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Guidelines for the Inclusion of Environmental Aspects in Product Standards

1 Preface

• 1.1 Objective
• 1.2 Background
• 1.3 Scope and Definitions
• 1.4 Target Group
• 1.5 Scope and Definitions

1.1 Objective

The objective of this manual is to give those working with product standardisation practical advise and instruction on how to include environmental aspects in product standards. The aim is thus to contribute to the integration of technical standards and environmental consideration in the process of product standardisation.

1.2 Background

Product standards influence a product’s environmental impact as standards often establish requirements for a product’s design, content and mode of operation. Even though product standards are primarily aimed at a single phase in a product’s life cycle, viz. production, they influence other phases in the life cycle and, therefore, also the environmental impact of a product in these phases.

Product standards can, therefore, be a useful instrument in preventing and reducing the environmental impact of products during their life cycle.

The major standardisation organisations such as CEN and ISO have already taken steps to include environmental considerations in their standards, such as:

• ISO Guide 64: 1997 (DS/INF 118:1997) (a general instruction on how to tackle environmental issues in connection with product standards)
• CEN Environmental Guidelines (CEN’s general framework for the inclusion of environmental aspects in standards)
• CEN Environmental Help Desk (CEN’s office for assisting standardisation committees with environmental questions)
• ISO standards for environmental management (ISO 14000 series, which includes a number of standards aimed at companies’ environmental management systems).

It has to be stated that there is a long way to go before environmental aspects are as well integrated in product standardisation as in other fields. There is an urgent need for the inclusion of environmental aspects in product standards. This manual intends to address this issue.

1.3 Scope and Definitions

This manual concerns product standards i.e. standards that set technical requirements to products such as the content of substances and materials, strength, production methods etc. The manual will, to a lesser extent, also include methodology, test and management standards.

The manual is not a summary of the Environmental Management Standards, ISO 14000 series, even though the principles in the ISO 14000 series will be used when undertaking environmental assessments of products.

The manual uses examples from the four product standards named in Fig. 1.1 below.

Figure 1.1: The four product standards used as examples in this manual

The manual is primarily aimed at standardisation according to the CEN framework, but can in principle also be used in standardisation work with other frameworks such as ISO as all the major global, regional and most national standards associations have expressed an interest in including environmental aspects in their standards.

1.4 Target Group

The manual’s target group is specialists working with the standardisation of products, but who do not work with environmental aspects daily.

Employers of manufacturing companies, industrial associations, consumer associations, research institutes and consultancy firms are the primary specialists in standardisation and are, therefore, the primary target group of this manual.

Others who need a system for the environmental assessment of products can also use this manual.

1.5 Scope and Definitions

The manual is structured in the following way:

• Chapter 2 describes the interaction between product standards and environment and the role product development and standards have in this interplay. CEN’s environmental checklist is also introduced as an instrument for undertaking an initial screening of a product’s environmental impact.
• Chapter 3 gives an overview of how a product’s principle environmental aspects can be identified, which will allow for the drawing up of a strategy to incorporate these aspects in production.
• Chapter 4 provides ideas for the reduction of the environmental impact of a product during manufacture.
• Annex 1 includes a glossary of terms, whilst annex 2 is a list of references.

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Version 1.0 August 2006, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency