Chalmers Conferences, LCM 2013

ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE TO DEVELOP MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
Gunilla Clancy, Morgan Fröling, Magdalena Svanström, Sverker Alänge

Last modified: 2014-09-11

Abstract


Companies need to develop more sustainable products to fit into more sustainable future markets, and there is need for ways to guide towards and compare sustainability already early in material or product development. How this can be handled has been studied through action research in a material development project aiming to develop wood-based materials to replace petroleum-based materials while ensuring a more sustainable product. A specific focus was put on creating actionable knowledge to facilitate innovation towards more sustainable products by translating and integrating significant product sustainability characteristics into each team member’s specific area of expertise and everyday work. The insights are now used in different other on-going projects in a textile industry setting and in relation to companies’ management systems.

Keywords


sustainability assessment; product development; scenario; team learning; management systems

References


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Book, S., Alänge, S., & Solly, B. (2006). Quality Management from a Company Development Perspective. Paper 2 in Stefan Book's PhD thesis "Naturalizing Quality Managment - A problem of organizing in processes of change", Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg.

Clancy, G. (2012). Guiding development of wood-based materials for more sustainable products Licentiate, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg. http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/166316.pdf

Clancy, G., Fröling, M., Peters, G. M., & Svanström, M. (2010a). Environmental challenges when developing renewable materials to replace non-renewable materials - guidance from LCA studies. Paper presented at the EcoBalance ‘Towards & Beyond 2020’ Tokyo.

Clancy, G., Fröling, M., & Svanström, M. (2010b). The ageing society: An example of consequences for biomass use. Paper presented at the MFA-ConAccount Meeting ’MFA for Sustainable Future’, Tokyo, Japan.

Clancy, G., Fröling, M., & Svanström, M. (2013a). Changing from petroleum to wood based materials: critical review of how product sustainability characteristics can be assessed and compared. Journal of Cleaner Production, 39, 372-385. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.07.027

Clancy, G., Fröling, M., & Svanström, M. (2013b). Insights from guiding material development for more sustainable products. International Journal of sustainable Design, In press.


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