2005 Volume 1 Issue 3 Pages 206-212
Technological advancements have brought us convenience and comfort. At the same time, our growing production and consumption of convenient products has directly and indirectly led to global environmental problems including global warming, resource depletion and pollution. To solve these global environmental problems, environmentally conscious products and services (hereafter called ECPs) that have less impact on the environment while improving functions are required. To promote the development and diffusion of ECPs, a distinct indicator for ECPs is required as a criterion to be used by designers and developers who actually develop products in enterprises, as a judgment criterion used by company managers for decision making, and as a purchase criterion used by consumers (users, customers). However there is no general means of measuring and evaluating specific target products, and the standard assessment method is yet to be established. Therefore, the “eco-efficiency (Factor X)” indicator independently developed as an ECP indicator, the case studies and the eco-design system constructed to actually develop ECPs will be introduced. The indicator and system have been actually applied in Matsushita Group since 2002.
