This life-cycle approach permits the design process to help ensure that environmental problems seemingly addressed in one component do not negatively affect the environmental performance of another component.
During the production stage, environmental impacts can be minimized through careful selection and specification of materials and processes. This will involve the design team working closely with the production staff and suppliers. There are several ways to maximize the efficiency impacts during the production stage. Some of them can include: reducing the number of components and assemblies; eliminating and minimizing offcuts, by-products, and other materials; minimizing the variety of materials; integrating functions and simplifying assemblies; selecting low-impact materials and cleaner production methods that eliminate or notably reduce any toxic or hazardous inputs; eliminating the use of solvent-based adhesives, coatings, and finishes; eliminating the use of coatings and finishes that contain heavy metals. The designer should specify the use of durable materials and avoid colors or designs that may go out of fashion quickly. Design for upgradeability has long been a key issue in the design of the IT equipment.
ECO
Material quantities should be minimized without compromising function, quality, aesthetics, or applicable standards, also, environmentally improved materials should be used whenever possible. These could include materials with recycled content, materials that are made without any toxic or hazardous substance, and materials derived from renewable sources. They should be produced through processes that are not highly energy intensive and they should be commonly recycled and supported by collection systems and product take-back sources and schemes. They also must not be ozone depleting, nor to contribute to the sick building syndrome or other indoor air-quality problems. In addition, reduced diversity of material type can facilitate more viable end-of-life recycling. Wood-based materials should be sourced from sustainably managed plantations and certified accordingly. Materials containing toxic or hazardous substances should be avoided, with particular attention to the reduced levels of urea formaldehyde.
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