Design-for-X levers for product sustainability: a framework and a decision method

Climate change and resource scarcity increase the pressure to reduce the environmental impact of products. It is widely acknowledged that decisions in the early stages of product design are responsible for most lifecycle costs and environmental impacts. This study focuses on the role of design-for-X (DfX) approaches as means to increase product sustainability, in particular in relation to the ‘reduce’ objective within the circular economy (CE) ‘4R’ framework. This paper provides two contributions. First, it develops a conceptual framework encompassing 11 levers for the implementation of DfX approaches to achieve ‘reduce’ objectives related to resource efficiency and product lifespan extension. Second, it illustrates a three-step original decision method supporting managers in identifying the best-suited levers in practical cases, based on the relevance associated with different product design priorities. This method is applied to an industrial case study in the machinery sector, showing its practical usefulness.