Early steps for a measurable and impactful ecodesign process: the case of urea production

As governments increasingly promote ecodesign through updated regulations, new products shall integrate this approach throughout the product development phase. This paper presents the steps performed to identify existing ecodesign criteria and product parameters to support ecodesign processes. The proposed criteria and parameters are taken from three main sources: the qualitative assessment life cycle criteria, the circularity scoring system, and the 2024 Ecodesign and Sustainable Product Regulation. Criteria and parameters are classified by life cycle stage, and an accounting method is proposed to facilitate their evaluation. As a result, a reference set of 15 criteria and 36 parameters is proposed as a general framework for the ecodesign of any product or technology. This set can be fine-tuned to specific product needs, which we illustrate with the case of novel technology for urea production. To do so, we conducted a participatory workshop with experts, which helped to narrow down the reference set to 25 parameters based on their relevance, ease of measurement and effects on functionality. Overall, the proposed ecodesign process is helpful to guide a more sustainable development of new technology prototypes under development.