This section provides guidance on priority setting for
different product categories
- Introducing the Priority Setting articles
- Further detailed technical information
Priority Setting guides
In the side navigation bar can be seen a number of articles,
such as 'Adhesives Tapes & Fasteners'. These articles make up
the 'Eco-Priorities & Decision-Making' section and provide
guidance on:
- Priority eco-issues when looking at a particular application
('Eco-Priorities')
- Key eco-related strengths and weaknesses of potential products
for the application (the 'Quick Guide')
- Decision-making in a whole-of-project project context (the
'Decision Making Chart').
Each guide is structured in 3 sections:
- The eco-priorities overview table: presents the top 3-4
ecological or health priorities associated with each product or
category
- A written overview dealing with an explanation of the major
issues about the category of products under consideration
- Individual assessments of each individual paint category with
'For' and 'Against' characteristics.
Why Eco-Priorities are important
Knowing the physical characteristics of a product is essential -
but it is only part of the picture. Investigating the broader
context for a product is critical to optimise outcomes and design
synergies. Within each category overview the 'Eco-Priorities'
provide guidance on prioritising the various assessment criteria
(e.g. greenhouse impacts, human health impacts, pollution impacts)
for a given product and application, e.g. when choosing a
paint product, VOC's are a primary concern due to their impact on
human health and the nature of the volatiles, thus Priority 1
in the Eco-Priorities chart is 'Health'.
The Eco-Priorities aim to inform reading of the search results
through looking at what assessment criteria are
met. Therefore, a paint product that meets the health
assessment criteria is likely to be preferable to a paint product
that meets only the 'resources' criteria. As a general rule the
more criteria a product meets the stronger its environmental and
health performance.
Weighing up benefits and disbenefits
There are two sides to every coin, and every product has its
strengths and weaknesses in the context of a given application. The
'Quick Guide' looks at environmental advantages and disadvantages
of typical products to assist 'side by side' comparison.
Detailed product knowledge
Finally, within a range of products for an application there may
be large variation in environmental performance. The performance
variation within a class of products (e.g. synthetic resilient
floors) can be greater than the difference between different
classes (e.g. timber vs. synthetic) when all factors such as the
maintenance regime are taken into account. It is important to look
at the class characteristics, but also to look within the class for
the best performers. The ecospecifier database and
technical guides provide in-depth knowledge, additional guidance,
and recommendations.
Starting with the end in mind
At the end of each category overview is a decision-making guide.
This is the start, end and in-between point in any design process
- the point of reference to examine assumptions and decisions.
It seeks to prompt important questions in the right order.