How eco-design of products and services can embrace the use phase

The use phase is central to eco-design activities in all sectors. Various
possibilities of eco-designing products are offered through usage
consideration, matching different categories of products.

The in-use efficiency of high intensive energy-using products for instance is
a deciding factor when eco-designing them. The European Commission recommends
leading the global improvement of products' environmental footprint by
reducing the impacts generated during use. Energy efficiency also contributes
to optimising autonomy for transportation systems (automotive in particular),
or mobile mechatronics products, and usually benefits to the user.

The use-phase integration is also critical to the planning of high maintenance
operations and to the improvement of their environmental performance. For
highly-technical products, from aircrafts to mundane products such as clothes,
maintenance can be a major environmental burden. Even for relatively passive
products but with a long shelf-life, the use-phase integration plays an
important role in measuring the effect of an extended lifespan in absorbing
the environmental impacts over use time. Furniture, buildings, food, etc., all
benefit from usage integration through the development of realistic use
conditions for adequate dimensioning of shelf-life, and through proper
communication to users.

Around 70 researchers from industry, academia and governmental institutions
participated in the 2016 workshop on how eco-design of products and services
can embrace the use phase? and had the opportunity to exchange with experts.

This book contains a synthesis of the main contributions presented during this
workshop divided into two sections: good practices for use phase integration
during the eco-design of products and services, and, the opportunities to
challenge this integration.