Methods for assessing sustainability of products, processes and services

Introduction
In the present world, people have become more vigilant about the detrimental impact of their hazardous activities on our planet The Mother Earth and have developed rational thinking in order to bring some stability or rest on Earth. This transformation marked the beginning of the concept of sustainability. The word sustainability, which has gained an utmost importance in present time, had evolved from Latin word sustinere meaning to hold up. In general, it is a process to satisfy the needs of the present generation with the available resources without making the future generations devoid of it. This term has a broader prospective. Apart from focusing on the way of advancement made by the humans it also indulges in day to day activity of the humans. The progress made in assistance with sustainability is termed as sustainable development. Man due to his so called progressive and developing nature has recklessly damaged the earth and has endangered his own existence. So it has become essential for him to sustain his activities in order to make the environment worth living for generations to come. The idea of sustainability incorporated with sustainable development forms the basis for today’s hotly debated issue. This form of development will help us to remodel the adverse human activities and channelize the resources in a decorous manner.

Types of methodology:
In the past few decades, some new reforms or techniques have been devised to help the humans to manipulate the resources and preserve them in such a manner so as to retain them for longer time. These methods are stated as follows: 1. DCLG- Code for Sustainable Homes 2. Natural Resources Impact Assessment (NRIA) 3. Green Globe 4. Environmentally Viable Architecture 5. BREEAM(UK-BRE)

Moreover these methods are also grouped into different categories like some processes are allocated to governments and some feasible for commercial purposes. These methods have proved to be a boon to mankind as it had helped them to capitalize the gifts given by nature.

DCLG-Code for Sustainable Homes:
The DCLG is a type of code which deals with the sustainability related to houses, flats and homes that came into force in the year 2007 in England. This code helps the people to construct their homes in a sustainable manner, thus helping them to reduce the greenhouse gases to some extent. This code is not governed by some set of rules or regulations but is entirely a self imposed method to assist people in designing their homes. There are some prerequisite blueprints for sustainable homes that are compared with the newly constructed ones. This comparison checks the amount of energy, water and other sorts of stuff used in building the house. It also estimates the emission of carbon dioxide and other types of pollution generated by constructing a house. The regulating body associated with this code is BRE Global ltd. which generates the authorized documents. Apart from the checks the code also includes a particular type of evaluation system which rates the homes overall performance. It rates the houses on a scale of 6 stars depending on the level of sustainability achieved by them. On the contrary this method is hindered on the economic front because its expenditure increased than expected for reducing the carbon emission which had a significant impact on economy.

Case study 1:
This case study is associated with the construction of homes with environment friendly materials with in the area of OLD APPLE STORE, STAWEL, SOMERSET. The main aim was to achieve 5 level of the code by building or reforming the houses. This type of development was equipped with using of some renewable sources of energy or some recyclable materials instead of metals or polluting materials so as to minimize the cost as well as cut sort the carbon content in the atmosphere. This type of construction