Selection of materials to reduce environmental impact: a case study on refrigerator insulation

The creation and use of any engineering product carries with it environmental penalties. There is a growing recognition that the minimization of these penalties must become a primary design objective. Some of the considerations — and difficulties — in selection of materials to minimize environmental impacts are discussed. A design strategy is developed which relates traditional design objectives with environmental impact indicators. The selection of insulation for refrigerators is used to illustrate the approach.