Eco-design

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Eco-design

• I Introduction

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Kristjan PiirimäePhD environmental engineering

• 5116916
• kristjan.piirimae_at_ttu.ee

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What is eco-design?

• Assessment tools for the environmental dimension
  of sustainable development, as an aid to business
  decision making

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The area of eco-design
Natural sciences
Eco-design
Social and macro-economic issues
Micro-economics and technology
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Interdisciplinary framework of eco-design

• Natural sciences ecology, thermodynamics,
  physical laws, relationships that shape
  ecosystems or support human health
• Microeconomics and technology economic
  relationships, structures and products that shape
  business systems
• Social issues and macroeconomics the social
  structures and issues that shape society,
  reflecting peoples values

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Mechanisms that can contribute to sustainable
production, consumption and waste management

• Environmental management housekeeping, location
  choices etc
• Technologies
• Product choice for consumption function
• Life style of consumption pattern travelling
  less etc.

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Environmental policy related to production and
consumption

• Promotion of end-of-the-pipe technologies
• Zoning regulations
• Policy programmes, first of all directed at
  industry -gt integrated measures

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Integrated measures

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) product
  take-back, upstream impact, waste management
  OECD
• Integrated Product Policy (IPP) life cycle
  perspective, focusing on product EC
• Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC)
  operating permits, best available techniques
  The European IPPC Bureau
• UNEP Industry and Environment (UNEP IE) cleaner
  and safer industrial production

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Pressure
State
Response
Use of resources
Action
Outputs

• Endangering human health
• Affecting Eco-capacity
• Loss of biodiversity
• Resource depletion

Materials
Waste
Economy and society
Energy
Effluents
Waste
Emissions
Land
Reduction of resource extraction
Control of pollutants
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Dualistic approach in chain analysis
Output side Reduction of release of pollutants Specific pollutants Pb, Cd, CO2 etc
Input side Diminishing resource requirements General resource flows materials, energy, water
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Problem shifting
Problem Example
Shifting emissions to other times Recycling plastics contaminated with heavy metals
Shifting emissions to other locations Sending hazardous waste abroad
Shifting emissions to other substances Replacing zinc gutters by PVC gutters, or vice versa
Shifting emissions to other media Burning heavy metals containing wastes, partly emitting them to air and partly to water as purified wet scrubber water
Shifting emissions to other environmental problems Solving acidification problem at the cost of increasing the climate problem (1 ton of SO2 reduction by end-of-pipe measures takes 8 tons of CO2 emissions)
Shifting consumption to other products Reduced spending on car transport used for more air flight hoildays
Counteracting efficiency improvements through volume increases Net effect of improved energy efficiency of cars is very much limited as consumers now buy bigger cars, at roughly the same operating costs
Spending large amounts of money on limited environmental improvements leaving other problems unsolved Many high tech contaminated soil remedial technologies
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System definition

1. Function-oriented starting for the system
   definition is a specific social demand or
   function. System comprises all processes upstream
   and downstream fulfilling the function
   cradle-to-grave analysis
2. Region-oriented system is limited in space and
   time, such as a year of a company
3. Agreement-oriented systems are defined in
   informal ways, as an agreement of stakeholders

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Function-oriented system
gas
Electricity generation
CO2, NOx, SO2
steam
electricity
bulbs
Bulb use
1000 hr light use
waste
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Region-oriented system
FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Mining and extraction
Production
Usage
LEAD 2003
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Agreement-oriented system
Supplier A
Electricity generation
raw material
Company X
Company D
Recycler B
waste
Waste treatment
waste
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Decision making methodologies in environmental
management (environmental toolbox)

• Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)
• Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA)
• Material Flow Accounting (MFA)
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)
• Environmental Input Output Analysis (IOA)
• Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA)

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The role of environmental toolbox in
decision-making
Demand for environmental information ? ? ?
Environmental toolbox CBA LCA ERA SFA Etc.
Demand
Supply
Decisions
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Essey about problem shifting

• Deadline Mo 13 Feb 14.00
• 2 pages
• Should present an example (a case) of problem
  shifting
• kristjan.piirimae_at_ttu.ee
• NB! Please be prepared for a short oral
  presentation about the case (2-5 min)