ABSTRACT
This chapter presents success stories of eco-efficient services, and provides a rigorous set of guidelines that can be applied to any existing product or service. A service provider will benefit from reduced maintenance costs, and, under the pressure of competition, will constantly strive to reduce them. A guarantee to take back and dispose of the used product allows maximisation of the revalorisation potential. The chapter also provides a good model for assessment of environmental benefit, helping to judge the effectiveness of each idea. It presents three service concepts: product-oriented services; use-oriented services; and need-oriented services. There are two types of need-oriented service: least-cost planning strategies are normally applied to consumable goods, while durable goods, on the other hand, are often offered through facility management. Service concepts benefit, the environmental performance of a product as they increase its useful life while progressively reducing energy and material consumption.
