Research Publications

A factsheet that illustrates current unsustainable patterns of personal transportation in the United States, supplemented by selected CSS research results on the life-cycle environmental impacts, as w...

A factsheet that illustrates current unsustainable patterns of residential single-family housing in the United States, supplemented by selected CSS research results on the life-cycle environmental imp...

Using Washtenaw County, Michigan as a focus, this project was designed to help local decision-makers in three ways: (1) Summarize national, state, and local land use trends; (2) provide a tool for ide...

Engineering design is not simply a reflection of vision and creativity; it is also an innovative response to physical principles and regulatory controls. Among the regulatory controls that shape the c...

Project Objectives (INTERNAL REPORT)

This life cycle design project was a collaborative effort between the Center for Sustainable Systems (formerly the National Pollution Prevention Center) at the University of Michigan and a cross-funct...

A life cycle assessment was conducted to evaluate the total environmental burdens of the yogurt product delivery system (PDS) for Stonyfield Farm. A life cycle model was used to develop recommendation...

A comprehensive compilation of published studies reporting directly measured experimental determinations of Henry's law constant (HLC) temperature dependence relationships for organic compounds in dil...

Despite being arguably among the most effective pollution reduction programs ever instituted, a key concern exists reagrding the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) Toxic Release...

This research is a web-based survey of information and data trends on the topic of dematerialization.  Eco-efficiency, industrial ecology and dematerialization-related developments in nanotechnol...

This report consolidates information available on U.S. EPA's website and describes Agency activities in pollution prevention, end-of-pipe treatment, and remediation.  The report provides details ...

The United States food system, from field to table, is at a crossroads for change.  Improving the sustainability of this complex system requires a thorough understanding of the relationships betw...

This life cycle design project was a collaborative effort between the National Pollution Prevention Center at the University of Michigan, 3M Corporation, and the National Risk Management Research Labo...

The life cycle energy, greenhouse gas emissions and costs of a contemporary 2,450 sq. ft. residential home (referred to as the standard home, or SH) were evaluated to study opportunities for conservin...

The creation of an ultimate alternative-fuel vehicle has been a persistent dream of environmental groups, enthusiastic individuals, and businesses. Today, with the accelerated evolution of fuel cel...

A novel application in the field of Life Cycle Assessment is presented that investigates optimal vehicle retirement timing and design life. This study integrates Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA) with...

While there are numerous successful campus ecology programs across the nation focusing upon implementation strategies and program coordination, such as energy conservation initiatives or recycling and...

Derived from master's thesis by the same title.

Materials move through communities in the form of products and raw materials to satisfy human needs such as shelter and transportation. Though the flows of materials into and out of communities provid...

Environmental sustainability of a product such as an automobile can be measured ultimately by its impact on the planet's life support system. This support system can be characterized in terms of na...

This study is a life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing two types of a powertrain structural component: one made of diecast primary aluminum and another hypothetical part made of semi-solid injection...