Eco-Design is about incorporating environmental aspects as early as possible into the design process. Much like the financial costs of product development, 80% of the environmental costs of a product are determined in the first 20% of the design process. Considering environmental factors as early as possible can substantially improve the environmental performance of a product throughout its life cycle (extraction, transport, distribution, packaging, use, end of life) without jeopardising the existing design process and the mainstay specifications relating to cost, quality, functionality and aesthetics.
Eco-design highlights environmental life cycle hotspots and provides crucial decision making guidance for product developers. Impact areas that can be considered are material use, energy (direct use at different stages of the lifecycle or as a proxy for environmental impact), water, waste and/or carbon as a proxy for environmental impact of all operational activity. Giraffe have a flexible methodological tool box that can help organisations at different stages of the process and with different objectives. Giraffe can undertake the following Eco-Design activities:
- Eco-Design concepts;
- Environmental impact analysis, identification of hot spots;
- The formulation and evaluation of potential improvements;
- Support in stakeholder engagement and communication; and
- Eco-Design Training.
The Eco Design Club “Circular by Design” is launching in 2015. For more information, please get in contact.