Steps Toward Environmentally Compatible Product and Process Design: A Case for Green Engineering

Abstract

Green Engineering is the study of product and process design for environmental friendliness without compromising product quality and commercial viability. The aim is to identify, develop, and exploit new technologies that can bolster productivity without costing the environment. This is one of the challenges engineers will face in the coming century. Over the past decade, a lot of research and effort has been put into understanding issues such as waste management, materials recovery, and HazMin (Minimization of Hazardous materials and practices) as they relate to products after they enter the waste stream. Attention should also be focussed on the product design itself. The idea is to inject concerns about environmental friendliness into the design process; where, the assessment of environmental friendliness is based on a life-cycle view of the product. This includes the product's manufacturing process, distribution, use, and final disposal.