Ecodesign field of research throughout the world: mapping the territory by using an evolutionary lens

Abstract

The development of environmentally friendly products is one of the key contemporary trends in the environmental management and planning field of knowledge. Ecodesign is considered a practical mechanism for integrating environmental considerations throughout the life cycle of the product. Within this scope, the aim of this paper is to systematize the publications on ecodesign and to propose the historical evolutionary phases of this area, considering important characteristics such as geographical distribution. To this end, a bibliometric analysis was performed by identifying key papers, authors, and journals that deal with the theme and the history of the number of papers published. Among the results, a recent growth in publications was found, with a wide range of authors conducting research and publishing papers on the subject. The majority of research is conducted in European countries, especially France and Nordic region. Most journals that publish papers on ecodesign are from the environmental field as opposed to those that deal with new product development and innovation and project management. This work also identifies historical research phases; among the most recent, it is possible to notice efforts to link ecodesign with other areas of management, such as the fuzzy method, lean product development, and project management.