The Implementation of Eco-design Tools in Practice: A Case Study of PVC Windows

Authors

Matjaž Denac
University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2478-6960
Tinkara Ošlovnik
University of Maribor, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1165-979X

Synopsis

Managers face many challenges in the environmental management of their companies, including the development of greener products. Applying eco-design principles is a big step towards preventing environmental problems at source and, hence towards a more sustainable society. There are several tools available for the eco-design of products, which vary in complexity and can shed light on different aspects of product design. The most comprehensive eco-design tools consider the environmental impacts generated at each stage of the life cycle of products. This study demonstrates a systematic approach to introducing eco-design in the construction sector for professionals and stakeholders interested in greener product development. No prior knowledge of general design processes and related market aspects is required to understand the eco-design concept presented. The application of selected product eco-design methods is demonstrated in a PVC furniture manufacturing company. Using PVC windows as an example, this guide walks the reader through the stages of product eco-design, showing how the same environmental optimization tools can be applied to other building products.

Author Biographies

Matjaž Denac, University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business

Matjaž Denac, PhD is Associate Professor of Commodity Science and Technologies at the Faculty of Economics and Business UM. He participates in the teaching process within the Department of Technology and Entrepreneurial Environment Protection. He has extensive experience in industry. He started his research career in the field of materials science. Currently he is studying present issues in corporate environment protection, in particular environmental management, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), energy industry, sustainable construction and waste management. He has been engaged as a reviewer in several scientific journals, as an external evaluator of international projects and as a evaluator of international quality assessment of research work. He is also the head of the Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurial Environment Protection.

Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: matjaz.denac@um.si

Tinkara Ošlovnik, University of Maribor, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Tinkara Ošlovnik is a PhD student of Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (FKKT), UM. Her research focus is assessing the environmental impacts of selected products and technologies using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method and integrating eco-design into companies' business practices. She has also been involved in several EU projects, scientific conferences and monographic publications. As part of her PhD studies, she is deepening her knowledge on sustainability reporting, focusing on implementation of new methodology Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), which she will apply to a real-life case.

Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: tinkara.oslovnik@um.si

Downloads

PDF

Volume

Študije primerov EPF: Razvoj, trajnost in inovacije v poslovni praksi 2024

Pages

9-34

Published

December 24, 2024

Categories

Copyright (c) 2024 University of Maribor, University Press

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

The Implementation of Eco-design Tools in Practice: A Case Study of PVC Windows. (2024). In Študije primerov EPF: Razvoj, trajnost in inovacije v poslovni praksi 2024 (pp. 9-34). University of Maribor Press. https://press.um.si/index.php/ump/catalog/book/952/chapter/227