The term ecological design<\/em> arose in the early 1970s. However, since 2005, the term Ecodesign often refers to the European Ecodesign Directive. Related design approaches include circular- and sustainable- design.<\/p>\n In this article, we will explain the fundamentals of Ecodesign, the current state of legislation, and how Ecodesign is put into practice.<\/p>\n [cta cta_id=“3187″]<\/p>\n Sustainability is commonly conceptualized as resting on three pillars: people, planet, and profit. Ecodesign focuses on the planet aspect,\u00a0 minimizing products\u2019 environmental impacts.<\/p>\n Ecodeisign has two siblings: Circular design and sustainable design<\/strong>. The circular design concept emphasizes \u201cno-raw-material-extractions, no-waste\u201d measures, aiming to keep materials in the economic loop. Sustainable design encompasses both ecodesign and circular design<\/a> and adds social considerations.<\/p>\n The environmental impacts of a product or service are measured with a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a methodology defined in ISO-14040. On the other hand, \u201csustainability\u201d and \u201ccircularity\u201d are harder to quantify than environmental impacts. Thus, among these three design approaches, ecodesign is the most strategic – what you can measure, you can compare and improve<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The quantifiability of Ecodesign can foster competitiveness: for example, in the reputable\u00a0 German Ecodesign award<\/a> (launched in 2013), LCA results are integrated into the design-evaluation process. In the Netherlands, public authorities favor construction projects<\/a> with lower expected environmental impacts.<\/p>\n In the EU, the importance of a full life cycle perspective has long been recognized. The European Ecodesign Directive\u00a0 (Directive 2009\/125\/EC) and its sister directive, the Energy Labelling Regulation, set standards for the performance of energy-intensive products<\/strong>. The energy labels you might know from your fridge and washing machine communicate products\u2019 performance concerning the standards.<\/p>\n Upcoming acts* to the Ecodesign directive go beyond energy – adding, for example, durability and repairability<\/a> criteria to a broader range of non-energy related products.<\/p>\n * Explore the EU’s long-term perspective on ecodesign regulation here<\/a>. Teaser: The broadest possible coverage of products, a digital product passport, and consumers\u2019 right to repair.<\/em><\/p>\n As of December 2023, the Ecodesign Directive covers 29 product groups<\/a>. The latest addition was the act on mobile phones and tablets<\/a> in June 2023, demanding product durability and repairability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The USA, Australia, Brazil, China, and Japan have legislation similar to the EU\u2019s Ecodesign Directive.<\/p>\n To protect consumers from misleading green claims, aka greenwashing, the EU is developing a new law<\/a> that will ban sustainability claims that are not based on transparent proof by the end of 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n While what constitutes proof still needs to be defined, LCA provides a strong, transparent basis for environmental claims. LCA also forms the basis of Environmental Product Declarations<\/a> (EPDs), which are one of the three types of environmental labeling mechanisms recognized by the International Standards Organization (ISO). In our guide, you can learn more about how these ISO norms<\/a> work.<\/p>\n So, what does Ecodesign look like in practice? Well, that depends on the life-cycle phase!<\/p>\n As shown in Figure 1, the entire life cycle of a product (cradle to grave) consists of five phases: raw material extraction, production, transport, use-phase, and waste processing.<\/p>\n Here are five examples of Ecodesign – one example per product life cycle phase!<\/p>\n Figure 1: The five product life cycle phases, and corresponding life cycle models.<\/p>\n The main goal of Ecodesign in the raw material phase is to use less or lower-impact materials to reduce the impact of our products.<\/p>\n Bamboo toothbrushes are a well-known example. Instead of plastic, which needs to be properly recycled and often ends up in landfills, bamboo toothbrushes can simply be composted. Bamboo is also a fast-growing, renewable commodity, unlike plastics.<\/p>\n According to an LCA study<\/a>, bamboo’s minimized material impacts lead to lower environmental impacts compared to a plastic toothbrush across most impact categories.<\/p>\n Waste and loss occur frequently during the processing of raw materials into products. In addition, energy and water are used in the manufacturing process.<\/p>\n Lightweight Containers, a manufacturer of beer kegs, reuses the waste created in the processing phase as a raw material in producing their products.<\/p>\n Their products contain 50% recycled material and are 86% recyclable<\/a>. This results in products with significantly reduced environmental footprints.<\/p>\n The transportation phase often plays a minor role in the overall impact of a product. However, changes in this process can contribute to an improved product footprint.<\/p>\n Source: Coolblue<\/p>\n The Dutch electronics store Coolblue delivers its products with colorful e-bikes instead of conventional, fossil-fueled shipping. This saved up to 366.000 kg CO2-equivalent<\/a> in 2022 in the transportation phase.<\/p>\n How do consumers use products? In fashion, most of a product\u2019s impact occurs in the use phase. Apparel items get washed, ironed, and dried. But even here, Ecodesign principles can help reduce a product\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n Source: Kickstarter \/ LABFRESH<\/p>\n Amsterdam-based startup LABFRESH<\/a> sells men\u2019s shirts that are stain-repellent and antibacterial. This way, the shirts are washed far less and can be worn for a week straight. This reduces the water and energy used for washing the shirts and significantly increases the lifespan of their products.<\/p>\n LABFRESH determined<\/a> that wearing their T-shirts daily instead of regular ones saves 334 liters of water and 7.8 kWh per year<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s a fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) or a product with a longer life cycle \u2013 products are eventually disposed of. Designing a product\u2019s eventual decay is a core task of Ecodesign.<\/p>\n MudJeans, a Dutch fashion company, has established many measures to make their products more circular. To reduce waste, they launched a leasing program for their jeans.<\/p>\n By using recyclable materials such as pure cotton and stainless steel, MudJeans<\/a> recycles its products at the end of their life cycles. This saved<\/a> 18,363 jeans from landfills and incineration in 2022. Producing new products from recycled fabrics closes the material loop, adhering to the cradle-to-cradle life cycle model (Image 1).<\/p>\n Basing design choices on popular conceptions of sustainability, such as \u201cglass is better than plastic\u201d, does not provide you with the proof that will soon be required for green claims<\/a>. And, more importantly, such conceptions are often wrong! Our case study<\/a>, for example, showed that using plastic packaging is more climate-friendly than glass.<\/p>\n The most sustainable design choices are revealed by environmental data – obtained through an LCA. For example, by creating LCAs of alternative scenarios<\/a> of bamboo and plastic toothbrushes, you can compare the environmental impacts in several impact categories across the entire life cycle.<\/p>\n Such comprehensive LCA results prevent us from falling into \u201ccarbon tunnel vision<\/a>\u201d. While you may prioritize climate protection, you don\u2019t want to unknowingly increase, for example, toxic effects on the environment or human health with your design measures.<\/p>\nEcodesign is measurable<\/h2>\n
European Ecodesign regulation<\/h2>\n
No green claims without proof<\/h3>\n
Ecodesign in practice: examples for each life cycle phase<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Product-Life-Cycle-Models-LCA.webp\")
<\/p>\n1. Raw Material Phase: Bamboo toothbrushes<\/h3>\n
![\"Bamboo](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/bamboo.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Processing Phase: Recycling of granules<\/h3>\n
![\"Key](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Screenshot-2019-08-12-at-17.24.24.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Transportation Phase: E-Bikes instead of fossil-fueled cars<\/h3>\n
![\"Coolblue](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/coolbluefietst-1024x682-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. Use Phase: Reducing washing of shirts<\/h3>\n
![\"LABFRESH](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/labfresh-1024x576-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Waste Phase: Making reusing and recycling easy<\/h3>\n
![\"Jeans\"](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/jeans.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow do you know your design is sustainable?<\/h2>\n
How can you start with Ecodesign?<\/h3>\n