Design for environment - methods and tools integrating life cycle impact assessment into design for environment

The environmental impacts of a product are mostly determined within the product design process. In order to integrate the instrument of life cycle assessment into the design process the whole life cycle of a product has to be modeled by the designer. The Collaborative Research Center 392 "design for environment - methods and tools" at the Darmstadt University of Technology was formed in 1996. The aim of the research group is to develop the methods and tools necessary for the designer. At the Institute W.A.R. the impact assessment methods for the tools are developed and improved.