Small and Medium Sized Entreprises' Attitudes Towards Sustainable Product DesIgn

Abstract

Today, issues concerning design for sustainability is gaining its importance due to the impact of the industry on the environment. This circumstance becomes even more important in small and medium sized entreprises (SMEs). In most countries SMEs constitute the main group of the companies. In spite of this case, information about SMEs is still unusual. Small businesses are generally based on short-term profitability, while on the contrary environmental considerations requires a long-term policy. Because of this reason, integrating environmental issues can be a quite different for a small business compared to global companies.

This study mainly aims to be a tool for helping the implementation of the sustainable product design in SMEs. Analysis of the attitudes towards sustainable product design of SMEs will help us to generate new methods for integrating sustainable product design into business structure. For this reason the obstacles, motivations and action drivers to sustainable product design in SMEs will be analyzed. Also level and size of sustainable product design will be examined. Data will be collected by means of interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire which will be addressed to approximately 50 SMEs in Turkey. Firstly, quantitative interviews will be conducted and awareness of design for sustainability will be analyzed. Secondly, qualitative interviews will be achieved in a small number of companies and level of sustainable product design in companies will be examined.

On the basis of findings, it can be said that approach of SMEs to sustainable product design issue are mostly spontaneous and unconscious. Solutions of the companies for the environmental issues are generally concerned with waste management. In brief, the term sustainable product design is a new phenomenon and still in the transition phase in Turkey.

Keywords: Sustainable Product Design, Small and Medium Entreprises, Obstacles, Motivations