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Practices In Manufacturing
Design For Environment (DFE)
What is Design for Environment (DFE)?
Design for Environment (DFE) is the systematic
consideration during design of issues associated with
environmental safety and health over the entire product
life cycle. DFE can be thought of as the migration of
traditional pollution prevention concepts upstream into
the development phase of products before production and
use. DFE is being applied to the design of new and modification
of existing products, processes, and facilities.
Objective of DFE
The objective is to minimise or eliminate,
during design, the anticipated waste generation and resource
consumption in all subsequent life cycle phases: construction,
operation, and closure (or production, use, and disposal).
Design for Environment (DFE-Eco-design)
primarily refers to product related environmental care,
diminishing environmental effects of a product before
it is produced, distributed and used. DFE examines the
disassembly of products at the end-of-life and reveals
the associated cost benefits and environmental impact
of revision, reuse and recycling.
Design for the Environment (DFE) Programme
helps businesses incorporate environmental considerations
into the design and redesign of products, processes, and
technical and management systems. Initiated by US Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Pollution Prevention
and Toxics (OPPT) in 1992, DFE forms voluntary partnerships
with industry, universities, research institutions, public
interest groups, and other government agencies.
DFE benefits:
DFE offers businesses opportunity to improve
environmental performance, while simultaneously improving
their profits. Companies that implement DFE find that
it:
-
Reduces environmental impact of products/processes.
-
Optimises raw material consumption and
energy use.
-
Improves waste management/pollution
prevention systems.
-
Encourages good design and drives innovation.
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Reduces costs.
-
Meets user needs/wants by exceeding
current expectations for price, performance and quality.
-
Increases product marketability.
DFE can also provide a means for establishing a long-term
strategic vision of a company's future products and operations.
In general, DFE is an enabling force to shape more sustainable
patterns of production and consumption
DFE Internal and External Drivers
Motivation to implement DFE can come from
two different directions.
Internal Drivers
Need for increased product quality.
A high level of environmental quality will improve product
quality in terms of functionality, reliability in operation,
durability and repair- ability.
Image improvement. By communicating
a product's environmental quality to users by means of
an environmental "seal of quality," such as the Environmental
Choice Label or a good report in consumer tests, can improve
a company's image appreciably.
Need to reduce costs. Companies can
make use of DFE strategies to benefit financially by:
-
Buying fewer materials for each of its
products.
-
Utilising energy and auxiliary materials
more efficiently during production.
-
Producing less waste and lowering disposal
costs.
-
Disposing of hazardous waste.
Need to stimulate innovation. DFE can bring drastic
changes to the product system level--the combination of
product, market and technology. Such innovations can provide
entry into new markets.
Employee motivation. Morale increases when employees
are empowered to help reduce the environmental impact
of the company's products and processes. DFE can also
heighten employee motivation by improving occupational
health and safety.
A sense of responsibility. An increasing
awareness that business must play a vital role in working
towards sustainable development can work as a strong incentive
for implementing DFE.
External
Drivers:
Government Policies. Product-oriented
environmental policy is growing rapidly in northern Europe,
the United States and Japan. Some examples and trends:
-
Legislation on "extended producer responsibility"
and "take-back obligation." Germany has introduced a
take-back obligation for goods such as television sets,
computers and cars. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency requires discharge disclosures for certain types
of generators.
-
Introduction of eco-labelling programmes
for products or product groups.
-
Need to provide environmental information
on products and processes, requiring business to pursue
more pro-active environmental communication policies.
-
Development of industrial subsidy programmes
to motivate DFE activities and encourage companies to
carry out research into potential environmental improvements.
-
Termination of subsides on energy-intensive
production methods and energy/raw material consumption.
Market demand/competition. The needs/desires
of suppliers, distributors and end-users are potent tools
for environmental improvement. Some examples and trends:
-
Requirements by some companies--generally
large organisations--for environmental-safeguarding
declarations from suppliers. Some organisations are
systematically looking at their entire supply chain
and imposing the new environmental standards or other
measures of environmental performance.
-
Boycotts or other actions by consumer
organisations/environmental groups. For example, Greenpeace
successfully influenced industry to develop GreenFreeze,
an ecologically efficient refrigerant made of propane
and butane that can replace environmentally harmful
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
-
Environmental requirements incorporated
into consumer product testing. If a product fails to
get a high score on these requirements, it will no longer
qualify for the title of "best buy" or "good choice,"
no matter what other excellent features it may possess.
Good environmental ratings can increase market share.
-
Increased implementation of "responsible
care programmes" in many industries, resulting in more
companies with experience in cleaner production. In
cases where intense competition exists for a particular
product, companies with a good environmental profile
can have an "edge."
Trade/industrial organisations. These
organisations often encourage member companies to take
action on environmental improvement and/or may impose
penalties on companies that do not take required action.
Organisations are expanding all existing
norms and standards to include environmental issues. The
ISO 14 000 series will become the international standard
for certifying environmental management systems. It is
expected that product-related aspects, such as the obligation
to collect and publish environmental data, will be incorporated
in this standard.
Waste processing costs. Waste-processing
charges such as landfill and incineration costs are likely
to increase, based on the principle of "polluter pays."
The prevention of waste and emissions, re-use and recycling
will consequently become more economic.
Environmental requirements for design awards.
Several respected design competitions have now stipulated
that participants must provide specific environmental
information on their products.
DFE
and the Product Life Cycle
As the global market is undergoing continuous
and rapid change, every company's ability to innovate
and be flexible will be critical to its profitability.
The DFE strategies can play an important
role in product innovation by:
-
Offering new criteria for evaluating
design such as choices for materials, production techniques,
finishing technologies, and packaging methods. The new
criteria can often lead to innovative product or service
solutions.
-
Considering the entire product life
cycle--a process, which can stimulate partnerships with
suppliers/distributors/recyclers, open up new market
areas, and increase product quality.
Products influence the environment at all stages of the
product life cycle. Key environmental factors include:
-
Energy supply
-
Raw materials acquisition
-
Component/product manufacturing
-
Transportation and distribution
-
Product use
-
End-of-life product disposal
DFE facilitates systematic evaluation of a product and
continuous improvement goals for the entire product life
cycle. This life cycle generally has five phases:
-
Design
-
Production
-
Distribution
-
Product use
-
End-of-life
While most companies do not control the
whole product life cycle, their design decisions do have
an impact on upstream and downstream impacts, from selection
of materials to product service and end-of-life options.
For manufactured products such as an office
chair or a magazine, the life cycle will include all five
phases. For other products such as computer software,
or for services such as metal coatings, the product life
cycle may be more or less complex.
DFE and
Sustainable Development
DFE is designed to help companies adopt
environmental practices that will lead to a more sustainable
and healthier society. Therefore, DFE both supports, and
works within, the context of other environmental initiatives
such as:
-
Sustainable Development
-
Industrial Ecology
-
Pollution Prevention (PP)
-
Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
-
Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)
Sustainable Development: In 1987,
the World Commission on Environment and Development defined
Sustainable Development as: Development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.
One of the fundamental assumptions underlying
Sustainable Development is that environmental considerations
must be entrenched in economic decision-making. Sustainable
Development initiatives are increasingly widespread among
individuals, communities, industry and governments around
the world.
Industrial Ecology: This term encompasses
the practices of scientists, engineers and manufacturers
to achieve more sustainable industrial production and
consumption for local, regional and international economies
by:
In a sustainable society, durability and
recycling will replace planned obsolescence as the economy's
organizing principle, and virgin materials will be seen
not as a primary source of material but as a supplement
to the existing stock.
Pollution Prevention (PP): PP focuses on process
and product improvements in order to avoid environmental
problems before they occur. It is economically and environmentally
superior to traditional "end-of-pipe" controls or clean-up
strategies.
DFE merges with PP by focusing on product
and process involved specifically in manufacturing. While
many DFE strategies incorporate PP, DFE goes beyond PP
practices by also examining product functionality and
services.
PP during the manufacturing process saves
costs with regard to:
-
Disposal.
-
Raw materials/consumables.
-
Ventilation equipment.
-
Maintenance-ducts, motors, balancing.
-
Operations-internal "balancing."
-
Pollution prevention equipment.
-
Health-workers, protective equipment,
training.
-
Regulatory compliance-approval from
government.
A number of measures can be taken to prevent
pollution during manufacturing:
-
Control pollution at the source
-
Enclose the process
-
Suppress emissions
-
Change the process entirely
-
Degreasing--from chlorine-based
to high-pressure steam
-
Soldering--from traditional acid
etching/fluxes/lead to different base materials,
VOC-free fluxes, lead-free solder
DFE and Environmental
Management Systems (EMS): EMS such as ISO 14001 are
organisational approaches to facilitate environmental
evaluation and management. Except in cases of legal compliance,
an EMS does not set or demand specific levels of performance
in relation to product or process design.
The core requirement for EMS is that an
organisation should have a reasonable amount of information
on the environmental effects of its products and processes
and, in turn, seek continuous improvement. Pollution prevention
(PP) is typically part of EMS.
DFE is complementary to EMS. It enhances
the organisational approach by including product-oriented
environmental evaluations and improvements. Manufacturers
using DFE strategies take into account the environmental
aspects of a product's use and end of life, and apply
this information during its design, production and distribution.
EMS benefits are:
-
Cost savings from greater efficiency
in processes, waste reduction, materials and energy
use.
-
Increased ability to meet customer/supplier
requirements.
-
Greater competitive advantage.
-
Regulatory compliance and reduced liability.
-
Improved community relations.
-
Greater company appeal for investors.
-
Increased employee pride and morale.
Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S):
The DFE strategies provide support for programmes related
to worker safety during production, and worker health in
terms of material selection and use. DFE helps reduce:
-
Need for in-plant emission controls.
-
Worker contact with physical or chemical
hazards.
-
Need for protective equipment.
Improving health and safety performance
will help to:
Design for Environment (DFE) is the systematic
integration of environmental considerations into product
and process design. Therefore, every company must adopt
the cost-effective strategies of this product-focused environmental
approach to benefit themselves and their environment.
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