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Ecodesign and product innovation with SimaPro

Over 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined during product development. To drive meaningful change, environmental insights need to be available early in the design process.

Product design with sustainability in mind

The design phase is the most effective moment to improve a product’s environmental impact. Designers need clear, reliable insights into the consequences of their choices.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides these insights. SimaPro enables teams to assess design options, compare scenarios, and make informed decisions that improve sustainability.

 

Sustainable product design in practice

Product designers often face a challenge: LCA requires specialized expertise, while design decisions need to be made quickly. At the same time, relying on separate LCA studies can slow down development.

SimaPro supports collaboration between LCA experts and product teams. Experts can build robust models, while designers use the results to evaluate options, compare scenarios, and understand trade-offs.

With clear insights into environmental impacts, teams can:

  • Compare design alternatives
  • Identify improvement opportunities
  • Integrate sustainability into product development

 

Identify environmental hotspots

Understanding which life cycle stages or components drive the highest impact is key to effective ecodesign. SimaPro helps identify hotspots — whether in materials, manufacturing, or other stages — so teams can focus efforts where they matter most. These insights support better design decisions and help translate sustainability goals into practical improvements.

Find the right SimaPro plan

Start applying ecodesign principles and develop products with sustainability in mind.

Explore plans

PRé, the developer of SimaPro, used SimaPro Explore to create a bespoke tool for us to quickly and effectively measure the environmental impact of our products and concepts. This gives us the agility to make timely, science-based decisions as we consider the development of current and future products.

Isobel Filipova

Design Engineer – Sustainable Product Development at Owen Mumford