Design for Disassembly

BMA's environmental information hub is the Product Development department. This unit determines to a large degree what a product's impact on the environment will be across its entire life cycle. When creating a product design, all technical details are worked out by BMA itself, with the product's geometry, materials, production techniques, assembly and disassembly all being specified.

Each product undergoes three distinct phases during its life cycle: production, usage and disposal. Each of these phases has an environmental impact. For instance, (non-renewable) resources are used to manufacture an office chair, energy is added and waste material created. During use, the impact is minimal, but disposal generates a flow of waste that could potentially be recycled.