The following tree of EcoDesignPrinciples was proposed by Davide Russo and Christian Spreafico. The tree consists of 4 subtrees corresponding to the life cycle phases Pre-Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Product Use and End of Life of a product. The RDF variant was generated from a JSON dump provided by the authors. An exact reference is still to be added.
This tree serves only as proof of concept to demonstrate the potential of the RDF backed WUMM database. The links in the table point to a relevant part of the complete RDF information in the database.
Examples: Use eVerdee DB
Examples: Secondary aluminum
Recycled paper
Examples: Use FEM optimisation software
Examples: Buy the material with the right over-Metal
Buy T-shape beam instead of welding two plates
Examples: Tissued made with recycled paper
Examples: Solid inks: the cartridge has been eliminated
The packaging is already included in the product: Scratch-proof glass
Examples: Nestl? redesign the bottle and cap to make them lighter. Also narrowed the label.
Procter & Gamble introduced a stand- alone rigid tube. So it was been possible eliminate the box
Examples: Use plexiglass instead of glass
Examples: Foldable box
Flexible tubes
Examples: Europallets
Glass bottles and tanks for methane gas
Examples: The use of pallet in architecture to make planters, tables and chairs
Examples: Plastic corks are used haw ram material for plastic industry
Examples: Controlled atmosphere, vacuum, deep freeze, sterilization
Examples: Use train instead of trucks
Use hybrid trucks
Examples: Chose the shortest route in time
Chose the shortest route for distance
Examples: Nested container
Changing shape: the use of rectangular cans allows a better use of the space
Examples: Liquid oxygen, transported into pressurized cylinders. It saves space and improves the security of transport than gaseous oxygen one
Rice vacuum: in addition to satisfy organoleptic requirements, eliminating the space normally occupied by the air.
Examples: Use a list
Examples: Petroleum ship with compartmentalized tankers
Twin tyres for trucks
Examples: Active packaging: used in catering, to avoid the environmental conditions can spoil the food packaged.
Anti corrosion packaging.
Examples: See European Union energy label to find a machinery with less consumption
Examples: Substitute a milling machine and a lathe with a CNC station
Examples: Grinding machine use a magnetic field to block the working pieces (no protection materials for pieces into the vise,..)
Use machines with systems of centralized lubricant
Examples: See European Union energy label to find a component able to decrease the machinery consumption
Examples: An oil separator with new filters extends the life of lubricating oil in a milling machine
Examples: Regenerable insert tool
Examples: Redesign product shape in order to reduce the volume of the sprous during the foundry
Examples: Minimize the length of the flaps for welding condon in order to minimize the feed material
Examples: The Pringles Frying Furnace was eliminated. Oil-free raw chips go directly into the press where they fry due to the high temperatures reached during the compression
Examples: Use spaghetti chart
Examples: Solar car uses sun instead of fuel fo work
Examples: Epson printer ecotank inkject does not use ink cartridges. The inks are injected in internal tanks
Examples: Wi-Fi internet connection instead of LAN cables
Examples: Prepeat printer prints on sheet delating what it's been printed before on it. So as to reduce use of auxiliary materials (paper)
Recycling the cooling fluid through a recirculation pump
Examples: LED bulb with high eneretic performance, high quality and long duration
Examples: Hybrid system of washbasin or washing machine and toilet bowl: water used in the washbashin or washing machines is collected and later used to flush the toilet
Examples: Biosolex toys for kids are made with bamboo or recycled paper and do not contain dangerous substances like phthalate
Digital thermometer measures fever without using mercury that could be dangerous for humans.
Examples: Include security systems in work environment such as system safe tainer that delivers systems with closed loop to protect workers and location. It consistes of two steel tanks that allow to transfer existing solvent without pouring out dangerous emissions
Improve air in location like natural filter bel air that improves air quality and purifies because it absorbs toxic substances products like carpet or paint emanate
Examples: Packaging for glass bottle
Amazon box use the same packaging to give back the product
Examples: Nutella glass
Examples: Minimum packaging for bicycle shipment
Body shower + shampoo: join more than one product in a unique one combining functions to reduce the mass of the packaging using a similar plastic packaging
Examples: Tetra Recart packaging: lightweight and required minimum amount of resources; it weights 64% less than a can. Economic, emissions of CO2 and transport saving. The packaging are made by a renewable material
Examples: Packaging of a gardening product: it substitutes the multiple packagin (primary with blister) with a packaging where a hole has been obtained for the blister
Piled packaging reduces the volume of the load that needs to be transport and it minimizes the overall contribution for the transport and the storage of the product
Examples: Energy class range: check the class of the household electrical appliances. A stands for the most efficient energy consumption
Daewoo Air Power Z washing machine: it has new washing technology based on cold water and air. In this way the laundry can be done without heating the water that normally uses most of the required energy
Examples: Solar cookit is a parabolic system that uses sun to heat and cook. It is equipped with a pack covered by aluminium film
Examples: KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System): it is a system to recover kinetic energy from the F1 car during braking in the form of heat. The recovered energy is stored and then it is used by the same car under acceleration. It minimizes the use of fuel translating into less atmospheric emission in the air
Examples: Laser printers Kyocera: they have drums as durable as the machine life. Consequent low maintenance and less replacement of these parts. Saving costs
Bestprato Festuca Arundinacea: it can withstand footsteps and it requires low maintenance; create a grassland that grows very little, can not fall ill and do not need intence irrigation
Examples: Rank Xerox machine: equipped with automatic systems to supervise the usury conditions of the parts that periodically needed to be substituted
Oil indicator
Examples: La Sportiva boot: the sole can be removed and repaired to extend boot life. Consequent reduction of consumption instead of realizing a new boot
Workstation Apple PowerMac G5: it has easy reachable internal components. Designed to facilitate update and replacement of the components like RAM and video card
Examples: Computer Mentis: it is composed by 3 parts, beyond screen. Each once can be replaced independently of others by following its technological development
Computer software or smartphone app: allow the product update and the bug correction also after having bought the product
Examples: Product value (euro/kg): if it is high, the effect of transport cost is low and it is better to have a unique warehouse to serve the entire country. If it is low, it is better to have more stock because of the presence of more warehouses that are served directly from plants or from harbour with full load
Examples: Analysys of the space profile of demand: decide a geographical distribution of demand in the delivery area.
Analyze the temporal profile of demand: evaluate the present of stagionarity and the consequent use of outsouring logistic
Examples: Order emission: if cycle supplier/customer is narrow, it is better to have warehouses near the market or faster transports. If times are larger and the delivery are ingent, they could be united in 2-5 delivery and send a complete piece that make more steps (multi-drop)
Frequence of delivery/lot: if it is big (low frequence)the delivery is made from the warehouse to the costumer in a full load. Otherwise a network of peripheral warehouses or transit points are needed to separate primary transport with long distance from the secondary distribution.
Examples: Touchscreen phone. The keypad was trimmed
Examples: Nested chairs
Shopping cart
Examples: Esselunga uses reusable bowls for fruits and vegetables. If they are broken, their material is reused to create other bowls
Examples: Objects made by ricycled glass from different products
Examples: Gasify, pyrolisis: It obtains gaseous fuel that can be used for the production of energy
Incinerator: it converts feedstock energy contained in wastes into electrical or heat energy
Examples: Ecoplast bottle Naturalmente : It uses a material completely biodegradable and easily disposed in domestic wet waste
Examples: PLA polylactic acid: PLA is a biodegradable plastic tipically used for packaging. It saves raw materials and it derives from the sugar of corn. It considerable reduces emission of Co2 in the air (principle cause of greenhouse effect)
Examples: Packaging Ecolean: it uses gypsum to realize packaging. It weighs 40/45% less than a paper box of the same dimensions and 55/60% less than a plastic bottle of the same size. After use the packaging can be recycled as a plastic material
Examples: Tetra Top: the top can be removed and disposed in the plastic waste while the bottom in the paper waste
Examples: Design for disassembly helps both the extension of the product life and that of the material life, by facilitating disassembly in order to reduce costs
Removable connection systems: snap-fit, screw and bolt, inserts (with rift zone)
Examples: Tetra recart: thanks to their neat rectangular shape and light weight, Tetra Recart packages are highly efficient to transport. You get 18% more filled packages on a pallet, compared to cans. And a single truck filled with empty Tetra Recart cartons corresponds to nine filled with cans. Easy use of its material for the recycling after use
Examples: Bottle Evian: plastic bottle for water with particular ribs that facilitate crushing and so the reduction space for the transport operations and collection after use