothesis that the combination of these two factors is important in creating cost efficiency in sustainable product development

Green Supply Chain Management and CSR: An Empirical Analysis of Sustainable Practices

The growing significance of sustainability has prompted organizations to integrate green supply chain management (GSCM) practices into organizational strategies to remain sustainability-driven as well as stay compliant with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, there is a lack of concrete empirical evidence on the impact of these green initiatives on CSR, particularly within the bounds of Pakistan. Thus, this study aims to analyze the impact of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices, including sustainable product design, reverse logistics, and green manufacturing, on firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through a structured survey questionnaire. The research considered convenience-sampling technique to collect data from the employees of organizations belonging to different sectors from Karachi. The sampling size is 310 and the data collected has been tested through Smart PLS analysis tool. Research findings suggests that social performance mediates the relationship between corporate social responsibility and sustainable practices like reverse logistics, sustainable product design, and green manufacturing, with eco-design strengthening the relationship between social performance and corporate social responsibility. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on GSCM by providing a comprehensive understanding of its relationship with CSR as well as emphasizing the importance of adopting integrated green practices to achieve sustainability objectives and enhance corporate reputation. In future research, other variables can also be used such as green purchasing, green packaging, and environmental sustainability etc.

Product Development of Urban Aquaculture Supporting Equipment Based on Solar Cell Technology and Speed Bump System Using the Design For Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) Method

Urban aquaculture, like urban farming, entails using aquaculture technology to transform tiny, previously unutilized pieces of land in highly inhabited metropolitan areas into a useful area. Urban aquaculture, in broad terms, can be defined as the fish farming on small plots of land. Depending on the sort of consumable fish commodity to be grown, urban aquaculture can be implemented through home aquaculture and community aquaculture utilizing a variety of techniques. Creating a mandatory product involves the stages of development and design. At this stage, all product components, production costs, design, and assembly time are taken into account. Through sustainable product design and evaluation, it is possible to address the assembly performance and difficulties in the assembly process, as well as assembly time and costs. The design and development of this product use the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) method. DFMA is a method used to determine the product design with the best time and cost. In general, this method can also be used in development to improve the quality and measure the improvement of urban aquaculture product designs. It is hoped that urban aquaculture will provide an alternative product design to achieve high-quality products and low production costs.

COST INFORMATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON IN THE DESIGN OF NEW SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

This study explores the influence of cost information and energy efficiency in sustainable new product development. With a 2x2 factorial experimental design, the study involved Accounting students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Data were collected through experimental tasks based on the type of cost information and the level of energy efficiency. The ANOVA results showed that energy efficiency had a significant effect on green product design, while cost information had no direct effect. These findings emphasize the importance of energy efficiency in product development for sustainability. Green products can reduce production costs, minimize waste, and increase competitiveness. The application of green technology also attracts investment, creates jobs, and supports industrial innovation. In addition, compliance with environmental regulations strengthens sustainable economic growth and improves people's quality of life. Thus, this study contributes to encouraging business practices that support sustainability and industrial innovation.

Holistic Sustainable Design: Incorporating Change Propagation and Triple Bottom Line Sustainability

Sustainable product design addresses sustainability challenges through product development processes and tools. The number of sustainable design methods has been increasing rapidly in recent years. Still, their adoption is limited, and many of these methods exclusively focus on the environmental impacts of products rather than taking a holistic perspective that includes social and economic sustainability. This research provides a holistic sustainable design framework by integrating change propagation methods and sustainable design tools to enable simultaneous consideration of design parameters’ impacts on the three dimensions of sustainability. A reusable water bottle is used to demonstrate the application of the proposed holistic sustainable design (HSD) framework. A multi-domain matrix (MDM) is used to capture the interdependencies among these design parameters of the product, and then equations are defined to quantify them. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is then automated to evaluate the product’s environmental impacts, and the investigation of its results provides details to identify critical unit processes contributing to the environmental categories. Sensitivity analyses reveal how changes to individual design parameters propagate through the model to influence the three dimensions of sustainability. Ultimately, the designer can select optimal design parameter values to balance environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Towards a Sustainable Solution: The Barriers and Enablers in Adopting Circular Economy Principles for Medicines Waste Management in UK and Kuwaiti Hospitals

The significance of medicines lies not only in their medicinal value but also in their cost, emphasizing the importance of proper utilisation to reduce waste and optimise resource allocation. The transition to a circular economy, which entails shifting from the current ‘take-use-dispose’ model to a closed-loop system, emerges as a pragmatic approach to curbing waste generation. This study therefore aims to identify the enablers and barriers associated with adopting circular economy practices in the management of medicines waste within hospital pharmacies, examining practices in both the United Kingdom and Kuwait. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research is validated using empirical data gathered through qualitative interviews (Phase one, n = 29) and quantitative questionnaires (Phase two, n = 86). Key themes were identified in the qualitative data and supported by quantitative results, these were: Barriers and Enablers (Cognitive, Structural and Cultural) and CE Practices (Circulation of products and Eliminating waste and pollution). 89% of the total sample confirmed that legislation was a key barrier to CE adoption. Sustainable design of products and packaging was considered a priority by a large proportion of the respondent sample (89%), but technology was seen to be unsupportive in advancing CE agendas (90% confirmation across both samples). The sharing of medication with other hospital pharmacies was deemed a sensible approach with 75% of the Kuwait sample favouring this. Sharing stock within UK NHS Trusts was practiced but not between Trusts. To maximise the use of products in circulation nearly half of UK participants said they repackaged medications to reduce wastage. Embracing circular economy principles in hospitals’ management of medicines waste presents a promising strategy that can not only enhance national eco-friendly supply chain management practices but also mitigate medicines waste, bolster sustainability efforts, and alleviate disposal costs. Frameworks are proposed to overcome barriers to CE and support pharmacy operational activity promoting higher levels of circular practice.

A fuzzy Kano model proposal for sustainable product design: Mobile application feature analysis

A fuzzy Kano model proposal for sustainable product design: Mobile application feature analysis