Integration of Design for Environmental Concepts in Product Life Cycle

In this chapter the most important Design for Environmental (DfE) concepts have been analyzed, taking into consideration the relations between Product Life Cycle aspects and Eco-Design process. Materials and methods have been proposed in order to analyze the integration between DfE aspects and Life Cycle Assessment techniques. A major benefit of the DfE methodology proposed in this work is the possibility to use LCA data both during new product development and when modifying old products, with the aim of continuously reducing the overall environmental impact of products during their life cycle. According to Crul and Diehl (Design for sustainability: a practical approach for developing economies. United Nations Environment Programme, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, Technische Universiteit Delft, 2006) we think the introduction of Sustainable Products as a process-oriented change in the mental attitude and activities of a business, embedded in the process of product innovation. It requires an understanding of the product’s environmental impact and an ability to envisage the options available to make improvements in this area.