How to Structure an Eco-design Approach: The BIOARC Project Example
Naeem Adibi & Clément Bolle
Eco-design is most effective when integrated from the earliest stages of product development. By combining the results of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with the expertise of project teams, it helps identify the main environmental challenges and develop improvement opportunities tailored to the realities of the project.
This is the approach that WeLOOP implemented as part of the European BIOARC project, which focuses on developing bio-based construction materials from agricultural co-products. In May 2026, our teams organised and facilitated an eco-design workshop bringing together the project partners to compare the initial LCA results with their expertise and collectively identify areas for optimisation.
A concrete example of how LCA, industry expertise and collective intelligence can support design decisions and integrate environmental considerations at the heart of innovation.
What is an eco-design approach?
Eco-design involves integrating environmental considerations from the design or redesign stage of a product, while considering its entire life cycle: raw materials, manufacturing, transport, use and end-of-life.
This holistic approach is essential to avoid shifting environmental impacts from one life cycle stage to another. A solution that is beneficial at one stage may, in fact, generate greater impacts at another.
The objective is therefore not to seek a “perfect” solution, but to make informed design decisions based on objective environmental data, while taking into account the project’s technical, economic and operational constraints.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) plays a central role here. It helps identify the main contributors to environmental impacts and compare different scenarios in order to guide eco-design efforts.
Why integrate eco-design into the BIOARC project?
The European BIOARC project – BIOregional mineralisation with Agricultural Resources for Construction – aims to develop new bio-based construction materials by valorising agricultural co-products and using a biomineralisation process.
The project therefore explores new interactions between the agricultural and construction sectors, with the development of solutions such as insulation, acoustic and construction panels.
However, developing an innovative material is not enough to guarantee its environmental performance. The origin of the resources, their processing, transport, the product’s performance during use, and its end-of-life can all influence its overall environmental footprint.
This is why environmental considerations are assessed during the development of the solutions, while the teams still have the flexibility to adjust certain design choices.
In this context, WeLOOP contributes to the project through environmental data collection, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and eco-design support.
How did WeLOOP support the BIOARC eco-design workshop?
At the BIOARC General Assembly in May 2026, WeLOOP brought the project partners together for a workshop aimed at collectively integrating environmental considerations into the development of future products.
The approach was based on a simple principle: not to limit eco-design to the interpretation of LCA results.
The participants first drew on their knowledge to identify the main issues associated with the life cycle of the BIOARC solutions. These perceptions were then compared with the initial results of the Life Cycle Assessment.
This approach brings together two complementary sources of information: quantitative environmental data and the partners’ technical expertise.
WeLOOP then supported the participants through a collaborative brainstorming phase to identify potential areas for improvement. The Lotus Blossom method helped structure the discussions and progressively enrich the proposals by drawing on the different areas of expertise represented within the consortium.
The identified opportunities provide a basis for further work: they must then be assessed and prioritised according to their environmental potential, technical feasibility, economic implications and the conditions required for their implementation.
Why combine LCA and collaborative workshops in eco-design?
An eco-design approach becomes more relevant when environmental analysis is combined with industry expertise.
LCA provides an objective assessment of environmental impacts and helps identify the main contributors. Technical teams can then explain the associated constraints, assess opportunities for improvement and propose realistic alternatives.
This complementary approach also helps challenge certain preconceived ideas. A solution that intuitively appears to have a significant environmental impact is not necessarily the most impactful when its entire life cycle is taken into account.
The workshop therefore becomes a means of translating environmental results into concrete design considerations, and then into potential improvement opportunities that can be assessed and prioritised.
The approach can be summarised in a few key steps:
Understand → Measure → Imagine → Assess → Prioritise → Act
How can WeLOOP support your eco-design approach?
The BIOARC experience illustrates an approach that can be applied to a wide range of industrial projects: the earlier environmental considerations are integrated into the design process, the greater the opportunities for action and improvement.
At WeLOOP, we support companies and research projects in their eco-design initiatives, whether they are developing a new solution or improving an existing product.
Our approach can combine Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), identification of key environmental issues, scenario comparison, collaborative workshops, and the development of eco-design action plans.
The objective is to turn environmental data into a genuine decision-making tool, helping to identify the most relevant improvement opportunities.
Would you like to integrate eco-design into your projects or identify the key improvement opportunities for your products?
Talk to our experts to develop an eco-design approach tailored to your specific challenges.