Annex 2. Action areas and improvement potentials, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Manual on Product-Oriented Environmental Work

Annex 2. Action areas and improvement potentials

An assessment of where you can achieve improvements in the product must be based on the concrete data you collect concerning the product. Some rules of thumb are given below for where you may find potential areas for improvement. The tables are intended as inspiration for identification of action areas and improvement potentials but not to be used on their own in the actual work of analysis. For that, more concrete reference works etc. will be needed - for example, "Manual on Environmental Assessment of Products" (see the reference list).

The focus points for environmental improvements will be concentrated on the areas in which there is:

a large consumption of materials

a consumption of non-renewable resources and resources that are in short supply

a consumption of large quantities of virgin (non-recycled) resources

use or emission of hazardous substances

energy-intensive processes.

The following table contains questions that may help in identifying more action areas more precisely - identifying the significant environmental impacts and localising where they occur in the life cycle.

Questions for identification of action areas

Phase of life cycle
Materials	Are there substances or materials in the product that are characterised as hazardous?
	Are ancillary substances that are characterised as hazardous used during the raw material phase?
	Does the product contain substances of materials that are non-renewable and/or scarce resources?
	How large a part of the product consists of virgin resources (i.e.resources that have not been used before)?
	Are processes that can be described as energy-intensive used for production of substances and materials?
	Are there emissions/discharges to water,air or soil from the various production processes that cause environmental or health problems?
Production	Are ancillary substances that are characterised as hazardous used in the production?
	Does the product contain substances or materials that are non-renewable and/or scarce resources?
	Are processes that can be described as energy-intensive used for production of substances and materials?
	Are there emissions/discharges to water,air or soil from the various production processes that cause environmental or health problems?
Use	What is the lifetime of the product?
	Are ancillary substances that are characterised as hazardous to people or the environment used during use of the product?
	Does the product contain substances or materials that are non-renewable and/or scarce resources?
	Is the product energy-intensive during the use phase?
Disposal	Which parts of the product can be recycled? Is the product designed for separation into small fractions?
	Are there any environmental impacts in connection with disposal of the product?
	How much packaging is used for the product?

When product-orienting your environmental management work, you must set yourself targets - also for reduction of the products' environmental impact. It is therefore important for your product-related action to produce a number of ideas for improvements - seen in a life cycle perspective.

The questions in the following tables can be used to identify potentials for improving a product. However, it is important to stress that it is necessary to analyse any proposals for improvements closely before real changes are made to the product or the production methods.

Inspiration for improvement potentials in the materials phase

Phase of life cycle

The company's assessment of the potentials for improvement

Materials

Assess whether:

all substances and materials used in the product are necessary

the quantity of the materials can be reduced

the product consists of materials and substances that can be recycled or whether it is possible to replace virgin (new) materials with recycled materials

Assess whether:

they can be substituted or replaced by less hazardous substances of materials

Assess whether:

the non-renewable,scarce resources can be substituted by resources that are renewable and/or resources of which there are ample quantities

Assess whether:

the virgin resources can be replaced by recycled materials

the materials used can be recycled when the product is disposed of

Assess whether:

it is possible to substitute with other resources that require less energy to produce

Assess whether:

it is possible to reduce or remove emissions

Inspiration for improvement potentials in the production phase

Phase in life cycle

The company's assessment of improvement potentials

Production

Assess whether:

substances or materials can be substituted by less hazardous substances or materials

Assess whether:

non-renewable,scarce resources can be substituted by resources that are renewable and/or resources of which there are ample quantities

Assess whether:

energy consumption can be reduced

Assess whether:

it is possible to reduce or remove emissions

Inspiration for improvement potentials in the use phase

Phase in life cycle

The company's assessment of improvement potentials

Use

Assess whether:

substances or materials can be substituted by less hazardous substances or materials

Assess whether:

non-renewable,scarce resources can be substituted by renewable resources and/or resources of which there are ample quantities

Assess whether:

the use phase is energyintensive

the energy consumption during use can be reduced

Assess whether:

the product can be designed so that it can be upgraded (individual parts can be replaced instead of the product being scrapped)

the product can be designed to make it easy to repair

Inspiration for improvement potentials in the disposal phase

Phase in life cycle

The company's assessment of improvement potentials

Disposal

Assess whether:

the product is/can be designed for easy separation and recycling

it is possible to reuse or recycle all or parts of the product

the material diversity can be reduced (i.e.the number of subcomponents)

Assess whether:

toxic or similar substances or products are formed during,for example,incineration

Assess whether:

it is possible to use less packaging