2019•Unpublished venueRequires access
One step back, two steps forward - resource efficiency requirements within ecodesign
Floris Akkerman
Open publisher page 2 citations
Abstract
Resource efficiency is a much discussed topic in terms of improving
the sustainability of energy related and energy non-related
products. Resource efficiency aspects such as the availability
of spare parts, the ability to dismantle, etc. have been included
in draft working documents in the revision of several already
existing Ecodesign regulations as a first step. However, often
these aspects are not consistent with the current technology and
design of these products. A possible reason could be a lack of
sufficient consultation or of a methodology which is sufficiently
tailored for this topic. The established strategies and tools, used
by policymakers, such as the Methodology for the Ecodesign
of Energy-related Products (MEErP), do not seem to deal with
these aspects appropriately. Draft requirements need to be very
well developed before being discussed with member states and
other related stakeholders, because including resource efficiency
parameters could lead to additional, very wide-ranging effects
on society. This topic cannot be covered well with legislative
tools developed primarily for energy aspects. In this paper, a
method is presented which can be used to combine products’
properties with crucial resource efficiency indicators. The method
can be used to develop a set of draft legislative requirements
and to pre-evaluate these requirements by target groups which
would be affected by additional legal requirements. These include:
market surveillance authorities, standardization organizations,
manufacturers and their associations, environmental
organizations and research facilities. The method incorporates
stakeholders’ feedback to identify potential resource efficiency
measures for materials and/or products, their impact on the
European ecology, economy and society. Based on this it would
help to develop legislative requirements which are feasible and
desirable. The results can then be fed into the formal legislative
process, probably speeding it up.