Eco-innovation design method: Eco-ARIZ

This study developed a novel design, Eco-ARIZ, that combines eco-innovation concepts and an inventive problem solving (Russian acronym: ARIZ) to help designers solve problems without increasing the environmental impact. ARIZ can help designers solve engineering problems, and the proposed method focuses specifically on solving eco-product problem that can cause environmental burdens. The method guides designers to find the eco-directions of problems, which are classified into the seven eco-efficiency factors proposed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. A modified ARIZ algorithm is then suggested to solve these eco-problems. The solution is then evaluated to determine whether it meets the seven eco-efficiency requirements. The proposed method can help design engineers solve eco-product (or environmentally-friendly product) problems or avoid sustainability-related conflicts. An example is used given to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.