Transitions in sustainable product design research

Casper Boks and Timothy C. McAloone

International Journal of Product Development, 2009, vol. 9, issue 4, 429-449

Abstract: By the early 1990s, sustainable product innovation (also known as ecodesign or design for environment) had gained sufficient critical mass in academic research to be identified as a distinct research area. In the past 15 years, stimulated by a growing environmental concern and awareness in the media, it has expanded considerably from a group of opportunistic eco-pathfinders trying to optimise products' recyclability into an acknowledged scientific research area regarding technology transfer and commercialisation. This paper proposes that this maturing process took place through a number of transitions; this is illustrated by discussing the characteristic aspects of each transition, which together provide a historic account of how academic research into sustainable product innovation has matured. In conclusion, several possible future transitions or extensions of the research area are discussed.

Keywords: sustainable product design; ecodesign; design for environment; DfE; design research; product development; sustainability; product innovation. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijpdev:v:9:y:2009:i:4:p:429-449

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