4>EPA
United States
Environmental Pi
Agency
PA744-F-00-020
March 2001
www.epa.gov/dfe
Pollution Prevention and Toxics (7406)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Design for the
Environment Program
Partnerships for a Cleaner Future
Why Design for the
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Publications and materials produced by each of
the industry partnerships are available on the DIE
Web site at www.epa.gov/dfe. Contact DIE at
202-260-1678, dfe@epa.gov, or:
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (7409)
Washington, DC 20460
Telephone: 202-260-1023
Fax: 202-260-0178
E-mail: ppic@epa.gov
or:
National Service Center for Environmental
Publications (NSCEP)
Telephone: 513-489-8190
800-490-9198
U.S.EPA*
www.epa.gov/dfe
Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
^ Off ice of P
Prevention and Toxics
www.epa.gov/opptintr
Environment?
Businesses today face a variety of challenges—maintaining
high-quality goods and services at low cost, staying com-
petitive in a global marketplace, and meeting consumer
preferences for more environmentally friendly products. To help
businesses meet these challenges, EPA is building on the design for
the environment concept pioneered by industry and encourages
businesses to incorporate environmental considerations into the
design and redesign of products and processes.
Benefits include:
• Cost savings
• Reduced business and environmental risks
• Expanded business and market opportunities
What is RPAs
DfE Program?
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA's) Design for the Environment (DfE)
Program is a voluntary partnership program that
orks directly with industries to integrate health and
environmental considerations into their business deci-
sions. A DfE partnership helps businesses design or
redesign products, processes, and management systems
that are cleaner, more cost-effective, and safer for work-
ers and the public. The DfE Program usually works
with industry sectors to compare the human health and
environmental risks, performance, and costs associated
with existing and alternative technologies or processes.
DfE solution may entail the redesign of a formula-
tion, a manufacturing or service-sector process, or a
management practice.
Pollution prevention—the reduction or elimination
of pollution at the source—is given preference to
recycling, treatment, or disposal.
How does a business
"design for the environment?3
By evaluating the human health and environmental
impacts of its processes and products.
By identifying what information is needed to make
human health and environmental decisions.
By conducting an assessment of alternatives.
By considering cross-media impacts and the benefits
of substituting chemicals.
By reducing the use and release of toxic chemicals
through the innovation of cleaner technologies that
use safer chemicals.
By implementing pollution prevention, energy effi-
ciency, and other resource conservation measures.
By making products that can be reused, refurbished,
remanufactured, or recycled.
By monitoring the environmental impacts and costs
associated with each product or process.
By recognizing that although change can be rapid, in
many cases a cycle of evaluation and continuous
improvement is needed.
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How does OfF, partner with
businesses?
DfE forms volun-
tary partnerships
with industry sec-
tors, usually through
industry leaders and trade
or technical associations.
These partnerships also
can include public interest groups, universities, research
institutions, and other government agencies at the fed-
eral, state, and local level.
For each partnership, DfE ensures that information on
traditional and alternative technologies reaches the peo-
ple who make the decisions—such as managers, engi-
neers, purchasers, and end users. DfE provides these
decision makers with a variety of materials, such as
technical reports, fact sheets, bulletins, case studies, soft-
ware, videos, and training manuals. These materials are
distributed throughout the industry so that companies
can make more informed decisions that reduce risks to
workers and the environment and even boost their bot-
tom line. DfE's Web site (www.epa.gov/dfe) keeps part-
ners and other customers informed of new
developments.
How does a business start
designing for the environment?
A business can initiate a DfE project on its own or
with the assistance of its industry trade or tech-
nical association. Associations can provide finan-
cial resources and share information, including
incentives to making changes and the recognition of
businesses that have overcome obstacles. If a particular
company believes that its industry can benefit from a
DfE project, it should bring this to the attention of an
appropriate association to see if broader industry interest
exist. Associations are encouraged to contact EPA's DfE
Program for information on how to either propose a
partnership with EPA or initiate projects on their own.
Businesses also can design for the environment on their
own by using the models and templates developed by
the DfE Program.
On all RPA DfR partnerships take the
same approach?
A • ^here are six different approaches to designing for the
environment. To achieve its goals, a DfE partnership
may use one or more of the following approaches:
en
JL m
Technology Assessments: A Cleaner Technologies
Substitutes Assessment (CTSA) offers a DfE partnership
a methodology to evaluate traditional and alternative
technologies for the potential risks they pose to human
health and the environment, as well as for performance
and cost. The CTSA provides detailed information so
that businesses can make their own decisions. In under-
taking a CTSA approach, partners agree to identify the
component chemicals of alternative products and
processes, test, or summarize the performance of these
alternatives, and analyze their costs, as well as an analysis
of natural resources usage (water and energy use). The
DfE Program has completed several successful partner-
ships and is working with several other industries using a
CTSA approach. These industry partnerships include
commercial printing, garment and textile care, printed
wiring boards used in computers and other electronics,
and adhesives used in foam furniture and sleep
products. (See the DfE Web site for
the CTSA Methodology and Resource
Guide?)
Formulator Approach: The DfE
Program is helping companies that
formulate chemicals or produce
formulated products, such as
detergents, for commercial use
make more informed choices by considering the charac-
teristics and environmental impacts of alternative ingre-
dients. Depending on the industry, the DfE Program
either works with a trade association or directly with
individual companies. DfE encourages participation by
recognizing companies that succeed in improving the
chemical profile of their products. The first DfE partners
to take this approach were formulators of industrial and
institutional laundry detergents. They are replacing con-
ventional, hazardous ingredients with alternative ingredi-
ents (and byproducts) that are less toxic and more
biodegradable. Building on its success with detergent
formulations, DfE is entering into partnerships with the
formulators of industrial and institutional cleaning
products.
Best Practices Approach: This approach focuses on lim-
iting exposures to toxic chemicals as much as possible
in the workplace and surrounding community. By
interacting with shops onsite, the DfE Program gains a
real-wo rid perspective on the full range of practices and
equipment in an industry—from the hazardous to the
best available for ensuring safety and protecting
human health. With this perspective and a knowl-
edge of chemical risks and protective measures,
DfE tests its strategy for promoting best shop
,^^ practices within a limited geographic
^ area. This strategy employs a
combination of techniques,
such as shop visits from safety
equipment suppliers, indus-
trial hygienists, and experi-
^jfr enced tradesmen, and
^^^^^^ collaboration with trade
^i^^ groups, schools, and raw mate-
I^T rials suppliers and their networks.
\ A partnership with the auto refin-
t r AS UTt r cirtriBrSnipS • Garment and textile care • Printed wiring boards used in computers and other electronics
Commercial printing (screen printing, lithography, and flexography) • Industrial and institutional cleaning formulations • Auto refinishing •
Adhesives used in foam furniture and sleep products • Computer displays • Automobile suppliers
ishing industry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, identi-
fied best practices for reducing exposure to volatile
organic chemicals and hazardous air pollutants.
Greening the Supply Chain: Manufacturers of complex
products, such as automobiles, appliances, ships, and air-
craft, depend on a broad network of suppliers for parts
and assemblies. Many of the suppliers in these supply
chains (or tiers) are small- and medium-size companies.
By applying various approaches to manufacturing and
purchasing decisions throughout a network of suppliers,
DfE is promoting pollution prevention and the reduc-
tion of exposures and risks in these small facilities. A
pilot project is under way with the Saturn Corporation
to "green" its suppliers of automobile parts.
Integrated Environmental Management Systems: The
DfE Program developed an Integrated Environmental
Management System (IEMS) that emphasizes reduc-
ing risk to the public and the environment, pollution
prevention, and wise resource management. DfE's
IEMS Implementation Guide walks businesses through
the standard EMS components and also provides
"how to" insights and worksheets for process map-
ping, substitutes assessments, and risk evaluation.
Pilot projects with several screen printing companies
demonstrated that even a small company can develop
a sophisticated, action-oriented IEMS.
Life-cycle Assessments: Life-cycle assessments (LCAs)
examine the environmental impacts of products over
their entire life-cycle, from materials acquisition to
manufacturing, use, and disposition. LCAs evaluate
impacts on human health, atmospheric resources/air
quality, water quality, ecological systems, and natural
resource consumption. In the DfE Computer Display
Project, project partners have used the LCA and
CTSA (technology assessment) methodologies to
evaluate the life-cycle environmental impacts, per-
formance, and cost of liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
and cathode-ray tubes (CRTs). DfE expects that the
information generated will allow the electronics
industry to perform improvement assessments, which
will allow them to design products and processes that
reduce the release and use of toxic chemicals and risks
to human health and the environment.
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