A case study of the adoption of a reference standard for ISO 14006 in the lift industry

Abstract The Spanish UNE 150301 standard was used as a basic reference point in paving the way for the ISO 14006 ecodesign standard. This article aims to analyze the pioneering UNE 150301 standard, as well as its adoption process and its practical results in the lift industry. Since the UNE 150301 standard is in a very early stage of dissemination, an empirical study based on a qualitative methodology has been designed. An exploratory case study has therefore been carried out with the participation of a company from the lift industry which is, in fact, the first Spanish industrial company to have adopted the aforementioned ecodesign standard. The company subjected to analysis has integrated ecoindicators into the design process to analyze the environmental impact of its products on each stage of their life cycle. Using these ecoindicators, the company has observed that the main impact is evident in the usage stage, due to energy consumption. The company has managed to improve products by means of a continuous improvement process, with reductions in terms of both cost and environmental impact. The adoption of the standard UNE 150301 can be a useful tool in reducing the environmental impact of the products and in obtaining some competitive advantages, such as cost reduction, improvement in energy efficiency of the product, and a better adaptation to laws and regulations