Eco-design as a sign of environmental maturity of manufacturing enterprises: the vivisection of the agricultural machinery industry

Eco-design, a new stage in product development, has been gaining in importance for some years already. Against this backdrop, a series of studies was conducted aimed principally to assess envi- ronmental maturity of enterprises reflected in considering environmental aspects at early stages of product design when decisions are made, inter alia, as to materials that will be used, production technologies, and product durability. With regard to the above stated goal, the following actions have been recommended as necessary: at the theoretical level, identifying prerequisites against which we can assess the degree of environmental maturity using the reconstruction methodology and subject-matter literature review; at the project level, developing a research tool in the form of an evaluation sheet as a product of the exploration of writings and discussions held by a purpose- fully selected group of experts; and at the empirical level, identification of the eco-maturity degree of agricultural machinery manufacturers. In the context of the above stated goal, it seems justified to plan the studies based on literature review, expert knowledge, creative discussion, and direct interviews with selected representatives of the industry covered by the research. To managers, these studies having solid theoretical foundations should provide grounds for evaluation and inspire them to build their own eco-design strategies.