A cost-benefit analysis model of product design for recyclability and its application

Abstract

Designing products for recyclability is driven by environmental and economic goals. It is important that we integrate both environmental and economic aspects of product design. We propose cost and benefit analysis as an approach that a decisionmaker can use to find the balance between the amount of effort invested in the disassembly and recycling of a product and the revenues that are realized. Several design-for-recycling rules, which can reduce the cost of recycling, are presented and integrated with the cost-benefit analysis model. The synthesis is illustrated with an example of the electronic-mechanical product.