Which principle focuses on anticipating potential environmental problems during the lifecycle of a product?

The correct answer is the precautionary principle, which emphasizes the importance of anticipating and addressing potential environmental issues at all stages of a product's lifecycle, from production to disposal. This principle encourages designers and manufacturers to consider possible risks and uncertainties related to environmental impacts before moving forward with a product development. By adopting this proactive approach, potential adverse effects can be mitigated or avoided entirely, ensuring that environmental sustainability is prioritized.

In contrast, the other options relate to different aspects of environmental awareness and product design. The prevention principle focuses on stopping environmental harm before it occurs but does not specifically emphasize anticipation. The cradle-to-cradle principle promotes the idea of designing products for a circular economy, where materials can be reused indefinitely, but it centers on sustainable material use rather than the anticipation of problems. The eco-design principle involves designing products with consideration for their environmental impacts, often integrating sustainability into the design process, but again, it may not explicitly stress the anticipation of future environmental issues in the same way the precautionary principle does.