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Hydrogen has emerged as a promising future energy source, but efficient, eco-friendly production and storage remain challenging. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial for evaluating environmental impacts and guiding eco-design strategies. Among emerging techniques, magnesium hydrolysis for hydrogen production has gained attention. The presented LCA of a patented Mg-alloy with carbon and nickel additives identified nickel as the primary environmental impact contributor. To mitigate this, using ternary phases with minimal nickel content is proposed. Moreover, leveraging magnesium waste presents an opportunity to give alloys a second life, while enhancing the recycling of the resulting product, Mg(OH) 2. Although LCA results show that magnesium hydrolysis has a lower environmental impact than steam reforming, further industrial-scale research is needed. This highlights the importance of ongoing investigation and refinement of magnesium hydrolysis as a green energy solution. • Recycling Mg(OH) 2 via CRT method causes nearly 90% of environmental impacts. • Recycled aluminum and ternary Mg base compounds reduces environmental impacts. • Hydrolysis with magnesium is eco-friendly but less resource-efficient than steam reforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product design plays a key role in supporting the principles of circular economy and sustainability by improving the repair and disassembly capabilities of products. The EN4555X standard series provides a framework and a set of indicators to evaluate these aspects for energy-related products. This paper focuses on applying the RSS (Repair Scoring System) introduced by the EN45554 standard to kitchen ventilation systems (T-shape cooker hood models). The study investigates the reliability of the repairability index by examining the impact of assumptions made during its assessment, particularly focusing on the data and parameters used for calculations. The methodology involves four key steps: identification of index parameters, experimental analysis, sensitivity analysis (SA) through data variation, and result interpretation. The experimental analysis involves computing the RSS index for the chosen range hoods, encompassing a SA developed by varying index's parameters. Results illustrate that introducing consistent parameter variations across models leads to changes in the Disassemblability Index. However, these alterations remain consistent across all cases, preserving the overall product ranking. Nonetheless, the study also indicates that altering parameter weights may lead to changes in product rankings within the repairability score. This highlights the importance of employing uniform weights within the same product category. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of employing consistent methodologies and weights to uphold the reliability of repairability indexes when assessing product repairability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the drive towards sustainable design, the push for products with greater longevity, reparability, and recyclability has never been more crucial. Central to this is the integration of eco-design principles within manufacturing processes. However, there is a gap: manufacturers lack both standardized processes and digital tools to support them, even though the promising digital product passport largely focuses on product lifespan. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are paramount, serving as benchmarks for both the manufacturing process and environmental sustainability of a product. These KPIs encompass factors like energy, water, compressed air, and material resource consumption. To emphasize the importance of these metrics, Europe is vulnerable to supply disruptions due to its high dependence on raw materials from non-EU countries. This paper discusses the state of the art of digital twins and presents a digital shadow—a comprehensive digital tool design to support manufacturers during the product design phase. Drawing from a case study in the automotive sector, this tool not only aligns with recycling and sustainability objectives but also mitigates risks associated with raw material dependencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA) methodology allows to estimate the future environmental impacts of emerging technologies and immature products not yet on the market. To make up for the lack of information on the product, the pLCA makes extensive use of secondary data, taken from various sources including patents which contain prospective information of industrial interest. To date, there have been attempts to show the potential of patent analysis in supporting pLCA, but never extensively and as proposed in this work with a truly systematic approach. In fact, this study aims to demonstrate how an accurate analysis of the information contained within patents can provide solutions to a number of open problems underlying the pLCA. More specifically, it was shown how patents can serve for: the support to experts in technological forecasting, the definition of scenario ranges, the support to the background and foreground systems modelling, the comparison of the future diffusion of a mature and an emerging technology, the support to the projections based on pathways to reach policy reductions to ensure time consistency. For each question, it was explained how to decline the patent analysis, i.e. which parts of the patents to analyse and how. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Eco-modulation is intended to restore incentives for eco-design that are muted or missing in extended producer responsibility (EPR). • Eco-modulation operates through changes in fees paid by producers to producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to meet obligations under EPR. • Eco-modulation faces challenges related to linkage to environmental outcomes, fee size, data, online sales, cross-jurisdictional harmonization, and ex post evaluation. • Prospects for eco-modulation can be improved through the use of life cycle assessment (LCA), increased fees, mandated provision of data, and more sophisticated policy evaluation. • As various challenges must be overcome in its implementation, eco-modulation might be currently best viewed as a policy experiment on improving EPR and the drivers of eco-design more broadly. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy strategy that makes producers responsible for the waste management of their products and packages. A key goal of EPR is to incentivize producers to (re)design their products and packages to improve their environmental performance, especially at end of life. However, because of the way in which the financial structure of EPR has evolved, those incentives have largely been muted or undetectable. Eco-modulation has emerged as an additional component in EPR to restore the missing incentives for eco-design. Eco-modulation operates through changes in the fees that producers pay to meet their EPR obligations. Eco-modulation includes both increased differentiation of types of products and associated fees, and additional bonuses and penalties—environmentally targeted discounts and penalties on the fees that each producer pays. Based on primary, secondary, and grey literature, this article characterizes challenges faced by eco-modulation if it is to restore the incentives for eco-design. These include weak linkages to environmental outcomes, fees too low to induce changes in materials or design, lack of adequate data and ex post policy evaluation, and implementation that differs across jurisdictions. Opportunities to address these challenges include use of life cycle assessment (LCA) to inform eco-modulation, increased eco-modulation fees, strategies to increase harmonization of eco-modulation implementation, mandated provision of data, and policy evaluation tools that establish the efficacy of different eco-modulation schemes. Considering the scope of the challenges and the complexity of establishing eco-modulation programs, we suggest treating eco-modulation at this stage as an experiment in promoting eco-design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. • Examine if circular economy principles apply to residential solar thermal systems. • AsSessing LCA data under proper ED and EL options, to reach CE targets. • Use of LCA and EL in an ED implementation context in solar thermal systems. • Redesign solar thermal devices for optimized technical - environmental performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering design is the basis for technological advancement and the development of new products. Many changes have emerged over the last few decades due to scientific advancements, evolution in novel engineering materials, advances in computational technology, the opening up of the global village, economic constraints, short life spans of products, and the need for a responsive life cycle design paradigm in engineering products. To meet customer or operational requirements, a certain design methodology is used to design and develop products. This has resulted in notable growth in product design methodologies across disciplines, particularly architecture, engineering, and industrial designs. The engineering design methodology has addressed design procedures, epistemological issues, and working procedures in the design disciplines for several decades. In this article, the research seeks to delve into novel design methodologies currently in use and interrogate their limitations and advantages to create synergies among the best practices in engineering design approaches, with particular emphasis on responsiveness to continuously changing customer requirements. To achieve this, special emphasis will be placed on a design methodology for life cycle, end-of-life, concurrent engineering, eco-design, and reconfigurable design. Based on a strategic focus, the drive is for innovative engineering design that requires design approaches that respond to continuous product changes. The results from this study demonstrate the relationships between engineering design methodologies and solution models that respond to industry and customer requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrification of vehicles is seen nowadays as a promising way to decarbonize the personal transportation. The assessment of environmental impacts of electric batteries is usually case-specific due to the complex modelling of such systems which present a large variability in designs, in user behavior or in geographic use conditions. A typical example is the battery lifespan which is arbitrarily chosen in most cases, even though it has a decisive influence on lifecycle emissions. Computing the battery lifespan in addition to a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) would enable to highlight new hotspots and new parameters to reduce the environmental impacts of batteries. This paper introduces a new approach, based on a LCA conducted with the open-source software Brightway and built on primary data collected from a complete disassembly of a commercial electric vehicle. An original functional unit has been proposed that better represents the service offered by the battery over its lifetime and a semi-empirical ageing model has been integrated to predict more precisely the battery lifespan depending on design parameters and the use conditions. This innovative methodology is easily parameterized and aims to compare several eco-design strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extended producer responsibility system and government intervention are among the essential requirements for constructing sustainable economies. In a closed-loop supply chain consisting of an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a third-party remanufacturer (TPR), this paper develops four Stackelberg game models for four modes of government intervention under patent licensing: no intervention, tax and subsidy, tax and subsidy plus eco-design tax deduction, and eco-design tax deduction only. The impacts of the different government interventions on the optimal production decision, social welfare, and environment are analyzed and compared. The results indicate that, compared with no government intervention, government tax and subsidy decrease the supply of new products, increase supply of remanufactured products, and raise recycling rates of end-of-life products; on top of tax and subsidy, the government's eco-design tax deduction can further increase OEM and TPR profits; the environmental impact under different government intervention depends on the ratio of the environmental impacts of remanufactured to new products and the level of eco-design effort. This study provides decision makers (i.e., OEM and TPR) and policy makers (i.e., governments) with new managerial insights on the benefits of eco-design and effective mechanisms to promote it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refrigeration is used in several sectors: starting from large-scale distribution to the medical industry. It is responsible for about 17% of total electricity consumption and around 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental performances analysis of refrigeration machines thus represents a significant step towards emissions reduction related to their use. This paper shows a comparative life cycle assessment among three refrigeration systems: the first one operating with a traditional refrigerant, the latter with a natural one. The analysis was performed following the international standards ISO 14040/14044. The functional unit was: 'the storage of food at 0°C, for a lifetime of 10 years in cold rooms of a supermarket. The aim was to define useful ecodesign rules applicable during the design phase; this represents a starting point for a constant improvement of company products. The results highlight how the use phase weights the most on the environment: it represents about 99% of the whole life cycle impact in the climate change indicator. The new design machine with natural fluid, proves to be the most eco-friendly; on the other hand, the one operating with a traditional refrigerant is the most impactful in each phase of the life cycle, due to both its higher power consumption and weight. Based on results, company strategies are drawn up to optimise refrigeration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represent a promising solution to mitigate carbon emissions by road transportation. However, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on BEVs have demonstrated that batteries are responsible for around 30% of the vehicle's environmental impacts. Therefore, the integration of circular economy (CE) criteria in battery design and life cycle management is key to improve resource efficiency and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, literature analysing the implementation of CE design criteria in BEVs´ battery development is scarce. Focusing on Li-ion batteries (LIB) for BEVs, this paper examines the potential for implementation of life cycle-based CE design criteria. Accordingly, a CE design assessment tool, including a list of 53 relevant design criteria gathered from the literature, industrial practice and EU legislation, with application to BEVs´ batteries, was shared with industrial stakeholders from the H2020 LIBERTY project (LC-BAT-10-2020 No. 963522) to receive feedback. The industrial stakeholders were asked to evaluate the potential implementation of each CE design criteria based on the relationship between importance and viability by providing scores from 0% to 94%.The results indicate that the most important CE design criteria are related to the manufacturing stage of LIBs, including innovations oriented to increase the performance and quality of the final product by anticipating to new legislation requirements, including resource and environmental aspects, for BEVs. On the other hand, design criteria related to the end of life (EOL) management of LIBs show low implementation potential due to low viability scores. The benefits of considering CE design criteria in LIB development are discussed as well as the potential trade-offs in order to support well-informed decision-making. This includes an analysis of the causes for the low score for some CE design criteria and the opportunities to improve their implementation potential to increase the resource efficiency and environmental performance of BEVs´ LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors that can achieve maximum efficiency from solar irradiation can be critical concepts for meeting energy demand in residential applications. Even though there is much research on increasing heat transfer, multifunctional designs that provide homogeneous results are limited. This study explores the production of electricity and hot air from a novel design of a PVT. A new perforated copper plate design has been proposed to achieve maximum efficiency by providing homogeneous cooling in the PVT. Firstly, numerical analysis of this design was performed using Ansys Fluent software, then tested experimentally. The highest and average electrical and thermal efficiency of PVT are obtained as 17.62 %, 15.63 %, and 76.75 %, 43.68 %. In experiments conducted under winter conditions, the maximum temperature value in the PVT was measured as 41.54 °C. Moreover, the payback period of the PVT system was calculated as 6.1 years. The proposed PVT collector can be used as a new model for integrating solar energy in buildings with almost zero energy. Considering the eco-design, this PVT design can contribute net positive carbon, ecological footprint, and green manufacturing. • A new temperature control with a variable air volume collector has been designed to adjust the flow rate of the fans depending on the back surface temperature of the PV. • A numerical model has been developed and validated to examine how to be homogeneously in the PVT's airflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine industry has been a major user of polymer composites for over 50 years. There has been a strong historical preference for glass fibre reinforced thermoset polymers, mainly polyesters and epoxies, but manufacturers are starting to realize that the current materials and practices are not sustainable. As a result, there is increasing interest in alternative materials, which offer the prospects of lower carbon footprints, reduced environmental impacts or both. The design decisions made today are critical, as many marine structures are designed for 20 to 30 years lifetime. In order to focus on viable solutions, it is essential to base these decisions on a balanced overview of the many new materials and processes. This review provides an up-to-date evaluation of emerging material options, fibres, matrix polymers and sandwich core and associated manufacturing developments. First, materials for the pleasure boat industry are discussed. Then high performance carbon fibre composite applications are described. These are discussed with respect to end of life scenarios such as re-use and recycling, life cycle assessment is examined. Recent examples of changes in material selection philosophy and associated benefits for sustainability illustrate what is possible and what remains to be done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental managers attempt to increasingly incorporate precautionary principles into decision making. The literature lacks Machine Learning -based approaches for forewarning lifecycle environmental impacts. This paper proposes a method to support electric vehicle design. The main innovation of the work lays in merging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Machine Learning foundations to provide support and awareness to designers. The present approach overcomes the present literature because it provides a method for the design phase, is based on a well-established methodology (LCA) and provides quantitative results from little inputs. The approach exploits machine Learning Methods to develop models with the design features of a generic electric vehicle (such as vehicle mass and distance traveled) in six phases (Problem definition; Data collection; Data Preparation; Modeling; Model evaluation; Model interpretation). Differently from existing environmental analyses, all stages of the product life cycle have been considered in building the database; moreover, the model provides quantitative results. Regression models and supervised algorithms were used. The obtained model can be used by product engineers, as well as those not experts on LCA. Moreover, the model guarantees the database and hypothesis's uniqueness, ensuring the results coherence and comparability. The level of accuracy obtained in the case study (error or 17%) is comparable with studies handling full environmental analysis (that should be more accurate), and outstanding, as the present case is for the design phase. Future works will focus on additional significative indicators, similar electric vehicle design and integration with prospective LCA approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored a novel design-for-recycling method for encapsulated printed electronics in an injection-molded package that improves disassembly at End-of-Life (EoL). To this end, a non-adhering disassembly layer (NADL) was applied onto the printed circuitry and light-emitting diodes prior to injection molding. Surprisingly, the devices with a disassembly layer remained fully functional after injection molding, despite exposure to high shear forces and elevated temperatures. Facilitating the disassembly of an encapsulated electronic device using a weak link in the adhesion strength of the overmolded encapsulant invokes a contradiction: the possibility to remove the injected plastic from any underlying coating goes against the requirement of high adhesion over the entire surface area for structural strength and integrity during the harsh conditions expected by industry. To achieve balance between disassemblability and reliability, the adhesion strength of the overmolded encapsulant was tuned using vias in the coating design. To the author's best knowledge, this is the first time design-for-recycling principles were successfully applied to such in-mold structural electronics devices. Accelerated lifetime tests at 85 °C/85% relative humidity for 1000 consecutive hours were conducted to study the reliability of devices realized with this design-for-recycling method. Mechanical disassembly of molded devices proceeded uniformly along the intended interface of NADL with molded polycarbonate resin and exposed the printed Ag and surface-mounted components, thereby demonstrating the possibility to perform subsequent and dedicated recycling on plastics and metals separately. • Dismantlable printed electronics; design-for-recycling method using non-adhering dismantling layers. • Adhesion of injection-molded polycarbonate made tunable by coating design. • Trade-off between recyclability and reliability; promising outcome for water-based non-adhering dismantling layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy label improvements for refrigerated counters are evaluated using simulations. • Improvements are evaluated based on compressor power and product temperature. • 70% reduction of the compressor power can be attained. • Reduction of the compressor power infers higher product temperature fluctuations. • Tradeoff between power consumption and temperature fluctuation should be identified. Small scale hermetic compressors with built-in frequency converters for compressor speed adjustment are an emerging technology on the commercial market. These compressor technologies offer the ability to impose innovative compressor control strategies, such as variable speed drive or adaptive energy optimization, for small scale commercial refrigeration systems. These strategies may both reduce power consumption and increase the temperature stability of the stored goods. Both of which are a necessity for the refrigerators to abide EU regulations 2015/1095 and 2015/1094 of 5 May 2015 and thus pass the test described in EN 16825. The influence of the applied compressor control strategy was investigated in combination with improvements to the cabinet envelope and improvements to the condenser and evaporator design. The investigation was performed using a validated dynamic model of a refrigerated counter using R290 and R600a, under the EN 16825 test conditions. Both variable speed drive and adaptive energy optimization yield significant reductions in power consumption compared to the conventional On-Off control. A more constant product temperature was achieved by variable speed drive, while the product temperature fluctuated slightly more when applying adaptive energy optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic is the most pervasive type of marine litter and is found in all of the world's oceans and seas, even in remote areas far from human activities. In Australia, evidence has demonstrated that plastic pollution in the oceans is a serious threat to marine life and the marine environment more generally. In response to the adverse effects of marine plastic pollution, the Australian Commonwealth and state government's focus on plastics has shifted from a linear 'take-make-dispose-of' economy to a more circular economy approach. This study identifies different policy strategies that align with the 4R framework (Reduce, Recycle or Reuse and Recover) of a circular economy for plastics and provides estimates of the public's Willingness to Pay (WTP) for the reduction of plastics in marine waters. The results, from our Australian case study, indicate a preference for Redesigning and Recovering approaches over Recycling or Reuse policies. Results indicate a WTP of $7.52 to $23.50 for attributes based upon redesign and a $0.84 to $0.87 range for attributes based upon recovery at the household level. The findings of this study are useful for policy makers focused on the reduction of marine plastic pollution and strengthening a circular economy for plastics. • Sampled Australians have a wide range of preferences for ways to reduce marine plastics. • Redesigning products and Recovering plastics preferred over more Recycling options. • Half of sampled Australians have negative mean WTP for machine sorting facilities. • Sampled Australians support extending Deposit Refund Schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing environmental awareness of citizens, sustainable fashion has become a hot topic in industry, academia, and society. The importance of product eco-design (ED) in ensuring the sustainability of organizations and supply chains cannot be overstated. This paper aims to establish an eco-design performance evaluation system and identify the most effective management mechanism. To achieve this goal, a linked two-stage network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model is developed. This model has a well-defined internal structure and potential causal relationships between variables; and the two stages are Internal and Supplier Management (ISM) and Openness and Collaboration (OC). We analyze stage and overall efficiencies using proactive, reactive, and simultaneous approaches. Additionally, we explore the convergence characteristics of the industry's ED efficiency from 2015 to 2018. The results show that the overall ED efficiency of fashion enterprises is significant when considering the interrelatedness of subsystems. However, there is disharmony between the two stages. As the proactive approach, ISM is the optimal strategy to maximize ED efficiency. On the other hand, OC is critical to eco-design performance. This paper contributes to the existing literature by developing an innovative DEA analytical framework for evaluating eco-design performance. It also identifies the most eco-efficient way to achieve better environmental performances, which allows decision-makers to better allocate their design efforts and improve both short- and long-term corporate sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Eco-friendly e-paper derived entirely from recycled newspaper. • e-paper made conductive with polyaniline (PANi) functionalization. • Devices showcase impressive energy production capabilities on touch interactive. • e-paper explored as a flexible, wide-range pressure sensor with high sensitivity. • Tech integration allows IoT-ready sensors with wireless modules. This study focuses on developing multifunctional electronic paper (e-paper) using a low-cost recycling method to minimize the usage of critical raw materials. The e-paper is designed for various smart applications, such as mechano-responsive energy harvesters and pressure sensors. The emphasis is on adopting an eco-friendly approach by utilizing cellulose extracted from used newspapers, which would otherwise have been discarded. The formulated e-paper contains 100 % recycled cellulose fibers, unlike the more commonly used recycled paper, which contains around 70 % of recycled cellulose and 30 % of new pulp. The recycled paper (RP) was functionalized using polyaniline (PANi), resulting in a conductive e-paper, capable of generating electric current through a charge transfer mechanism at the PANi-Cellulose/electrode interface layer. The resulting devices demonstrate satisfactory energy production, with output voltage ranging from 16.8 to 20.25 V, output current ranging from 0.9 µA to 1.75 µA, and power density ranging from 0.18 to 0.35 Wm−2. The mechanical impulses generated by the device can successfully light up several LEDs in series. Additionally, the e-paper was investigated as a flexible, paper-based pressure sensor. The fabricated device exhibited excellent sensitivity, fast response time, and a wide detection range from 25 Pa to 12.25 kPa. The sensitivity of the pressure sensors achieved 4.21 kPa−1 within a low range of 0–1 kPa and approximately 0.008 kPa-1for a broader pressure range (2 – 12.25 kPa). Additionally, the durability of the pressure sensing devices has undergone rigorous testing, surpassing 2000 cyclic tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new sustainable ceramic formulations that incorporate industrial waste is a practice that meets the efficiency and sustainability criteria that today's society demands for an industry with high energy and non-renewable mineral sources consumption. In this research, fired electrical porcelain scrap (chamotte waste) was recycled and reused in the porcelain stoneware manufacture, partially replacing the quartz and feldspar from the triaxial system at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 wt%. The experimental samples were obtained after uniaxial pressing of ceramic mixture powders at 30 MPa and firing at 1260 °C following a fast-firing process (90 min cold to cold). The technological properties were studied by bulk density, apparent porosity, linear shrinkage, water absorption, cold crushing strength, and Vickers microhardness. The microstructural aspects and the amount of crystalline and amorphous phases in the ceramic bodies were analyzed by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The best technical characteristics were achieved with the incorporation of 15 wt% of chamotte in the new ceramic formulations, yielding a density value of 2.41 g/cm3, and percentages of linear shrinkage and water absorption of 11.2 and 0.08 %, respectively, as well as mechanical resistance of 314.94 MPa and microhardness of 7.07 GPa. The mechanical resistance achieved by the experimental sample containing 15 wt% of chamotte waste means six times the value obtained by the control sample (0 wt% of chamotte addition) and was attributed to a higher mullite phase content and well-dispersed crystals (primary and secondary mullite) in the ceramic body. The results suggest and advance in the design and development of a best-performance porcelain stoneware materials elaborated by a sustainable and ecological route. [Display omitted] • The higher mechanical strength was for 15 wt% chamotte containing samples. • The mechanical strength improvement was attributed to higher mullite concentrations. • Chamotte containing samples are highly attractive to produce sustainable tiles. • Chamotte containing tiles are an economic and environmental alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper was to investigate the ability of an eco-friendly luminescent xerogel prepared by chitosan crosslinking with a phenothiazine luminogen to detect and remove heavy metals. Its ability to give a divergent morphological and optical response towards fifteen environmental relevant metals was investigated by naked eye and UV lamp, fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A distinct response was noted for mercury, consisting in the transformation of the xerogel into a rubber-like material accompanied by the red shifting of the color of emitted light from yellow-green to greenish-yellow domain. The particularities of the metals anchoring into the xerogel were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The morphological changes and the metal uptake were analyzed by SEM-EDAX, swelling and gravimetric methods. It was concluded that mercury has a superior affinity towards this heteroatoms rich system, leading to a secondary crosslinking. This directed a great absorption capacity of 1673 mg/g and a specific morphological response for mercury ion concentrations up to 0.001 ppm. • A luminescent organic xerogel was investigated for heavy metal detection and removal. • The xerogel showed a distinct morphological behavior towards mercury ions. • This was sensible and selective over a large series of environment relevant metals. • This was attributed to a secondary morphology due to a supplementary crosslinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cleaning phase is seldom included in the eco-design of food processes, since few cleaning kinetics models exist. The goal of this study was to investigate benefits of including a cleaning kinetics model, which considers three major operating parameters of cleaning (concentration, temperature and flow rate), in the eco-design of a food process. To this end, we developed an eco-design approach for a dairy evaporator process that includes both production and cleaning phases. A cleaning kinetics model was selected to predict cleaning duration as a function of the operating parameters of cleaning. Cleaning duration also depends on the fouling surface density, which depends on the duration of the production phase. Fouling surface density was predicted using three hypothetical fouling kinetics laws. After optimization, environmental and economic improvements were observed in process performance. The evaporation process is optimized at a high cleaning temperature (95 °C), a flow-rate similar to that used during the production phase and a low caustic soda concentration (<2%). This study highlights that to optimize food processes in a more precise way, cleaning kinetics should be included and used to identify parameters that influence performance of the overall process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early product development phases are decisive to determine the environmental impacts of an aircraft during its life cycle. In order to reduce overall environmental impacts, the designers and engineers must be able to assess the consequences of their design choices. In this research, an aircraft eco-design tool was developed to support the decision-making process during the aircraft conceptual design phase. The tool uses a streamlined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to calculate cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of the aircraft's life cycle using its design parameters and the ecoinvent database as inputs. The tool performs Uncertainty Analysis via Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS), giving the practitioner insight on the distribution and uncertainty of the results. Input parameters are fitted to Beta-PERT distributions and randomly sampled for each iteration of the MCS. The tool was used to analyze different concepts for a freighter aircraft and a "what-if" scenario, the manufacturing of a composite airframe. The results are coherent with other LCA studies, showing predominance of the operation life cycle stage in all midpoint and endpoint indicators. Furthermore, visualizing the results as distributions rather than single values is of key importance in the decision-making process. The tool is demonstrated to be a versatile eco-design asset for evaluation and comparison of aircraft environmental impacts during the conceptual design phase and may contribute to designing aircraft with minimal environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing environmental impacts from the earliest stages of products/ systems design is a major challenge. We suggest a paradigm shift, which involves a hybrid ecodesign approach based on the modelling of systems by constraints based on the Constraint Satisfaction Problem formalism with more traditional environmental assessment methods to decide which design choices to be made. This approach has been applied to characterize a product architecture of a vacuum cleaner focusing on the durability of the products. Then attractiveness of the product has been optimized on 3 functions leading to a functional negotiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicle (EV) batteries vary from electrode materials, cell packaging to modular configuration. The tradeoffs between their environmental, functional and economical performances are inevitable and essential to achieve the sustainable development of EVs. This study proposed an optimization framework to streamline the modeling processes of eco-design optimization for EV batteries. In this framework, an architecture of life cycle simulation (LCS) model for EV batteries is established to assess the environmental performance of various design schemes. The framework and architecture supply the quantitative environmental insights of the EV batteries and aid in the decision-making of EV battery design. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 27th CIRP Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) Conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, more and more students feel a lack of teaching development for sustainability topics in their curriculum. In French engineering schools or universities most of training courses do not answer to this challenge because they modestly include the question of sustainability in their curricula. Companies also strongly evolve in their industrial strategy in order to integrate environmental, economic and social perspectives and criteria in their product development process. Thus, they are looking for new skills by recruiting young technicians and engineers. The question arises how can be improved the integration of basics of sustainable engineering in trainings rooted in technical knowledge. To start addressing such a question, we propose in this paper a skill crossover matrix. Later, this matrix will evolve toward guidelines which may allow combining specific knowledge of eco-design skills and cross-disciplinary competencies. First, we conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify fundamental skills and knowledge associated to sustainable development approach in engineering and then specifically focusing on ecodesign. Second, we have confronted advanced technical skills from engineer's framework to cross-disciplinary skills in order to identify which connection could be possible. Then, we propose a survey with different academic profiles at different levels of training courses in the French education system. This allow us to clearly define what means eco-design teaching for them to compare expectations with reality on the academic ground. Last, we identified which skills need to be developed. This maturity assessment will allow us to define basis for guidelines which must help later teachers in engineering and technology to create and define their own fundamental and training content for ecodesign. Furthermore, this tool will also allow students to have a better vision over of their progress in skill growing level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor pollutants are well documented and monitored due to existing air quality regulations in many parts of the world. However, as information regarding indoor air quality is still limited, there are not enough information for indoor air pollutants. Indoor air quality pollutants are harmful to human health and are especially dangerous to vulnerable populations, such as elderly people and children. The effects of indoor environment and indoor air pollutants on children and the elderly are being studied worldwide. Ultimately, this paper highlights the prospect of remodeling wood interior, an indoor air pollutants reduction strategy that will help improve indoor air quality and public health. Wood is an environmentally friendly building material with low thermal conductivity and humidity control, and wood interior remodeling can protect people's health from indoor air pollutants. In this paper, twelve indoor air quality factors were measured: comfort factor (temperature and relative humidity), particulate matter, biological pollutants (total airborne bacteria), Airborne asbestos fibers, and chemical pollutants (carbon monoxide and dioxide, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, radon, ozone and nitrogen oxides). The average value of the indoor air quality factors for 12 welfare facilities is as follows. The average particulate matter was less than 12μg/㎥, the average of carbon dioxidewas 754.2 ppm, the formaldehyde was 46.6μg/㎥, the volatile organic compounds was 335.0μg/㎥, the total airborne bacteria was 37.8 CFU/㎥and the radon was 59.5Bq/㎥. As a result, almost all of the measurement locations were found to satisfy the international indoor air quality guidelines. It is thus judged that interior remodeling using wood can improve the indoor air quality of welfare facilities, and that it is necessary to constantly measure indoor air quality for accurate indoor air quality analysis. • Twelve welfare facilities were remodeled using wood materials. • Twelve indoor air quality factors include biological pollutants were measured. • The PM value can be lowered when the room interior is remodeled with wood. • The higher the quantity of wood used, the lower the concentration of HCHO. • This paper established a basis for the improvement of IAQ with wood remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production and transformation have an increasing impact on the environment. Tools to help the agri-food industry improving its environmental performance whilst increasing the value of the products are highly needed. The present study proposes a new approach to calculate eco-efficiency that goes beyond the production costs, but accounts for the functional value of the foodstuff. Instead of using the monetary unit as the product value, we propose value-based metrics closer to consumer interests, such as content of functional nutrients, taste and abatement of harmful substances. The approach was applied to evaluate the eco-efficiency of de-acidified cranberry juice by two alternative technologies in Quebec: ion-exchange resin process and de-acidification by electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane. Both are compared to non-de-acidified cranberry juice. The parameters chosen to quantify cranberry juice are polyphenol content, product taste, and percentage of harmful acid removed. Results show ion-exchange resin de-acidified juice is less eco-efficient than non-de-acidified cranberry juice for polyphenol content and product taste indicator but shows better results for the removed harmful acid parameter. The electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane technology allows the extraction of organic acids in a usable form. We evaluated their re-utilization in four different contexts showing that this context choice might have a key impact on the eco-efficiency conclusion. The most eco-efficient scenario is the utilization of the removed acid in dried cranberry production with the addition of sugar beet. By using an approach closer to consumers' interests, eco-efficiency results can be more relevant for decision making in the context of cleaner production, particularly when the monetary value is not reliable. • This paper compares two deacidification processes for cranberry juice production. • Environmental performances are evaluated with life cycle assessment analysis. • Functional value is assessed in terms of taste, organic acid, polyphenol content. • The electrodialysis process is more eco-efficient compared to the resin process. • Using functional value allows overcoming the shortcomings of the cost analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To face up abiotic resource depletion and other environmental issues as climate change due to usual fossil-based chemical production technologies, some alternative strategies have been developed using renewable resources. To produce such bio-based chemicals, renewable raw materials such as cereal crops or vegetables are currently used. To promote an environmental responsible practice, organic waste could be a relevant alternative to these dedicated crops. BIORARE technology is an innovative concept based on coupling an anaerobic digestion plant processing with bioelectrosynthesis in order to produce a range of chemicals from organic waste. Even if bioelectrosynthesis processes are not yet technologically mature; it is appropriate to consider the credibility of this emerging technology in environmental terms thanks to an eco-design approach. This eco-design approach is based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. A LCA of biosuccinic acid production thanks to BIORARE technology has been carried out and has been combined with sensitivity analysis. The aim of this strategy is to ensure that sensitive parameters are identified and adjusted in order to make the technology the more eco-friendly possible whilst maintaining good economy efficiency. The present study describes the identification and optimisation of key parameters of the BIORARE technology applied for succinic acid production. These key parameters and their range of variation are chosen according to a realistic strategy allowing the control of the BIORARE technology on an industrial scale. The results show that the current density applied during the bioelectrosynthesis and the hydrolysis yield during the pre-treatment of the waste stream are key variables in the optimisation between production efficiency and the environmental footprint. The environmental efficiency of the process was studied by applying the eco-efficiency ratio. When the production of biosuccinic acid using the BIORARE technology was compared to a reference scenario, better overall eco-efficiency was shown despite some environmental penalties. In parallel, when the same study was performed for bioethanol production a low efficiency was revealed without environmental penalties. Image 1 • Environmental biorefinery can produce bio-succinic acid from organic wastes. • Eco-design through life cycle assessment helps identifying sensitive parameters. • Trade-offs exist between production efficiency and environmental burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of design has come of age and the new design approaches that look at the rapid change and short life cycles of products is taking the centre stage. Competitiveness and the cost of products determine the lifeline of an organisation. The traditional machine tools such as the dedicated and flexible machines are designed on the principle of machine design. The development of reconfigurable machines seeks a new approach to design that not only encompasses the existing approaches but should include new design approaches as well. The success of a designed product maybe measured by the capability of the system that produces it. It is critical when designing a product that the organisation's technological and manufacturing system capabilities be considered as failure to do so may lead to production designs that are not manufacturable. A good design system ensures quick delivery of a quality, reliable and safe product. This research therefore seeks to develop an integrated approach to design that incorporates design for manufacturing, design for assembly, concurrent engineering, eco-design and reconfigurable design as critical components for reconfigurable machine tool. Literature on these systems was reviewed to integrate the different design paradigms. The results of the study give a new approach to a reconfigurable machine design based on the integration of the five design approaches and their impact in the life cycle of a product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Green practices are actions whose main objective is to increase SC eco-efficiency. • The literature also uses the broader term Sustainable Supply Chain Management. • In the cases, the most contributory practice is the environmental strategy. • The study analyzes 21 green practices confirmed by the literature and by the cases. • The main managerial implication is a roadmap to improve eco-efficiency in SC. The purpose of this article is to present a qualitative model that allows researchers and practitioners to analyze activities that can contribute to eco-efficiency in the context of Green Supply Chain Management. A literature review identified 21 green practices, organized in four groups using cluster analysis: collaboration, innovation, operation, and mitigation. Practices and aspects of these were embedded into a model, which was tested in four companies in the footwear industry. Each practice was analyzed and appraised regarding how the activity contributes to the overall eco-efficiency in the supply chain. The most contributory practice is the existence of a specific strategy to deal with environmental impact. The most contributory aspect is mitigation. The companies in the sample predominantly demonstrate a reactive attitude in facing the challenges posed by eco-efficiency, which can help managers to formulate a new strategic approach to improve eco-efficiency. The main scientific value added by the article is a structured reference model to help practitioners and scholars analyze how green practices can improve eco-efficiency in the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Proposed a decision-support system for sustained estimation of biological wastewater treatment (BWTT). • Life cycle assessment was linked with water quality model and conjoint analysis. • Not in all cases could increase treatment intensities for achieving net environmental improvement. • Natural self-purification capacity could partly replace the functions of BWTT. • Stakeholders would shift their evaluation emphasis with the changes of decision scenarios. Abstract Deep treatment is a common approach to enhance pollutant removal for biological wastewater treatment technologies (BWTTs), and life cycle assessment (LCA) holds substantial advantages to support process optimization. However, there lacks of LCA-based benchmarks that cover human-nature nexuses and stakeholder involvement, which limits the guidance and eco-design of BWTTs. This study proposed a decision-support system (DSS) by linking LCA with Water Quality Model and Conjoint Analysis. Three major findings were identified based on a demonstrative case (constructed wetland bioaugmented by dosing different microbial inocula): (1) Increasing bacterial intensities would achieve net environmental improvement, but it might not apply to all cases; (2) Making full use of natural self-purification capacity could partly replace the functions of BWTTs; (3) Stakeholders would concern aquatic environmental improvement when receiving river that had limited environmental capacity. Overall, the DSS provided a data-driven platform for screening options before determinations were made to constrain wastewater treatment sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-design is a design paradigm aiming to the development of sustainable products. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is considered an eco-design tool able to assess the product environmental performances through a life cycle perspective. However, LCA shows some limitations in industry's daily practice and cannot be considered a standard for implementing eco-design. The paper aims to describe the implementation of a novel eco-design teaching approach involving company's employees from different technical departments. LCA analysis of company's product portfolio allowed to create a specific eco-knowledge, used to train designers and engineers on this subject for the implementation of eco-design actions during the development of new products (espresso coffee machine). Results highlighted relevant learning outcomes and significant improvements in terms of environmental sustainability of a new product design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the arrival of the era of big data, large amounts of information need to be stored and computed. The complicated data analysis makes it impossible to extract, select and apply knowledge of eco-design in a short time. Considering the dynamics and reliability in the design process, this paper presents an approach to accelerate eco-design by establishing an active push system. The system mainly includes the following parts: the user design capability model, the database module (enterprise database, ecological design repository), the resource matching module, active push module, machine learning module. At last the design process of automobile transmission is used to explain the validity and rationality of the system. The test shows the system can reduce design time and optimize the design process when the product characteristics are related to ecological design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sustainability has become an undeniable aspect of corporate dealings this day and age. The advent of Corporate Social Responsibility as a morally sound issue has been caught up by market-oriented, profit-driven motivations for 'greening' the business. Also, new generations of professionals are growing up more environmentally aware than ever and eager to put their beliefs and attitudes into practice. This study explores the role of individual sustainability competences in eco-design building projects of small- and medium sized enterprises in the Netherlands. Building projects of multiple case companies have been investigated, in search of sustainability competences needed to deal with issues and problems during the process. A total number of 39 incidents were analyzed for the role of individual sustainability competences. Individual sustainability competences played a specific role in different phases and characteristic aspects of the building projects: the initial inspiration for eco-design; project development; and the involvement of stakeholders. However, not all individual sustainability competences appeared during the process. The most apparent competences were related to strategic management and action, diversity, interdisciplinarity, and interpersonal aspects. Systems thinking competence and foresighted thinking competence occurred considerably less in the incidents, while normative competence was only mentioned once. Respondents choose to merge normative dimensions of their behavior with the strategic and action-oriented dimensions. These findings confirm earlier theoretical conceptualizations of a virtuous competence for sustainability, and leads to further questions about the specific role and definition of normative competence in business and (higher) education settings. Highlights • Individual sustainability competences in small-and medium sized enterprises. • Importance of strategic action, interdisciplinary and interpersonal approach. • Normative competence not mentioned to be of importance during the process. • Managers prefer strategic- and action oriented dimensions over normative competence. • Study confirms theoretical conceptualization of virtuous sustainability competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The sustainability benefits of using solar cookers in developing countries have been analysed widely in the literature. However, the sustainability potential of solar cookers in developed economies has not been explored yet, which is the topic of this paper. Three types of solar cooker – box, panel and parabolic – were built as part of this research, using mostly (>70%) reused household materials. Their life cycle environmental and economic performance was analysed and compared to conventional microwaves. The results were first considered at the level of individual cookers and then scaled up to the levels of a city, region and country, considering a conservative (10%) uptake of solar cookers in substitution of microwaves. The contribution of home-made solar cookers to a circular economy and their social sustainability were also analysed. Spain was used as an illustrative example to demonstrate the potential sustainability benefits of using solar cookers in developed countries. The results suggest that, in comparison with microwaves, they could reduce annual life cycle costs by up to 40% and environmental impacts by up to 65%, including greenhouse gas emissions. At the national level, 42,600 t of CO 2 eq. would be avoided annually while the consumption of primary energy would be reduced by 860 TJ. Furthermore, the electricity consumption would decrease by 67 GWh/yr and 4200 t/yr of household waste would be avoided. If solar cookers were built entirely by reusing household materials, up to €23.2 million could be saved per year. Finally, the development of craft activities to build and repair the cookers can help people to engage socially and reduce stress, thus enhancing their social wellbeing. It can also increase people's awareness of a more sustainable use of resources. Therefore, home-made solar cookers represent a promising opportunity to motivate behavioural changes towards a circular economy and sustainability in developed countries. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The benefits of using home-made solar cookers instead of microwaves are evaluated. • GHG emissions and waste generation can be reduced by 42.6 kt and 4.2 kt annually. • Around 67 GWh of electricity and €23.2 million can be saved each year. • Social engagement in building and using solar cookers can enhance social wellbeing. • They can motivate behavioural changes towards circular economy and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The automobile industry is demanding new car components to reduce vehicle emissions and increase efficiency. Lightweighting strategies are the most followed by manufacturers to reduce the weight and fuel consumption of vehicles. In this study, an innovative signal cable solution for the wire harnesses of vehicle is analysed through a life cycle assessment (LCA) and benchmarked with the replaced cable. The innovative cable is made up of a copper-tin alloy, while the traditional cable is made of copper. Both products are twisted and insulated with plasticised polyvinyl chloride. The new cable reduces the weight and volume by 53% and 41%, respectively, compared to the traditional cable. The production of raw and ancillary materials was found to be the main impact contributor, mainly due to the production of the conductive and insulation materials. Similarly, electricity consumption was the main impact carrier for the manufacturing stage. The environmental burdens obtained for the innovative cable were, on average, 54% lower than those obtained for the replaced one. Additionally, the potential marginal gains for the automobile industry were evaluated in terms of fuel consumption reduction, which is linked to vehicle weight, and the derived emissions, obtaining a significant exhaust emission reduction of 160 kg CO 2 eq when compared to the baseline scenario. Finally, the LCA of these products was decisively influenced by the consumption of raw materials and, therefore, the reduction of the thickness of the wire makes the cables considerably more sustainable from an environmental point of view. Highlights • Innovative cable reduces the amount of materials consumed and the cable weight • The reduction of the cable weight results in lower environmental impacts • Raw and ancillary material production is the main impact carrier • The lightweighting cable leads to a reduction in vehicle fuel consumption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this paper is to explore what challenges exist when setting requirements for an Integrated Product Service Offering (IPSO). An IPSO, sometimes called Product Service System, is a concept with increased interest from manufacturing companies. It consists of a combination of products and services that, based on a life cycle perspective, have been integrated to fit targeted customer needs. In order to achieve a successful IPSO, it is important to collect aspects from many actors, something which sometimes is challenging for companies moving towards providing IPSOs. The four challenges found when setting requirements in IPSO development are; identification and inclusion of relevant aspects from relevant actors throughout the IPSO’s life cycle, understanding of the underlying aspects for all requirements for all elements of the offering, prioritization of requirements, and the difficulty to track how requirements affect each other between different elements in the IPSO. The methodology used to find these challenges was a combination of a structured literature review and an interview study at three manufacturing companies moving towards providing IPSOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is a developing country characterized by a growing industrialization, which is the major cause of environmental pollution in the country. To control the significant increase in pollution a green incentive has started, aiming to moderate the adverse effects of environmental pollution. Thus, Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) plays an important role in influencing the total environment impact of any organizations. This study considers ten Pakistani industries that have implemented GSCM practices. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory technique (DEMATEL) is used to find influential factors in selecting GSCM criteria. The results show that organizational involvement is the most important dimension useful to implement GSCM practices. In addition, commitment from senior managers, ISO 14000 certification of suppliers and recycle of waste heat are considered significant factors. The paper also signifies the casual relationship among the dimensions and the factors in the form of diagraphs. The main management implication of the paper is to help decision makers to focus on the critical dimensions/factors in order to implement the GSCM practices more effectively in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is a growing body of research investigating the technical feasibility and nutritional properties of insect based feeds (IBFs), thus far little attention has been devoted to gauge the economic implications of implementation. This study has investigated the economic performance of ex-ante modelled IBF production systems operating in the geographical context of West Africa. A Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis of recently published life cycle inventory (LCI) data served as a basis to analyse and compare the economic performances of IBF production systems using Musca domestica and Hermetia illucens reared on different substrates. To gauge the application potential of IBF in West Africa, estimated breakeven sale prices of IBFs were benchmarked against the customary market prices of conventional feeds. The results show that the economic performance of IBF production in West Africa is largely determined by the costs attributed to labour and the procurement of rearing substrates, attesting economic advantages to the production of M. domestica larvae by measure of breakeven price (1.28–1.74 EUR/kg IBF) and LCC (1.72–1.99 EUR/kg IBF). A comparison of the breakeven sale prices of IBF with market prices of conventional feeds suggest that IBF has potential to substitute imported fishmeal, but findings offer no support for conjectured economic advantages over plant based feeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building life cycle assessment (LCA) aims at guiding decision towards more sustainable alternatives of a building project. But, in order to successfully reduce the high environmental impacts of the building sector, the results of building LCA have to be robust. Sensitivity analysis (SA) helps at investigating the sources of uncertainty and variability in a model and assessing the results' robustness. Choosing an adapted SA method remains difficult: using the more precise SA methods would require a too large calculation time, particularly for an application in early design phase. In this paper, the most influential factors of building LCA tools, linked with energy simulation tools, were investigated using screening and global SA methods that are compatible with the building LCA fields. The relative influence of the uncertain factors served as a metric to compare more precisely the results given by this large panel of methods. The results show that despite their different precision vs computational cost compromises, all the methods identified the same set of influential factors. In the studied case of a passive single family house, they consisted in the building lifetime, the electricity production mix and factors affecting the energy consumption. However, the relative influence of the factors differed. Two new method adaptations were investigated in order to obtain precise results in a reasonable simulation time. The adaptation of the Plackett and Burman (PB) screening performed well compared to the reference method (Sobol indices), as the same set of influential factors was always identified in a calculation time divided by almost 30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the impact of technology on society has been widely studied in the literature, few studies have proposed a practical approach directly engaging stakeholders, including designers and engineers, in the development of new products and services. Within the degrowth movement, some approaches criticizing the western model of development suggest original criteria that could be integrated in the design process. The current study seeks to analyze the conviviality concept of Ivan Illich (1973) to develop a new framework for designers. To that end, current design literature and four industrial case studies were analyzed according to the five main threats to conviviality: the biological degradation of the ecosystem, radical monopoly, over-programming, polarization, and obsolescence. As a result, this paper proposes a framework that includes two guidelines: one for product scope and another for the socio-technical system scope. The guidelines are composed of a set of recommendations that emerge from the relationship between the threats to conviviality and life cycle stages of a product or service. These recommendations allow designers and engineers to better approach the complexity of the design process and co-create a strong sustainable society with stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term product improvement requires detailed analysis that includes information from the entire product life cycle. Life cycle assessment according to the standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 provides information on the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle. The aim of the study is to analyze the environmental impact of a multicomponent plastic product in two variants and the associated customized tools using life cycle assessment. The subject of this analysis is the previous and the improved design of a multicomponent plastic cap for 19 l water bottles and the associated custom-manufactured tools. The main improvements of the custom-made tools are in the larger number of cores, and the new cap design was improved with fewer components and mass. The results show that the production and packaging of the improved multicomponent plastic cap has more than two times lower environmental impacts in the categories of global warming potential, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial acidification ozone formation, human health and non reneweable, fossil. The environmental impact of custom injection moulding tools is strongly influenced by the capacity of the injection moulding machine and the number of cores or number of products that can be produced in a batch. In addition, the results of the improved 19 l multicomponent plastic cap showed a lower environmental impact compared to previous studie of the 5 l plastic cap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Digitization of 3D allergenicity data set. • Way of representing potential allergenicity in 3D maps. • Eco-design for reducing exposure and building healthier environment. It is essential to study the air quality of modern urban areas to improve the tolerance to health issues related to allergenicity in cities. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology for representing allergenicity by applying the Urban Green Zone Allergenicity Index (I UGZA) to urban environments and producing 3D maps. This study is based on an inventory of green infrastructure with information obtained through fieldwork and from accurate images of the actual conditions such as orthophotos and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) clouds of points, which were used in the production of 3D maps. The inventory data were stored and georeferenced in a Geographic Information System (GIS) model, which was also used to extract geometrical information for the I UGZA index calculation. The allergenicity results from the index application are represented in the GIS model and exported to the Google Earth map system. The developed methodology was applied to a park (25 ha of surface) on the right margin of the Guadiana River in Badajoz (Spain). An I UGZA value of 0.093 was obtained for the inventory index calculation and 0.063 for the calculation method developed using GIS. Furthermore, two reduction-of-exposure simulations were performed to recalculate the I UGZA values, and successful results were obtained. The results showed that the proposed methodology provides an effective technique of representing potential allergenicity in 3D maps as an eco-design to reduce exposure to urban green infrastructure and to build a healthier environment in construction engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]