CASE STUDY

Eco Design – A Simple Definition

Eco design is both a principle and an approach. It consists of integrating environmental protection criteria over a service or a product’s lifecycle. The main goal of eco design is to anticipate and minimize negative environmental impacts (of manufacturing, using and disposing of products). Simultaneously, eco design also keeps a product’s quality level according to its ideal usage.

The principles of eco design where formally published in 2002 and they can be found in ISO/TR14062.

Source: Image by pexels.com

The Eco Design Approach

Eco design is part of a global approach called “multi-step” and “multi-criteria”. This approach supports a product’s entire lifecycle in a circular economy perspective by saving and recycling at maximum natural resources. It has to do with considering specific criteria in different stages:

Successive stages:

• Raw material extraction and supply
• Manufacturing
• Product distribution
• Consumer use
• End of life (recovery and recycling)

Main criteria taken into account:

• Consumption of raw materials
• Energy consumption
• Releases in the natural environment and other pollutions
• Climatic impacts
• Impacts on biodiversity

Some goals and principles are specifically about:

• Using fewer materials and resources for manufacturing products
• Using materials and resources obtained with a minimum environmental impact
• Producing the least waste and pollution possible
• Reducing the ecological impacts of distribution
• Making reusing and recycling easier by intelligent design that makes disassembly easy

An eco design approach involves the organization that extracts materials as well as manufacturing. All the people and structures involved along the rest of a product’s lifecycle, such as retailers or consumers, are also included. And all the processes along a product’s value-chain are covered too.

Tools For Eco-Design

eco design example principles

Before implementing an eco-design approach, we first need to find out first which are the most environmentally relevant stages of a product’s lifecycle. Questions like “are the materials used biodegradable?” or “is the energy used for extraction renewable?” should be asked. Answering them will allow the identification of measures that need to be taken to effectively reduce the environmental impacts of the product under analysis.

From a more individual perspective, eco-design can also be used in designing homes. In this scenario, eco-design is mostly about using renewable building materials like bamboo or cork, buying second-hand furniture or using recycled fiber carpets. At the same time, eco-design at home also has to do with using energy efficiently. In this way, using double pained glass windows for better insulation and investing in solar panels to generate energy are also usual.

Strategies to be implemented throughout the life cycle of the textile product

In today’s ever-evolving landscape of environmental consciousness and sustainability, the textile industry finds itself at a crossroads. As the demand for eco-friendly and socially responsible products grows, so too does the need for innovative strategies that span the entire life cycle of textile products. The quest for sustainable textiles has transcended being a mere trend; it has become a fundamental shift in the way we approach textile design, production, and consumption.

The implementation of strategies throughout the life cycle of a textile product is a visionary approach that recognizes the intricate web of environmental and social considerations inherent to the textile industry. From the moment raw materials are sourced to the eventual disposal or recycling of products, each stage of a textile product’s life journey presents unique opportunities and challenges.

These strategies are not just about reducing the environmental footprint; they encompass the entire spectrum of sustainability, encompassing ethical sourcing, responsible manufacturing, and empowering consumers to make eco-conscious choices.

Implementing strategies throughout the life cycle of a textile product is crucial for minimizing its environmental impact and promoting sustainability. Picture shows some key strategies to consider.

Source: Image created be LATIA

The textile-clothing eco-design wheel

The Textile-Clothing Eco-Design Wheel represents a dynamic approach to sustainability in the textile and clothing industry. It acknowledges the profound environmental and social impacts associated with the production of textiles and apparel and seeks to address these challenges through eco-design principles.

Source: Image by freepik

The “Eco-conception for responsible brands” guide from the French Federation of Women’s Ready-to-Wear, the French Federation of Men’s Clothing Industries and Promincor – French Lingerie presents an eco-conception wheel applicable to textile products. It identifies the points of attention at each stage of the life cycle.

Source: Image by ecodesingcircle.eu

Concept: strategy/management, design/style.

Materials: specifications, origin/type, quality.

Weight/volume: product, sizing/production/sales forecast, logistics.

Production: environmental management, process, localization, quality management, human rights/animal welfare.

Distribution : shops, distances, means of transport, packaging.

Use : adapted products, consumer messages, frequency, temperature, pollution.

Optimized life cycle: impact analysis, adaptability, sustainability, new services.

End of life: circularity, sector.

Eco-design isn’t just eco-friendly product label, it’s an evolving concept, that includes innovative design solution in products, service and production. This concept promotes changes of producers and customers behaviour.