Consumers want better products, not necessarily greener products, according to Method Co-Founder Adam Lowry.
Product performance is what counts. Not the fact that a product is green. That’s the view that even Method's founders (the creators of a popular brand of eco-friendly cleaning products) take – and it’s a smart one, based on the fact that the company’s revenues are on the rise, and it has been profitable since 2004. As noted in a recent article on the subject:
Begun in 2000, Method's annual revenue now exceeds $100 million and the company has been profitable since 2004, says Method co-founder, Adam Lowry. What's more, the company just had its best year ever and is growing "faster than anyone in this industry."
The secret to their success? As the article goes on to explain, Method’s “sleek, stylish bottles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic, and the contents are non-toxic, yet effective.” That’s the winning combination – the product is both green and effective.
Clearly, the most important aspect of any product is its performance. Even if its green credentials earn it a place at the table - it's the product's performance that will keep it there.
Simply put – performance is what counts. That’s why – at the end of the day – no matter how many LCAs (life cycle assessments) you’ve done, and no matter how many sustainable materials you’ve evaluated – the bottom line is that the product that results has to be able to deliver the kind of quality and performance that your customer needs, wants or is accustomed to.
Even sustainability advocates are often quick to point out that green is not a panacea.
Indeed, the fact that a product is “greener” may actually be of little interest, or of little consequence to many. The fact that the product actually costs less or is cost-competitive, performs better, or is less likely to fail – that’s what customers are often looking for – not whether the product has a green label.
Unfortunately, for all too many consumers – green has become synonymous with “won’t perform as well,” “won’t last,” or “costs too much.”
How to get past all these potentially negative impressions of green? Better products. Not just greener products.
How to get there? Product design tools that allow engineers and product designers to create great products -- that can also be made greener without sacrificing performance.
The good news is that engineering and design tools are evolving to make this possible.
Paired with early stage eco-impact assessment tools like Sustainable Minds’ LCA, SolidWorks Sustainability, PE International’s GaBi software, Trayak’s Eco-Designer or Autodesk’s Eco-Materials Advisor, today’s popular 3D modeling, analysis and simulation software programs can offer a comprehensive approach to sustainable product design – one that doesn’t require designers to sacrifice product performance to achieve environmental gains.
It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our current research study, “Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?” (Available Soon!)
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