ABSTRACT
Environmental impacts of a product are consequences of raw material consumption and emissions to soil, water, and air during its life cycle. Decisions that are made in product design affect either directly or indirectly all phases of the life cycle and thus also their environmental impacts. Designers are particularly well placed to contribute actively to the production of environmentally sound products [1]. They have to be aware of the consequences of their decisions to find environmentally preferable solutions in product design. They must be able to compare different material, process, and component alternatives in a fast and reliable way, so that environmental issues can be considered among other objectives of product design.
