Description
Industrial activities have damaged the natural environment at an unprecedented scale. A number of approaches to environmentally responsible design and sustainability have been developed that are aimed at minimizing negative impacts derived from products on the environment. Environmental assessment methods exist as well to measure these impacts. Major environmentally responsible approaches to design and sustainability were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The results show several recommendations to minimize product impacts through design, and dimensions to which they belong. Two products made by a manufacturing firm with exceptional commitment to environmental responsibility were studied to understand how design approaches and assessment methods were used in their development. The results showed that the company used several strategies for environmentally responsible design as well as assessment methods in product and process machine design, both of which resulted in reduced environmental impacts of their products. Factors that contributed positively to reduce impacts are the use of measurement systems alongside environmentally responsible design, as well as inspiring innovations by observing how natural systems work. From a managerial perspective, positive influencing factors included a commitment to environmental responsibility from the executive level of the company and a clear vision about sustainability that has been instilled from the top through every level of employees. Additionally, a high degree of collaboration between the company and its suppliers and customers was instrumental in making the success possible.
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Details
Title
- Integrating environmentally responsible design with life cycle assessment in product and process development for sustainability
Contributors
- Huerta Gajardo, Oscar André (Author)
- Giard, Jacques (Thesis advisor)
- White, Philip (Committee member)
- Dooley, Kevin (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2014
Subjects
- Sustainability
- Environmental engineering
- environment
- Industrial
- Lca
- life cycle assessment
- Sustainability
- Product design--Environmental aspects.
- Product Design
- Product life cycle--Environmental aspects.
- Manufacturing processes--Environmental aspects.
- Manufacturing processes
- Sustainable development--Evaluation.
- Sustainable development
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
- thesisPartial requirement for: Ph. D., Arizona State University, 2014
- bibliographyIncludes bibliographical references (p. 212-219)
- Field of study: Environmental design and planning
Citation and reuse
Statement of Responsibility
by Oscar André Huerta Gajardo