Made for life

Adopting a sustainable approach to the design of products will be crucial if manufacturing is to become a greener process. A European Directive known as EuP is being implemented with the primary purpose of putting eco-design at the forefront of manufacturing. The new rules on ´energy-using products´ will require manufacturers of a range of electrical products to design them for low-energy consumption. According to some campaigners for greener products, EuP will be a step- change in industrial design, because it will shift the focus from end-of-life recycling towards the whole lifecycle.