THE ECO-DESIGN IN THE FURNITURE SECTOR OF THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Abstract

The increasing concern with the best quality of the environment due to law enforcement or with the awareness of the population encourages the appearance of new techniques which help companies to actively participate for the construction of a environmentally sustainable and economically viable production model. Among those new techniques, we point out the application of the Ecodesign concept, which propose the integration of the environmental aspects in the project of new products. This article shows how the furniture companies in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, deal with the environmental aspects, identifying practices and approaches associated with the Ecodesing, besides indicating technological alternatives for a better adjustment of the companies in environmental aspects. It is demonstrated that the State of Rio Grande do Sul has a great potencial for the introduction of techniques which cause less environmental impact, for some of the techniques employed could be related to the Ecodesign, but are not entirely used by the analysed companies.