Eco-design I Introduction

Kristjan Piirimäe PhD environmental engineering

What is eco-design? Assessment tools for the environmental dimension of sustainable development, as an aid to business decision making

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

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

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.

Environmental policy related to production and consumption: Promotion of end-of-the-pipe technologies Zoning regulations Policy programmes, first of all directed at industry -> integrated measures

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

PressureState Response Action Outputs Use of resources Materials Energy Waste Land Economy and society Waste Effluents Emissions Endangering human health Affecting Eco- capacity Loss of biodiversity Resource depletion Reduction of resource extraction Control of pollutants

Dualistic approach in chain analysis: Output sideReduction of release of pollutants Specific pollutants: Pb, Cd, CO2 etc Input sideDiminishing resource requirements General resource flows: materials, energy, water

Problem shifting ProblemExample Shifting emissions to other timesRecycling plastics contaminated with heavy metals Shifting emissions to other locationsSending hazardous waste abroad Shifting emissions to other substancesReplacing zinc gutters by PVC gutters, or vice versa Shifting emissions to other mediaBurning 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 productsReduced 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

System definition a)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 b)Region-oriented: system is limited in space and time, such as a year of a company c)Agreement-oriented: systems are defined in informal ways, as an agreement of stakeholders

Function-oriented system gas Electricity generation CO2, NOx, SO2 steam electricity Bulb use 1000 hr light use waste bulbs

Region-oriented system Mining and extraction Production Usage FOREIGNCOUNTRIESFOREIGNCOUNTRIES LEAD 2003

Agreement-oriented system Company X Company D Electricity generation Supplier A Waste treatment Recycler B raw material waste

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)

The role of environmental toolbox in decision-making Demand for environmen tal information ? Environmen tal toolbox CBA LCA ERA SFA Etc. Demand Decisions Supply

Essey about problem shifting: Deadline: Mo 13 Feb pages Should present an example (a case) of problem shifting NB! Please be prepared for a short oral presentation about the case (2-5 min)