Design for Environment (DfE) is a general concept that refers to a variety of design approaches that attempt to reduce the overall environmental impact of a product, process or service, where environmental impacts are considered across its life cycle. A type of design for environment is Cradle to Cradle, which works holistically to redesign entire systems.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is employed to forecast the impacts of different (production) alternatives of the product in question, thus being able to choose the environmentally most friendly.

Different software tools have been developed to assist designers in finding optimised products (or processes/services). Design for Environment includes several subsidiary approaches, such as Design for Disassembly (to facilitate recycling) and source reduction.

[edit] Design for the Environment Program

Design for the Environment is a United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) program that works to prevent pollution, and the risk pollution presents to humans and the environment.^[1]

[edit] See also

Biodiversity Design Impact Measures Sustainable Building Alliance Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Environmental design Sustainability

Natural environment Nature Environmental movement Conservation movement

Sustainable development portal Environment portal

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Design for Environment - Department Life Cycle Engineering - LBP - University of Stuttgart
• Life Cycle Engineering - LBP - University of Stuttgart
• GaBi Software - The Software for Environmental Product and Process Optimisation
• PE Consulting Group - Life Cycle Engineering
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - DfE Program
• Sustainable Building Alliance
• EIME, ecodesign software dedicated to electrical and electronic products(English)
• Ecoinvent: Design for Environment

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