Ecodesign and Ecoinnovation of products

The ecodesign is the systematic incorporation of environmental aspects in the design of the products, to reducing its eventual negative impact in the environment along all its life cycle. It is an enlarged and improved version of the techniques for the development of products, through which the company learns how to develop them in a more structured and rational way. In this process the same “status” is assigned to the atmosphere and to the most traditional industrial values.

ecoLAN has wide experience in the development of projects of life cycle assessment, evaluation of environmental impact and projects of ecodesign of products. The goal for this projects is double, from one side it tries to reduce the environmental impact of the product during its life cycle, and from another side to assure the benefits for the involved stakeholders, trying to look for a competitive advantage against the competitors:

• Minimize the production costs, the consumption of materials and resources
• Optimize the quality of the products
• Improve the useful life
• Select the most sustainable resources or with smaller energy content
• Look for cleaner technologies
• Minimize the costs of administration of residues and wastes

The ecodesign is broadly applied methodology and the results of projects carried out in Europe and in Central America promise reductions from 30% to 50% of the deterioration of the atmosphere, and often are feasible in a short term. The experience has demonstrated that this methodology is able to generate excellent results even from the first time that is applied.

When a product is ecodesigned, ecoLAN makes an effort to get products with the minimum possible environmental impact taking into consideration such aspects as:

• To minimize consumptions (energy, chemical products, etc.)
• To minimize the emissions and contamination in all and each one of the phases of the life cycle of the product
• To design so that the product lasts the biggest time possible, finishing the culture to use and throw products
• To design so that the product could be repaired
• To design so that the product could be recycled

A sustainable production and a more rational consumption of resources is our goal.

The ecodesign affects to the whole life cycle of the product, and therefore to.

The acquisition of materials

When using material ecoLAN keeps in mind the following factors:

• If this substance supposed or can suppose a negative environmental impact, for example in the production stage, use, or in the end of life. EcoLAN avoids the use of hazardous substances in new designs, substituting them for other alternatives that cause smaller or don't cause any environmental impact. The same treatment should be given to substances, that could be a future danger.
• High rates of recycled materials employment. EcoLAN gives preference to the recycled materials against those of new extraction.
• The reduction of the number of used materials.

EcoLAN recommends to request the suppliers a complete information of the environmental impact of the materials that they provide: in their extraction, in their processes, as well as of the wastes generated. This information will be used for the measurement of everything with standard indicators like the necessary energy, biodiversity, erosion of the floor that could be caused, contamination, etc.

Production of the components and transformation processes

In the production stage ecoLAN puts special attention to the minimization of emissions, contaminations, water consumption, energy and others.

Distribution and sale

In this stage of the life cycle ecoLAN try to package the product using the minimum quantity possible of raw materials and try to use recycled and recyclable materials. Also, environmental information about the energy efficiency, energy consumption, possible contamination, product life and end of life information should be attached for the consumer.

The selection of the correct transport for the distribution of the products is also analyzed by ecoLAN, due to the great difference of environmental impact that can cause. The optimization of routes, warehouses and to avoid loads and unnecessary discharges of products are some of our objectives.

Use

For the use phase, ecoLAN look also for a minimum environmental impact that could be addressed by lowering the water consumption (when it proceeds), reducing the noise generation, as well as reducing the emissions during this phase. In this phase could be necessary to have special consideration with the energy efficiency of the products (when it proceeds), since the energy consumption is, in many of the products, the most significant environmental aspect.

Reparation

In line with the above-mentioned, ecoLAN carries out the ecodesign so that the products are easily repairable:

• To eliminate the barriers for disassembling: improving union elements, change components that require special tools for disassembly, facilitate the access to screws, etc.
• Whenever it is possible, the team should design in a way that the product have a way to detect and indicate the cause of most of the failures of the appliance or, at least, of the most frequent ones, keeping in mind during their design easy substitution of the broken pieces.
• Providing enough information to the user about the basic operations of maintenance of the product.

Reutilization

EcoLAN focuses the design of the products so that it allows the continuous update of those, as new technical advances take place. This is especially important in case of appliances where technologies used are in quick evolution and incessant innovation, although it is applicable to all type of technologies.

End of Life

The products should be designed in such way that it assures the recycling of the materials, that means:

• Use of materials that allow a high recovery percentage.
• Total elimination of the hazardous substances.
• Disassembly processes that don't suppose risk for the operator or for the environment.
• Easy and express disassembly process and recovery of components. To facilitate this task it is very important to take into account during the design:
• Use the minimum number possible of different materials in the product and to identify easily the speed of their separation.
• Use the minimum number of pieces, avoiding pieces of small size as much as possible.
• Use unions among components and materials that allow their easy separation.
• Avoid linings, superficial treatments and compound structures.