ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on the proposition that the lamentable environmental, social and economic situation of many communities in developing countries can be improved by introducing and implementing sustainable product design (SPD) among local Micro and small enterprises (MSE). MSEs play an important role in achieving these objectives because they are the backbone of the private sector. A successful SPD implementation strategy for developing countries needs to encompass planning, manufacturing and marketing. It has to provide alternatives to the entire production cycle, including the sustainable management and supply of natural resources, improvements in the manufacturing process and a search for alternative marketing opportunities. The need for an assessment phase is based on the belief that to contribute to improving the existing situation it is essential to understand the current relationship between people and the environment. The sustainable management of natural resources is a management that maintains the biodiversity and the flow of goods and environmental services in the long term.
