Environmentally conscious design and manufacturing: Concepts, applications, and perspectives

Environmentally conscious design and manufacturing (ECD&M) is a view of manufacturing which includes the social and technological aspects of the design, synthesis, processing, and use of products in continuous or discrete manufacturing industries. The benefits of ECD&M include safer and cleaner factories, worker protection, reduced future costs for disposal, reduced environment and health risks, improved product quality at lower cost, better public image, and higher productivity. Environmentally conscious technologies and design practices will allow manufacturers to minimize waste and to turn waste into a profitable product. This paper updates information about ECD&M, which will in turn provide some general information, guidelines and references for research and implementation. In the meantime, more clear definitions of related terms used in the ECD&M area are provided. A brief future trend is also provided at the end of this paper.