Figure 1 : The four main eco- design criteria

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1 ECO- DESIGN LEVERAGING INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS. INTRODUCTION Eco- design is a structured approach considering environmental criteria when designing or re- designing new products, processes or services. Figure 1 : The four main ecodesign criteria This approach aims to reduce the environmental impacts along the life cycle of the product, while maintaining (or improving) its functionality and quality. It is a process of continuous environmental improvement, therefore ensuring the sustainable image of the company. Eco- design can bring a multiple added value to the company. Eco- design is a source of innovation. Considering products environmental impacts since the concept phase enables new design perspectives and thereby the identification of new ideas and opportunities for marketing, or new environmental concepts. It supports companies to better position themselves in a market and/or win new markets, thanks to product differentiation from its competitors. Environmental information provides a basis for external communication and marketing, for example through eco- labels or environmental product declarations (EPD). Eco- design can also support the understanding of normative requirements, and in some cases it can lead to exceed the original objectives regarding products functionalities and overall quality. The European Commission highly promotes suitable market for eco- friendly products, through a series of policy instruments and guidelines (for instance the Integrated Product Policy, the Directive on Energy Using Products). A large number of industry sectors are also concern by other policies, such as REACH, which are likely to imply significant changes for these manufacturing companies. Finally, it is an opportunity to raise consumers awareness and to inform them, and to improve internal company s communication. A study from ADEME1 showed the economic return on investment for SMEs having adopted ecodesign is positive since the approach offers growth potential thanks to higher creativity and better 1 ADEME L éco- conception, quels retours économiques? 1

2 anticipation of customers needs. From this study, ecodesign helped to increase or maintain profits for 90% of the thirty companies considered. INTEGRATING ECO- DESIGN IN COMPANIES ACTIVITIES Eco- design is a standardized approach (ISO14062 and ISO14006) that can be implemented in a perennial way, following key milestones. Figure 2 : The key milestones of ecodesign implementation Specify The first step of any product design process is the definition of it(s) intended function(s), according to which the expected product performances are set and quantified. This allows to start writing specifications, providing the first detailed description of the expected composition of the product, and the required manufacturing processes. From this stage, the ecodesign approach differs from conventional design stage. Environmental aspects become a design criterion, equivalent to other technical and economic criteria. Therefore, the main environmental impacts associated with the product can already been identified from the specifications. Different tools and approaches exist to achieve the first product environmental assessment, either qualitatively or quantitatively. The adoption of a life cycle perspective is recommended (see section below dedicated to the Life Cycle Assessment- LCA). React The results from the first evaluation of the product environmental performances will make improvement opportunities emerging, from the identification of the most impacting processes involved in the product life cycle. The improvement opportunities constitute the basis of an ecodesign plan or strategy. The company will look for alternative and realistic technical solutions to meet the improvement opportunities identified through the environmental profile, for instance improving the raw materials and energy consumption rate for, reducing the product weight, knowing better the origin of raw materials, improving recyclability, etc... Confirm To continue, the environmental performances of the different technical alternatives considered must be valid, it means the company must confirm that they meet the objectives defined in the ecodesign plan. This is done through a more detailed assessment, based on the same approach than for the first assessment (see "Specify" section above). Deliver According to its strategy, the company will select the best alternative from the costs analysis for the entire change process induced by ecodesign solution integration, and from the estimation of future profits. The detailed design of the product will be then launched and will be subject to a 2

3 comprehensive and detailed analysis to confirm the product fully meets the goals of improving its environmental profile. Production can then be launched on a larger scale. The same approach would be adopted at any stage of the product improvement, making the ecodesign process perennial within the company. LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA), A TOOL TO SUPPORT ECO- DESIGN The most comprehensive approach for assessing products environmental performances is based on a holistic perspective, the life cycle perspective. Product functionality is central to the life cycle perspective, and environmental impacts are estimated for each life cycle stage, with respect to the function given by the studied product. The five main stages of the life cycle are: the choice of raw materials and their transformation into finished product (Manufacturing), the packaging, the distribution of the finished product, the use phase, and the product end of life. Figure 3 : The five stages of a product life cycle The life cycle perspective is based on the principles of LCA, a scientific method governed by the ISO standards. It allows the assessment of the potential environmental impacts caused by materials and energy resources consumption, and emissions released in each stage of the product life cycle. In addition of the life cycle perspective, it is a multi- criteria approach since a set of impacts categories is systematically evaluated, thereby avoiding the reduction of an impact at the expense of another. Therefore LCA approach ensures that all processes and the associated resource and energy consumption are taken into account for the environmental impacts assessment, either they are located far upstream e.g. during raw materials extraction, or far downstream the product use, for instance during product incineration or land- filling. LCA avoids pollution transfer, namely it avoids the reduction of impacts for a specific life cycle stage would cause increased impacts from an upstream or downstream stage. For instance, by reducing the weight of a product thanks to the use of a composite material, the risk is to reduce the recyclability potential and therefore to increase the impacts induced by product disposal. Adopting the life cycle perspective from the early stages of the design process allows reacting more easily on the product specifications in order to reduce its environmental impacts along its whole life cycle. The previous steps "Specify" and "Confirm" can be based on a simplified ( screening ) LCA approach. However, once the detailed design of the product is achieved, a full LCA study is recommended. 3

4 ECO- DESIGN OF AUTOMOTIVE COMPOSITE COMPONENTS: AN EXAMPLE This example is issued from the study performed by Alves C. et al (2010) 2 aiming at demonstrating, through LCA, the environmental advantages of using natural jute fibers to replace glass fibers in the structural composite frontal bonnet of an off- road vehicle (Buggy). Figure 4 : Buggy frontal bonnet Automotive industry is invoking a shift from oil- derived polymers and mineral reinforcement materials to natural (bio- sourced) materials, because of their recyclability or biodegradability potential. In the last decade the use of natural fibers to replace glass fibers for the reinforcement of composite materials has gained interest. Natural fibers are lighter and have high specific strength when compared to glass fibers in the context of this study (for instance the elastic modulus of the jute composites is 40% lower than the one of glass composites). They are cost effective and have a positive social impact. Indeed, they are an important source of revenue for agricultural societies, contributing to avoid the rural exodus. The study highlights that the expected increase of the use of natural fibers in automotive components is 54% per year, as European and American car makers have already been using them to achieve Environmental Directives. Jute is one of the most well- known vegetable fibers, and panels or others automotive components made from jute fibers or other bio- thermoplastic and hybrid composites are already in use. The goal of the study from Alves C. et al (2010) was to assess the life- cycle environmental impact of using jute fiber composites for automotive design applications to manufacture the bonnets of a buggy vehicle; and to compare them with the impacts of bonnets made of glass fiber reinforced plastic composites. The functional unit chosen is an engine cover (bonnet) of 0.35 m2 which achieves the required mechanical and structural performance. The functional equivalence between the glass fiber and the jute fiber bonnets in terms of strength and stiffness is established through two treatments of jute fibers to improve the mechanical behaviors of the jute composites; making them very closed to the ones of glass composites. The LCA covers the whole life cycle of the vehicle, from the extraction of raw materials, the production processes and the use phase to the end of life. The use phase is shown to be significantly more pollutant than the production and the disposal phases. Most of impacts are related to the resources damage category due to the consumption of fossil fuel for the use phase and also for the production phase. Glass bonnet presents higher environmental damages than jute bonnet, due to its higher weight and fuel consumption. Regarding the production phase, the two treatments reinforcing the mechanical properties of jute fiber are highly pollutant. The impacts of jute fibers production stage are therefore more important than the impacts of glass fiber production stage. As compared to untreated jute bonnets, dried and bleached / dried jute bonnets generate 18% to 42% additional environmental impacts. Since the impacts of the use phase would significantly decrease when using jute bonnet 2 Alves C., Ferrão P.M.C., Silva A.j., Reis L.G., Freitas M., Rodrigues L.B., Alves D.E. Ecodesign of automotive components making use of natural jute fiber composites. Journal of Cleaner Production 18 (2010)

5 instead of glass bonnet because of the bonnet weight reduction, Alves C. et al (2010) recommend using jute bonnet, despite the higher production impacts. However, in product development other important requirements have to be considered before taking decisions that impact the whole production chain and automotive market in this study case. Alves C. et al considered additional qualitative and quantitative indexes to reflect the social, economic and technical performances of the eco- designed bonnet. From the social perspective, jute fiber plays an important role since its cultivation represents an important income source to the local farmer communities, thus contributing to the sustainability of the region. Jute fiber production causes fewer health risks and skin irritation than glass fibers for the employees directly involved in the production. Furthermore, Alves C. et al (2010) considering a Brasilian composite production, the jute production is local and its production cost is about seven times lower than the one of glass fibers, while production costs are almost the same. Using jute fibers also requires lower fuel consumption during the use phase, which is an advantage for vehicle owners. For the example of composite materials used for specific vehicle technical part, the study from Alves C. et al (2010) demonstrated that buggy jute fiber composite presents the best solution, enhancing the environmental performance of the buggy s bonnets, and improving the environmental performance of the whole vehicle. The LCA highlighted a few expected impacts in the production and the disposal phases of the bonnets, specifically related to the transport of the jute fibers and the recycling of the bonnets. The LCA results provide the designers with an overview of the improvement opportunities, besides the traditional criteria usually considered in the design phase. Authors: Ing. Dipl. Mélanie Guiton, Dr.- Ing. Enrico Benetto - CRP Henri Tudor, Centre des Technologies pour l Environnement (CRTE). This article forms part of a series of technical articles aimed at industrial manufacturers wishing to increase their knowledge of the field of composite materials. It was produced within the Composites project ( Copyright of +Composites consortium partners 5