Big Blue wants to help companies go green in an area that hasn't always had an environmental edge: product development.

IBM is unveiling a new set of services Wednesday that promises to help customers design, produce and ship products that are easier on the environment -- and easier to recycle or refurbish.

Jeff Hittner, who heads up IBM's corporate social responsibility consulting business, says companies are showing more interest in environmental friendliness as consumers and governments demand it.

"There's a huge benefit to the business," Hittner said.

Product development is getting more attention around the world, making it an important issue for companies with a global footprint, says Marc Halpern, an analyst with research firm Gartner.

"This stuff is going to get huge," Halpern said.

Product development is another addition to IBM's growing bevy of services that help companies fold environmental practices into their business strategies.

Last month IBM unveiled new services that helped bring an energy- and water-saving sensibility to a popular business strategy called Six Sigma. Six Sigma seeks to help businesses operate more efficiently, among other things.

IBM announced green initiatives earlier this year, including a service to help make supply chains more environmentally friendly.

The newest services come on the heels of an IBM study early this year that surveyed 250 business leaders worldwide. It found that environmental issues are a growing focus for executives, especially as they relate to corporate social responsibility.

The study showed that 18% of executives view environmental issues as a concern -- doubling the percentage from a similar study in 2004.

Hittner says IBM has focused on environmentally friendly product development for more than 15 years, so it made sense to offer that expertise as a service.

"We've seen for a while now that business leaders really are acknowledging the advantages of proactively addressing issues like green," he said.

Some 1,000 IBM services employees focus on product life-cycle management at IBM. Now, many of them will address the green side of this process with customers.

That might include selecting materials that are renewable, recyclable and nontoxic. It could also include designing packages that minimize waste, make shipping more efficient and are simpler to recycle.

IBM also can help customers reduce the carbon impact of a product's development, meet tougher regulations and make products easier to recycle or refurbish.Europe already has a handful of regulations that require companies to take back products, including electronics, to minimize waste after they've been used. That regulation trend is gaining ground elsewhere, including California and New York City.

It's not just regulatory pressure. Customers are growing more savvy and increasingly want their products to be developed with the environment in mind, Hittner says.

"Companies are acknowledging that this is an important differentiation," Hittner said.