Product ecodesign and materials: current status and future prospects

The aim of this paper is to discuss the current status of ecodesign in the industry and its future implications for materials. There is today more and more focus on the environmental impacts of products during their whole life cycle. In particular, ecodesign aims at integrating environmental aspects during the product's design process as any other criterion, in order to reduce the life cycle impacts. Although a lot of product environmental impact assessment and Design for Environment tools already exist, environmental aspects are unfortunately rarely routinely integrated into product development process in the industry. This is mainly due to the fact that current ecodesign tools are little adapted to designers' practices, requirements and competencies. After the sequential and DfX paradigms, design of products is today maturing into Integrated Design, where multiple points of views and expertise have to be considered at the same time to progressively define the product

Integration of resource efficiency and waste management criteria in European product policies – Second phase Report n° 3 - Refined methods and Guidance documents for the calculation of indices concerning Reusability / Recyclability / Recoverability, Recycled content, Use of Priority Resources, Use of Hazardous substances, Durability (final)

the report illustrates the refined methodologies for the assessment of: reusability/recyclability/recoverability-RRR, use of relevant resources, recycled content, use of hazardous substances, durability. Based on results of the previous project Phase 1, the methodologies have been revised according to the outcomes of their application to some exemplary case-studies .JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen

Analysis of durability, reusability and reparability - Application to washing machines and dishwashers

This report has been developed within the project “Technical support for Environmental Footprinting, material efficiency in product policy and the European Platform on LCA” (2013-2016) funded by the Directorate-General for Environment. It aims to address relevant topics in terms of material efficiency, such as durability, reusability and reparability, for two product groups: washing machines (WM) and dishwashers (DW). The first chapter is devoted the environmental assessment of durability of washing machines and dishwashers, by means of the “Resource Efficiency Assessment of PROducts – REAPro” method. The second chapter introduces a detailed analysis of the reuse of washing machines and dishwashers, in which the authors presents a new method for the environmental assessment of the reuse of products The third chapter provides a statistical analysis of repair services conducted on washing machines and dishwashers over the timeline 2009-2015. Based on the results and information provided in the three main chapters summarised above, the authors conclude this work with a final section, which conveys analyses into potential product recommendations for future policy discussion on durability, reusability and reparability of washing machines and dishwashers.JRC.D.3-Land Resource

Integration of resource efficiency and waste management criteria in European product policies – Second phase. Report n° 1. Analysis of Durability

The present report aims at: 1) identifying key issues concerning the durability of products; 2) analysing methods and standards for the assessment of durability; 3) identifying potential product’s policy criteria for durability. The report is subdivided in 3 Chapters: Chapter 1 analyses scientific publications and standards to identify potential methods for the assessment of the durability of products. Also potential approaches to extend the operating time of products have been illustrated. Chapter 2 applies the method for the environmental assessment of durability to two exemplary washing machines. Chapter 3 illustrates hot spots for durability of washing machines, meaning those key components/parts that are functionally critical for the lifetime of the product. The analysis has been based on researches published in scientific literature and feedback from stakeholders. Potential environmental benefits for the washing machine product group due to extension of product’s lifetime have been also estimatedJRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen

Integration of resource efficiency and waste management criteria in European product policies – Second phase. Report n° 2: Application of the project’s methods to three product groups

Analysis of new product groups : The report applies the project’s methodologies to some exemplary products in order to test their applicability, their relevance and usefulness at the product level and to draw some recommendations at the methodological level. The outcomes from the application of the methodologies have been used to identify and assess potentially relevant ecodesign requirements for three case-study product: imaging equipments, washing machines, LCD-TV.JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen

ILCD Data Network and ELCD Database: current use and further needs for supporting Environmental Footprint and Life Cycle Indicator Projects.

The aim of this report is to investigate the current use and needs of the ILCD DN and of the ELCD supporting the EF and the LC Indicator projects providing a coherent data basis increasing usability and consistent application in the European context. Some recommended future development have been investigated and reported as well in this report.JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen

Classifying resource efficiency indicators based on LCA practices

Our whole society depends on the use of natural resources. Despite the fact that most natural resources are limited, they are not always used in a sustainable way. To monitor the transition towards a more resource efficient society, a wide variety of indicators has been developed over the years, both within a policy context and an industrial context. However, these indicators are not univocally defined, which generates confusion about the real meaning of resource efficiency. Indeed, the term resource efficiency is interpreted in different ways: from the simple accounting of resource extraction to environmental impact assessment related to resource availability and provision of resources ; from the micro-level of products and companies to the macro-level of regions and countries ; from a gate-to-gate perspective to a life cycle perspective or from a national perspective1 to a global perspective . Also the considered resource range (which natural resource types are taken into account) and the used quantification metric (monetary or physical) can vary from indicator to indicator. Another issue is the provenience of resources: in some studies is referred to natural resources, while in others waste is also considered to be a potential resource . This paper tries to bring order into these different visions by proposing a systematized framework for resource efficiency indicators based on LCA practices. The proposed framework is subdivided in multiple levels based on the interpretations summarized above. The use of the framework is illustrated by structuring several resource efficiency indicators in practice today, e.g. the GDP over DMC (Gross Domestic Product over Domestic Material Consumption), used within a policy context, or process-efficiency, used within an industrial context. Within this framework, resource efficiency indicators can be classified and critically evaluated, identifying possibilities for further development and improvement

LCA-based indicators for recycling: a case study on plastic waste treatment in Flanders

The last decades, waste management strategies are shifting from waste disposal to recycling, considering waste as resources. To quantitatively monitor the progress in this transition, a wide range of indicators has been developed. One of these indicators developed by the European Commission is the recyclability benefit rate (RBR), defined as the ratio of the environmental benefits that can be achieved from recycling over the environmental losses related to virgin production and disposal. These environmental benefits and losses are expressed in terms of environmental impacts obtained through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). To assess the usefulness of this indicator, we applied it on two cases of plastic waste treatment in Flanders, Belgium: closed-loop recycling (case A) and open-loop recycling (case B). The environmental impact of resource consumption is quantified as the Cumulative Exergy Extraction of the Natural Environment (CEENE). Case A considers plastic waste from electronic appliances. The recycled plastic is of good quality and can be used in products similar to the original product. The average RBR of case A is 58%. Case B considers plastic household waste. The recycled plastic is of lower quality, making it only useable for other products, e.g. street benches, in which it substitutes other materials, e.g. wood. Here, the indicator had to be further adapted for open-loop recycling. The outcome is an average RBR of 13%. This value is rather low because more mass of the recycled plastic is needed to meet the same quality requirements as the substituted material. By further developing the indicator for open-loop recycling, it was possible to quantify the environmental sustainability of plastic recycling in Flanders. These quantitative results may be useful for policy makers, e.g. in legislation on subsidies and levies

Environmental assessment to support ecodesign: from products to systems - A method proposal for heating systems and application to a case study

Different policy instruments at the macro and micro level coexist with the goal of reducing the energy consumption of the building sector. At the macro level, the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe (EC, 2011c) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EC, 2012a) highlight the importance of the building sector, which accounts for 40% of the total energy consumption in the European Union (EC, 2011a). Greater energy efficiency in new and existing buildings is crucial in order to reach the goal of the European Commission’s energy roadmap for reducing the GHG emissions by 80-95% by 2050 compared to 1990 (EC, 2011b). The implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2002/91/EC (EC, 2010b) promotes the energy efficiency in the heating, cooling, lighting and operating appliances and the use of renewable energy in buildings. In particular, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems account for 50% of the total energy consumption of buildings (Pérez-Lombard, L., et al., 2008). In 2012, half of the EU’s energy consumption (546 Mtoe) facilitated heating and cooling, and much of this was wasted through insufficient insulation or inefficient equipment in buildings, among others (EC, 2016a). At the micro level, product policies such as Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Directives, EU GPP and EU Ecolabel have the common goal of making the EU market more sustainable. Indeed, they have been very successful in improving the energy efficiency of building products, especially those involved in HVAC systems such as water and space heaters, coolers or air circulators. However, even greater saving potentials could be achieved when the focus is done at the system level rather than at regulating products alone. The issue is that here are huge methodological challenges regarding the definition of systems, the scope and boundaries of a system, the modelling of components that make up a system and its interactions, and the measurement of the energy flows within the system. Policy makers have already recognised the limitations of considering isolated products instead of product systems, and have proposed to move these product policies from components to packages or groups of products (e.g Regulation 811/2013). This report provides guidance towards bringing closer micro and macro scale policies at the building sector. The objective of the work presented in this report is to explore the methodological aspects of environmental assessments of systems at the design step, in order to get higher environmental benefits. The procedure followed to develop the work of the present report began at analysing the system approach and environmental aspects at different product policies (Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Directives, EU GPP and EU Ecolabel) and the scientific literature (only on HVAC systems). As a result of this analysis and the comparison of both sources, some gaps were identified and general requirements were identified for a method supporting the design of good performing heating systems. Product policies usually apply the extended product approach to include additional products, part of the system, that influence the overall performance of a group of products (packages). However, the system approach, i.e. including all the components is not widely applied, as it should be. Product policies focus on environmental performances during the use phase, including energy efficiency, although other aspects can also be considered (e.g. air emissions, sound levels or other technical requirements). On the other hand, the scientific literature uses the system approach and holistic environmental assessment such as LCA. Then, the report proposes a simplified method and a calculation tool, to support the design process of good heating systems in residential buildings, based on the choice of the performance of its components. In the method, product performance figures provided by European sellers according to EU product policies are used when they are available. When product policy data is not available, designers are free to decide on which other tool to use to calculate the missing data. The method allows designers to study the improvement potential and combination of products’ performance levels and to achieve energy-saving targets at system level. The method provides two new aspects that are not yet covered by the literature: 1- it allows the assessment of heating systems grounded on well-known and proven labelling schemes such as EU product policies, which are available at the early design stage and implemented by all manufacturers, and 2- it supports design activities at system level, providing informed decision-making on multiple design solutions based on different configurations of products with performance levels currently available on the market. The method is also tested on a specific case study, simulating the re-design of two heating systems (a solar sanitary hot water system and space heating system) in a dwelling located in North Italy. The case study shows how the method can be applied using data of product policies when available, other tools and/or making assumptions. It also shows the quantitative results on the improvement potential of relevant components and on the combination of components with different performance levels. In addition, the package concept is applied to the case study. Despite the current limitations of the EU package concept (e.g. missing components and climate conditions, rough calculation, etc.), similar conclusions can be drawn from the EU package concept than from the method proposed, which shows the validity of the former. On the other hand, the method proposed is more complete, accurate and flexible and can therefore better support design activities. The method represents a step forward on how to address better the system approach in environmental assessments and how this could be applied to ecodesign of product’s systems. The report demonstrates that the method contributes at improving the task of building designers and regulators to easier achieve common and equivalent energy efficiency objectives.JRC.D.3-Land Resource

Environmental Footprint and Material Efficiency Support for Product Policy - Feasibility study for a standardized method to measure the time taken to extract certain parts from an Electrical and Electronic Equipment

A study of the Joint Research Centre – JRC- on material efficiency published in 2012 established a method for the identification and assessment of “hot-spots” for End-of-Life (EoL) treatments of Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), including television, washing machines and imaging equipment. The method has been since then applied to various other product groups (e.g. enterprise servers). The improved extractability of target parts in Energy related Products (ErP) can represent a potential suitable requirement in the context of Ecodesign Directive for various product groups. In the case of measures for the “design for extraction of target parts in ErP” the 2012 JRC study identified the “time for the extraction” as a good proxy to prove the ‘easiness to disassembly’. However, the verification of the application of measures on extractability implies the availability of a method for repeatable measurements. The present report intends to provide scientific evidences on the feasibility of defining extraction times for the disassembly of WEEE and how it should be structured. The development of a standardised method for measuring the time for extraction of product’s target parts should allow the repeatability of measurements and minimizing uncertainty by removing or decreasing the influence of uncontrolled experimental conditions. The report includes a review of the relevant scientific references (including standards and scientific articles), discusses key issues for the measurement of the ‘time for extraction’ of product’s target parts and proposes how such keys issues can be integrated in an exemplary method for the measurement. Key definitions to be provided in the measurement method have been identified and provided for the following terms: target parts, extraction, extraction sequence, extraction time, worker experience, and tools for the extraction of components/parts. This report also establishes possible operating conditions such as testing area and safety requirements to extract parts of WEEE. The dismantling sequence has been identified as a crucial aspect. Detailed provisions on the dismantling sequence have been provided. The testing dismantling sequence has to be pre-defined prior to the product dismantling. Finally, a proposed measurement method has been developed as proof of concept and it is attached in Appendix 1. The method has been structured in order to reflect the framework of a potential international standard.JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessmen