A case study of an integrated fuzzy methodology for green product development

• The method adopts the concept of LCA and integrates Fuzzy Extent Analysis and Fuzzy TOPSIS.
• It exhibits superiority of hierarchical structure and easiness of TOPSIS implementation.
• It captures the uncertainty and provides flexibility to incorporate experts’ judgement.
• It is applied to a case for evaluating and identifying design improvement options.

Green product development has become a key strategic consideration for many companies due to regulatory requirements and the public awareness of environmental protection. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a popular tool to measure the environmental impact of new product development. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to conduct a traditional LCA at the design phase due to uncertain and/or unknown data. This research adopts the concept of LCA and introduces a comprehensive method that integrates Fuzzy Extent Analysis and Fuzzy TOPSIS for the assessment of environmental performance with respect to different product designs. Methodologically, it exhibits the superiority of the hierarchical structure and the easiness of TOPSIS implementation whilst capturing the vagueness of uncertainty. A case study concerning a consumer electronic product was presented, and data collected through a questionnaire survey were used for the design evaluation. The approach presented in this research is expected to help companies decrease development lead time by screening out poor design options.