Product Performance

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Facilities can improve product performance by reducing the environmental impacts of their products during use and disposal. Improvements in product performance may include reduced product energy use, packaging materials, and waste generation. In some cases, careful consideration of product design can reduce a product's environmental impacts not only during product use and disposal, but also during product manufacture and distribution. The Performance Track program encourages applicants and members to report on improvements in the product performance aspects listed below. Example of appropriate measures are also provided.

Indicators	Units
Expected Lifetime Energy Use of Product (Total or specific)	British Thermal Units (Btu) Million Metric British Thermal Units (mmBtu) Kilowatt Hours (kWh) Megawatt Hours (MWh)
Expected lifetime water use (Total or specific)	Gallons
Expected Waste (to Air, Water, Land) from product use (Total or specific)	Tons Pounds
Packaging Materials Used in Product
Waste to Air, Water, Land from Disposal or Recovery of Product (Total or specific)

In order to improve product performance, Performance Track members are:

reducing packaging waste and increasing packaging efficiency
increasing use of returnable packaging
extending usable product life

Other examples of strategies that can reduce a product's environmental impact include:

design for environment
life cycle analysis
product stewardship / extended producer responsibility

Bottom-line benefits of improved product performance can include:

reduced material and energy input costs
reduced waste disposal costs
improved process efficiency and product design
reduced risk of accidents and associated liabilities
reduced shipping and transit costs
reduced regulatory burdens and permitting requirements
inreased revenue due to superior product performance and entry into new markets
enhanced product brand image

EPA and many non-governmental organizations, trade groups, and companies collect and share information on techniques and tools for helping a facility improve the performance of its products. The links provided below highlight sources of information on the following topics:

Conversion Factors for Product Performance
General Resources
Expected Lifetime Energy Use
Waste to Air, Water, Land from Disposal or Recovery
Product Design
Product Stewardship
Environmentally Preferable Packaging

Disclaimer: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides this information as a free and open service to the public. EPA does not endorse any company or product identified on this or any subsequent pages listed herein, and makes no claims regarding the accuracy, validity, or effectiveness of this or any other product or service represented by these data.

If you would like to suggest additional resources to feature on this website, please email a description of the site (including what topics the site addresses) and the URL to hamilton.luctrician@epa.gov

General Resources

EPA's Design for the Environment's Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA) methodology offers industry sectors a systematic approach for evaluating risks to human health and the environment, as well as the performance, costs, and natural resource use of traditional and alternative technologies.

EPA’s National Risk Management research Laboratory's Life-Cycle Assessment web site provides information for managers to become LCA practitioners and decision-makers.

The Product Ecology Consultants' website contains many resources for conducting LCA. The Manual for Designers contains descriptions of the eco-indicators for all stages of the life-cycle. The "use" stage includes energy calculations for transport, energy and auxiliary materials.

GreenBiz.com's Design and Innovation site is a comprehensive resource for news and trends in environmentally responsible design and innovation. The site provides a Business Toolbox with reports, tools, and how-to guidance for improving environmental performance through innovative green designs. It includes a number of reports and case studies addressing product life-cycle and extended product responsibility.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Eco-Efficiency Case Study Collection describes corporate case studies that illustrate how eco-efficiency leads to three core business opportunities: cost savings, risk management, and business expansion.

The Journal of Industrial Ecology addresses a series of related topics: material and energy flows studies; dematerialization and decarbonization; life-cycle planning, design and assessment; design for the environment; extended producer responsibility; eco-industrial parks; product oriented environmental policy; and eco-efficiency. This web page provides article abstracts and order information.

INFORM is an independent research organization that has evaluated greener alternatives to PBTs (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances) and conventional cleaning chemicals, in addition to other material substitutes for product packaging.

Expected Lifetime Energy Use

The Energy Star website has specifications and the energy efficiency criteria for a range of products. On each product page, the "For Business" links contain energy performance metrics.

Waste to Air, Water, Land from Disposal or Recovery

EPA's Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases: A Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks includes GHG emissions resulting from all disposal options for different materials.

Product Design

EPA's Design for the Environment Program (DfE) is a voluntary, partnership program through which EPA works directly with industries and other partners to incorporate environmental considerations into the design and redesign of products, processes, and technical and management systems. This Web page includes links to sector-specific resources.

EPA's Green Engineering Program provides software tools, case studies, and workshops to help educators, industry, and chemical engineers incorporate risk prevention concepts into the design of chemical processes and products.

The Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies maintains a variety of projects (primarily focusing on the automobile manufacturing, electronics, printing, and chemical industries) that encourage pollution prevention through design and manufacturing changes. This Web page also explores the topics of extended product responsibility, environmental evaluation, and environmental labeling.

Product Stewardship

EPA's WasteWise Update on Extended Product Responsibility shows how product designers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, as well as the consumers, users, recyclers, and disposers of products — can collaborate to reduce environmental impacts and resource use associated with a product throughout its life cycle.

EPA's Product Stewardship website provides links to life-cycle analysis resources.

Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance Product Stewardship includes definitions, background information, and case studies about product stewardship.

Environmentally Preferable Packaging

EPA's Environmentally Preferable Packaging (EPP) helps the federal government buy green, and can also be used by facilities to manage their green purchasing processes.

The North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance provides Pursuing Preferable Packaging tips to help businesses devise strategies for improving product packaging, preventing packaging waste, and reducing product sales costs.

Product Performance

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