As society is increasingly aware of environmental pollutions generated from products, the impact of toxic waste to human and the ecosystem has also received attention. However, the focus on preventing such toxic pollutions from the very source of material selection in product design has yet to gain sufficient research effort. To meet this critical need, this paper studies decision-making in material selection concerning not only traditional cost and quality, but also the potential toxic impact throughout the product's life cycle. This research presents a novel approach to integrate concerns on product cost, quality and toxic impact in material selection process.

Keywords: DfE, design for environment, ecodesign, material selection, toxic impact, environmental taxation, environmentally conscious buying, buying behaviour, sustainable design, environmental pollution, product design, environmental impact, product life cycle, product cost, product quality