Context and issues

Introduction

Eco-design is a preventative approach which consists of reducing the impact of a product or service throughout its lifecycle, from the extraction of raw materials to its recycling or reuse, while preserving its usage quality, i.e. its functionality and performance.

A competitive and innovative factor, this approach is of increasing interest to businesses, as it helps improve the quality of the products and services proposed, control and reduce costs, stimulate innovation, discover new business opportunities and limit the environmental impact.
 
Since 2006, Orée’s working group “eco-design of products and services” has brought together France’s main experts and players of the domain to examine how to integrate eco-design into organisational strategy (businesses and local authorities), based on the involvement of each type of skill within the organisation, in particular for very small, small and medium-sized businesses.

This collective analysis has led to the creation of an Internet platform. This platform targets very small, small and medium-sized businesses and industries, and more generally any structure, regardless of size and purpose, wishing to commit to an eco-design approach or merely learn more about this subject. 

Definition

Eco-design consists of integrating the environment from the product design phase, whether these products are goods, services or processes.

This integration relies on a global and multi-criteria environmental approach; it is based on the consideration of all stages in the lifecycle of products.
 
Eco-design is a major way to prevent or reduce environmental impact at source (reduction in the consumption of raw materials and energy, waste, discharge etc.).

It considers all stages in the lifecycle of a product (production – distribution – usage – ultimate recovery) to avoid or at the least consciously protect from pollution transfers inherent in a specific design option.
 
Complementary to the site approach, it also gives industrial companies the opportunity to externally promote the efforts made on their sites via their number one means of communication with final customers: their products.