1 Introduction -- 1.1 Need for a Manual -- 1.2 Function of the Manual -- 1.3 Design of the Manual -- 1.4 Use of the Manual -- 2 Environmental Challenges for Enterprises -- 2.1 Dynamics and Limits to Growth -- 2.2 Limits to Ecological Capacity -- 2.3 Sustainability as a Guiding Principle for Economic Management -- 2.4 Challenges -- 3 New Framework -- 3.1 New Instruments -- 3.2 Environmental Management and Audit Scheme of the European Union -- 3.3 Ecolabelling -- 3.4 ISO Standardization -- 3.5 Environmental Laws and Regulations -- 3.6 Ecotaxes -- 3.7 Consumer Demands -- 3.8 Supplier Demands -- 3.9 Product Liability -- 4 Environmental Situation of Complex Products -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Environmental Weaknesses of Complex Products -- 5 The Process -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Stakeholders for Life Cycle Design -- 5.3 Tools for the Design Process -- 6 Principles and Criteria -- 6.1 Achieving Environmental Efficiency / Optimal Function -- 6.2 Saving Resources -- 6.3 Use of Renewable and Sufficiently Available Resources -- 6.4. Increasing Product Durability -- 6.5 Design for Product Reuse -- 6.6 Design for Material Recycling -- 6.7 Design for Disassembly -- 6.8 Minimizing Harmful Substances -- 6.9 Environmentally Friendly Production -- 6.10 Minimize Environmental Impact of Product in Use -- 6.11 Using Environmentally Friendly Packaging -- 6.12 Environmentally Friendly Disposal of Nonrecyclable Materials -- 6.13 Implementing Environmentally Friendly Logistics -- 7 Trade-Offs Between Criteria -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 What Trade-Offs Can Arise? -- 7.3 How to Solve These Conflicts -- 8 Environmental Assessment Tools -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Principles of Life Cycle Thinking -- 8.3 Life Cycle Assessment -- 8.4 Product Summary Matrix -- 9 Does Life Cycle Design Pay? -- 9.1 Product Life Cycle Costs -- 9.2 What Are Design Costs? -- 9.3 What Are Environmental Costs of Production? -- 9.4 Product Pricing and Marketing Aspects -- 9.5 Product Use by the Consumer -- 9.6 End-of-Life Costs -- 10. Environmentally Innovative Cases -- 10.1 The Disposal-Friendly Television Set from Loewe Opta GmbH -- 10.2 The OCÉ 7050 Copier -- 10.3 The Greenpeace Clean-Tech Cycle -- 10.4 Hewlett Packard's Disassembly-Friendly Workstation -- 10.5 The Foron Refrigerator -- 10.6 The Wiesner-Hager Thesis Swivel Chair -- 10.7 Launderettes with Long-Life Electrolux Washing Machines -- 11 The Future -- 11.1 Resources -- 11.2 Product Development -- 11.3 Society -- 12 Appendix -- A.1 Literature -- A. 2 Institutes -- A.3 LCA Software Tools -- A.4 Life Cycle Assessment on the Web.

Small and medium-sized enterprises can serve as promising cradles for challenging ideas and pioneering initiatives. That is exactly what is required in order to make progress towards sustainable levels and patterns of production and consumption. Of all the continents of the world, Europe is most likely to lead the way towards a more sustainable relation with the environment. Having been the cradle of the industrialized world as we know it today, Europe again will lead the way in the journey of discovery to sustainable industrial practice, that is, if suitable conditions exist, and engaged and motivated entrepeneurs take the challenge and the role of the pioneer. Essential to these conditions is a set of values regarding the availability and properties of resources, the functioning of products and the impact upon the environment, now and well into the future, in Europe as well as globally. Furthermore, imagination, infor­ mation and encouragement will be essential. This manual provides ideas, tools, examples and guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that wish to develop products with the environment and the future in mind. It addresses product development and design with consideration for the whole life cycle of the product. This cycle is a process ranging from the identification and formulation of a need at the early stage of product development to the disposal of the product, after repeated usage, at the end of its life. A particular focus has been given to principles and criteria in the design of complex products.