ECS green product design uses extended product lifecycle as a starting point. Durable, non-toxic, high performance products with high-quality components and extended lifecycles prevent the overexploitation and consumption of Earth’s limited resources. Designs also take easy disassembly into consideration so when the product is at the end of its lifecycle it can be recycled and the resources can be used again.
Total product lifecycle cost = development cost + production cost + repair cost + recycling cost.
Repair and recycling costs account for 15-40% of production costs (Dunn 1987). Therefore the green product design concept incorporates quality maintenance and lowers product lifecycle costs and raises the company’s key competitive edge.