Ecodesign
Ecodesign is a methodology that considers the environmental impact of products from their conception, so that throughout their life cycle they are less harmful to the environment.
As it is a methodology that integrates environmental criteria in the design of products and services, the reduction of the environmental impacts produced is achieved, taking into account all the phases of their life cycle.
The aim is to design products that use less impacting materials, that are manufactured through clean production, that incorporate environmental improvements in distribution and that reduce the impacts they produce during use and at the end of their useful life.
ISO 14006
The ISO 14006 Standard on “Environmental management of the design and development process. Ecodesign”, aims to enhance the recognition of organisations that incorporate environmental criteria in the design and development of their products and services.
The structure, terminology and requirements of the standard are based on the ISO 9001 and 14001 standards, to facilitate its integration with these management systems, also incorporating the concept of continuous improvement.
ISO 14006 is compatible with:
- ISO 9001 – Quality Management.
- ISO 14001 – Environmental Management.
- EMAS Regulation – Environmental Management.
- UNE 166001 – R&D&I Projects.
- UNE 166002 – R&D&I Management.
- EN 16001 – Energy Efficiency Management System.
Advantages of ISO 14006 certification
- Preference as a supplier of products or services for being environmentally friendly.
- Inclusion of the environmental factor as an element of innovation.
- Leadership in environmental management.
- Advancing compliance with European Product Directives.
- Identification of customers that they have purchased an environmentally friendly product.
- Facilitating the calculation of the product’s Carbon Footprint or Water Footprint.
Choosing a company with certified ECODESIGN guarantees:
- The continuous improvement of the environmental aspects related to its products.
- The consideration of all environmental aspects throughout the life cycle: choice of materials, in-house production, distribution, use, maintenance and end of life.
- Design management that achieves products that effectively contribute to sustainable development.
- Information available to users, recyclers and other stakeholders to help them contribute to reducing the impact during stages such as use and disposal of products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Goals of ISO 14006
- Minimise the environmental impacts generated by products or services from their design, promoting a preventive approach.
- To make the market aware of the importance of the environmental impact generated by products or services, promoting active information on the part of the producing companies.
- Encourage a change of perspective, moving from an approach based on the environmental aspects associated with the manufacture of the product, to a broader identification that includes those generated in other stages of the life cycle.
- Establish a systematic approach to ensure continuous environmental improvement in the design of products and services.
- Providing companies with a label, through certification, which will give them a competitive advantage in the market.
Implementation and procedure of a work system that ensures compliance with current legislation for all projects, identifies and evaluates environmental aspects and incorporates environmental improvement measures into the project, in order to minimise the associated impact throughout the life cycle of the product or service.
More information on the goals of ISO 14006.
Contents of ISO 14006
A) Identification and evaluation of aspects
The organisation must identify the environmental aspects, i.e. the elements that can have an impact on the environment, throughout the life cycle of the product or service, for each of the products to be designed or redesigned.
Subsequently, the importance of these elements as generators of impacts on the environment is evaluated.
B) Legal and other requirements
A system is established to identify and keep up to date the environmental legal requirements applicable exclusively to the product or service to be designed or redesigned, as a prior step to their incorporation into the design process to ensure compliance.
C) Operational control
Operational control incorporates into the design and development process a systematic approach to the identification, control and continuous improvement of the environmental aspects of all products or services of the organisation.
D) Communication
Communication is one of the important requirements within the system, including both internal and external information flow.
It is also key to actively provide information to affected actors along the life cycle on their performance for the optimal environmental performance of the product, e.g. consumers at the use stage or recyclers at the recycling stage.
More information on the content of ISO 14006.
Phases of Ecodesign Certification
- Selection of the product and determination of the motivating factors.
- Determination of the significant environmental aspects throughout the life cycle of the product or service.
- Generation of improvement ideas and specifications for the development of the new product.
- Development of conceptual alternatives. Evaluation and selection.
- Detailed design of the new product.
- Definition of future improvement actions for the product and for the company.
- Launching campaign.
- Evaluation of the project and its results.
More information about the certification phases in Ecodesign.
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