Life Cycle Management: Labelling, Declarations and Certifications at the Product Level – Different Approaches

Frieder Rubik

Abstract The focus of this chapter is on external communication of product features intended to provide professional, commercial and private consumers with information on the characteristics of products and services. Mandatory approaches are distinguished from voluntary ones; the chapter is focused on the latter. Based on ISO standardization work, this chapter differentiates between qualitative, quantitative and self-declared voluntary approaches. Section 2 presents an overview of different concepts and approaches as tools applicable within Life Cycle Management. Section 3 deepens relevant approaches by describing some characteristic elements. Section 4 elaborates on a hierarchy, whereas the final Sect. 5 summarizes the outcomes and draws some conclusions.

Keywords External communication of product features • Consumers • Life cycle assessment • Life cycle management • Product-related information • Sustainability

Introduction

Life Cycle Management (LCM) is an umbrella term denominating a business management concept for sustainable products. It can be applied in the industrial and service sectors with the aim of minimizing environmental, social and economic burdens linked to a company's product, product portfolio and brand during its entire life cycle to enhance their overall sustainability performance and value chain. Thus LCM facilitates continuous improvements of product/systems in terms of their economic, social and environmental sustainability. The focus of this chapter is on external communication of product features intended to provide professional, commercial and private consumers with information on the characteristics of products and services. Such communication from manufacturers towards their clients is based on the insight that product information is − in most cases − asymmetrically allocated between buyers and sellers (Karl and Orwat 1999: 114). According to Nelson (1970) and Darby and Karni (1973), consumers are not able to judge all qualities of products. In order to cope with asymmetric information, consumers need support in their purchasing activities provided by different tools. There is a widespread arena of different approaches to transmit this information, there are qualitative approaches using symbols and logos, and there are quantitative approaches presenting quantitative and numeric information in different units. They intend to fill the information gap so-called credence goods leave behind, providing information transmission. They aim to establish a reliable and trustworthy information system regarding product features.

Section 2 presents an overview of different concepts and approaches as tools applicable within Life Cycle Management. Section 3 deepens relevant approaches by describing some characteristic elements. Section 4 elaborates on a hierarchy, whereas the final Sect. 5 summarizes the outcomes and draws some conclusions.