Materials selection for sustainable product design: a case study of wood based furniture eco-design

This article presents an analysis of the environmental impact of the materials and processes typically used in the wood based furniture manufacturing sector. Life cycle assessment methodology was applied to different kinds of wood based boards, surface and edge coverings, and their respective manufacturing processes. For each of these, a life cycle inventory was completed and the environmental impact generated was analysed by applying the Eco-Indicator'99 method. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.