TWI Frequently asked questions
by Anita Buxton
Eco-design is the process of designing products and selecting manufacturing processes - but with the environment in mind. Emphasis is placed on considering the entire lifecycle of a product, rather than simply focusing on methods of dealing with the end-of-life waste. Considerations include:
- energy required to extract/manufacture the raw material generation or use of pollutants and hazardous substances
- energy expended in manufacturing the product
- impact of weight reduction
- aspects such as durability, reparability and the potential for upgrades
- design for disassembly and recycling
