Gene Bylinsky, Alicia Hills Moore, and Karen Nickel Anhalt

In the following viewpoint, Gene Bylinsky, Alicia Hills Moore, and Karen Nickel Anhalt report that manufacturers are now designing products that can be easily taken apart once discarded. The authors explain that companies can save money by designing for disassembly because valuable components of their products can later be salvaged and recycled into new products, eliminating the necessity of purchasing virgin materials. According to the authors, designing for disassembly and reuse also benefits the environment by reducing waste. Gene Bylinsky, Alicia Hills Moore, and Karen Nickel Anhalt write for Fortune magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. As reported by the authors, how did Hewlett-Packard workstation designers in Germany reduce the amount of packaging in which their products were sold?
2. How do U.S. automobile manufacturers...