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Ecodesign

EcodesignIntroductionOrganization of the courseMain presentation on EcodesignStep-by-step ecodesing of packagingEcodesign ToolBoxComparison of packaging from an environmental point of viewAdvantages and Inconvenients of LCA in Ecodesign

Introduction

Ecodesign consists in taking into account the environmental footprint of products and services in the general desing process. The overall goal is the decrease of the environmental impact as compared to a reference state and to avoid shifting environmental burdens from a specific process or product to another.

Ecodesign in the packaging sector includes a several number of different methodologies, which will be presented here. Because of the very integrated character of packaging in the supply chain of goods much care has to be taken to avoid the shifting burdens issue.Key notions and principles of ecodesing are presented in this course.

To better understand this course, some pre-requisites are necessary. They can be found in the following Fitness courses:

 

For more external ressources, ecodesign is discussed in the following articles:

 

Organization of the course

This course is organized in the following way: a main presentation on Ecodesign will allow you to understand the key elements to ecodesign. A step-by-step animation then presents the key points for the ecodesing of a packaging system throughout its life cycle. The toolbox gathers a number of ecodesing tools which can be applied at different stages of the design process. For one central overview, you will be able to navigate to get further information on a given item. To illustrate key notions of ecodesign, environmental comparisons of different packagings are presented using LCA methodology. To better understand the nature of LCA, a presentation of some key notions are given.

 

Main presentation on Ecodesign

General presentation of eco-design and it's importance in the packaging industry

 

Step-by-step ecodesing of packaging

Key points of ecodesign using a step-by-step approach

Ecodesign should always be done having a holistic point of view, and the reduction of the environmental burden in one step should not increase the burden to another step. This presentation guides you step-by-step through the issues which can be encountered in packaging ecodesign.

 

Ecodesign ToolBox

Some General tools and methods used for ecodesign

Some tools and methods used for ecodesign are summed in the following toolbox: it allows to view which type of tools can be emploied at specific stages with different degrees of freedom during the ecodesign process.

Time
Time
Check-lists
and rules
Check-lists...
Ecodesign toolbox
Ecodesign toolbox
Degree of freedom
Degree of freedom
Cost of change
Environmental lock-in
Cost of change...
LCA
LCA
Norms
Norms
Creative problem
solving
Creative problem...
Ecodesign
software
Ecodesign...
SQALC
SQALC
Lid's wheel
Lid's wheel
Early development stages
Early development stages
Late development stages
Late development stages
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Comparison of packaging from an environmental point of view

Some food packaging examples and LCA's related to them.

These examples are all issued from research articles and therefore not give an ideal solution to ecodesign a packaging but allow a better understanding of the environmental impacts a packaging can have and ways to optimize them.

Advantages and Inconvenients of LCA in Ecodesign

LCA is the most commonly used assessment method for ecodesign. Some elements are remembered here because they must to be known when reading the results of an LCA.

 

Case studies

Studied PackagingMain problem
MilkThe interaction of short-supply chains and environmental impact of packaging
BeerComparison of existing packaging and innovative packaging concepts
BeefEstimate the importance of the environmental footprint of packaging and its end-of-life treatment for high environmental impact food products
BiodegradableDecrease of environmental impact by synergy in composting of food waste and packaging