The impact of environmental issues on materials and processes

Environmental change is now widely recognized, and its effects on the quality of life and the sustainability of the properties of the planet as we know them are of broad concern. Less widely appreciated are the future effects of environmental change on corporations that manufacture and sell products in the global market. Clearly, the major markets for advanced technology are also those with the worst environmental conditions. Not only can environmental considerations affect the selection of materials, manufacturing processes, and the useful life of products, but manufacturing processes themselves also can have far-reaching effects on the environment. Air quality levels, their variability and long-term change, and the industrial impacts of environmental legislation, can become major problems to corporations that ignore them. Conversely, they can provide opportunities for corporations that plan for them. A technique for doing so — cradle-to-grave design and manufacturing — is presented and discussed.