What does it mean to make a product sustainable?

Making a product sustainable refers to the goal of ensuring that it has minimal environmental impacts throughout its entire life cycle. This includes considerations from the extraction of raw materials, through manufacturing and distribution, to its use and eventual disposal or recycling. A sustainable product is designed with environmental, social, and economic factors in mind, striving to reduce negative effects on ecosystems, promote social equity, and support economic viability.

Sustainability takes into account not only the immediate effects of production but also the long-term implications of resource use, pollution, waste generation, and the overall ecological footprint of the product. Thus, option A captures the essence of sustainability by emphasizing the importance of reducing environmental impacts at every stage of the product's life cycle, contributing to a healthier planet and supporting future generations.