Leveraging Sustainability in Product Design and Manufacturing to Drive Revenue Growth, Fuel Innovation and Reduce Risk

Research confirms that embracing sustainability in product design and manufacturing not only yields environmental improvements, but offers key business benefits as well

Sustainability is a subject that has received a great deal of attention over the past several years, but it isn’t always well-understood. The definition that is most commonly used is taken from The Brundtland Commission’s 1987 report, Our Common Future, which states that “sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future.” But what does that actually mean? And, in particular, what does it mean for manufacturers?

What is sustainability? Essentially, sustainability in design and manufacturing has a lot to do with “doing better with less,” and embracing a broader view of product development – looking at the full lifecycle of the product and the impact that its design, manufacture, use, and retirement can have across the triple bottom line – that is, its impact not only on business, but on the environment and society, as well.  

That said, sustainability isn’t just about “doing the right thing” for the environment or for society. It’s also about doing the right thing, financially. In other words, environmental and/or societal benefits must be paired with financial benefits in order to truly succeed. The good news is that manufacturers are increasingly finding that there are key business benefits associated with “going green.” 

 source: Four Winds Research (copyright 2012)

Figure 1. Key Performance Metrics – Sustainability in Product Design and Development  Organizations that are actively engaged  in sustainable product design and development cite impressive levels of improvement over their poorer performing peers in  product innovation, quality, safety and revenue growth alongside anticipated environmental and energy gains. (Research findings are based on interviews and survey responses from over 125 organizations, worldwide.)

Why is sustainability in product design and manufacturing important? Concerns about rising energy costs and efficient use of resources; availability of, access to, and/or price volatility of critical materials; and the potential risks, opportunities and costs posed by industrial and consumer waste, are just a few of the reasons that manufacturers may want to begin thinking more seriously about sustainability. Sustainability truly isn’t just for “treehuggers” anymore.

A common view among engineering, design and manufacturing executives alike is, “I believe sustainability is important, but how can our company justify supporting a more sustainable approach to product design and manufacturing?” (especially if my company isn’t even involved in the development of a sustainable or “green” product line?) The short answer is, “because designing with sustainability in mind can yield many benefits – not just environmental ones.”

Unfortunately, a common misconception is that profitability must be sacrificed in order to achieve sustainability-related goals and objectives. Yet for a growing number of organizations, sustainability has served as the catalyst to drive both greater innovation and revenue.

What are the benefits of more sustainable product development? Research based on in-depth interviews and survey responses from product designers, engineers, manufacturing executives, and sustainability experts from over 125 organizations worldwide, reveals that embracing sustainability in product design and manufacturing not only yields anticipated environmental improvements, but drives greater innovation, quality improvement, energy savings, and revenue growth, as well. (see Fig. 1)

Moreover, a company doesn’t have to be expressly involved in the development of “eco-friendly” products to reap these benefits. The sustainable product design and manufacturing process itself is where many of the opportunities to improve business and environmental performance reside – and where significant savings and benefits can be realized. For example, eco-efficiency efforts can result in lower production costs and greater operational efficiencies, as well as reduced shipping and transportation costs.

Taking a more sustainable approach to product development also lowers risk (i.e. less threat of a product recall posed by the “hidden” presence of toxic materials in the supply chain) and reduces uncertainty (i.e. more sustainable sourcing results in less exposure to potential supply chain disruptions due to resource scarcity or materials shortages). Furthermore, the process of rethinking a product’s design so that it is more durable or more easily recycled; or so that it contains fewer parts, less packaging or more recycled content – also drives innovation and quality improvement.

How can manufacturers most effectively tackle the sustainability challenge? So, if sustainability is good for the environment – and good for business, the question then becomes, how can organizations most effectively incorporate sustainability in their business efforts? With respect to sustainable product development, the application of sustainability principles, tools, and strategies during the product design phase is critical, since it is during this early phase of the product lifecycle that decisions can have the greatest impact on cost, performance and sustainability.

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?”

P&G's Sustainability Efforts Across the Supply Chain Save Nearly $1B; FREE Scorecard and Analysis Tool Now Available

P&G recently announced that it would be making its environmental sustainability scorecard analysis tool freely available for use by any company. An Excel-based tool, this supplier scorecard was developed to allow companies to measure and interpret key environmental sustainability metrics across their supply chains and identify progress as well as opportunities for improvement.

As reported in a recent article on the subject, The Scorecard Analysis Tool is the latest publicly available component of P&G’s Supply Chain Environmental Sustainability Scorecard, which was designed to improve the environmental footprint of P&G’s supply chain, fuel innovation, and encourage suppliers to make environmental improvements in their own supply chains. The scorecard measures absolute or intensity improvements in nine key metrics including energy use, water use, waste disposal and greenhouse gas emissions on a year-to-year basis. It also assesses P&G’s external business partners’ sustainability innovation ideas and promotes collaboration, according to the company.

For those organizations that are interested in exploring ways to cut costs, drive innovation and reduce environmental footprint, the tool is worth taking a look at. After all, it’s free and if P&G’s results are any indication, the sustainability efforts that it helps to promote could lead to significant cost savings and other benefits.

In particular, P&G reports realizing nearly $1B in bottom-line savings in 2011 as a result of sustainability efforts supported across the supply chain. The company also reported that its 2011 supplier scorecard enabled the first year-on-year data analysis and identified the following trends:

• The greatest improvements in the Company’s environmental footprint came with its logistics and chemicals suppliers.
• Suppliers from developing markets such as China, India and Brazil tended to show the most improvement with US suppliers not far behind.
• Nearly half of the companies earning the highest rating came from Europe.
• The two measurable areas with the greatest improvement across the board were Hazardous waste and Water Usage (Output / Discharge). Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Scope 1) and Fuel Energy were tied for third.
• Overall, when combining all suppliers and categories, there was an improvement in 55% of the measurable categories

The bottom line is that sustainability efforts at P&G, both within the company and across its supply chain, are paying off. And that’s a story that we expect to be hearing from more and more organizations moving forward, as they begin to put key sustainability metrics in place.

To learn more, see:

P&G Shares Data, Results and Analysis Tool from Supplier Scorecard

How Sustainability Promises to Address the Needs of Manufacturers and Suppliers in our “Material World”

… and how sustainability-driven innovation is already powering China’s automotive industry

For many companies, the path to sustainability starts with the use of sustainable materials. Autodesk partner Granta Design offers some guidance in this area, as it is the primary force behind the Autodesk/Granta design jointly-developed tool, Eco-Materials Advisor. But another company, Materials Connexion, is also very involved in helping companies to make sustainable materials choices. And it has, apparently, been very successful behind the scenes in this effort, supporting both the development and use of sustainable materials in products at companies like BMW, Procter & Gamble, Nissan, Nokia and Samsug – just to name a few.

That’s encouraging, but it’s only a start. As noted in a recent article on the subject–a truly sustainable approach to product design and development should adhere to the “Cradle to Cradle” CertificationCM guidelines developed by renowned design firm McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, or in other words, should:

- take into account not only the safety of materials, but the ability to reuse or recycle these materials and achieve “zero waste” goals;

- use less energy (and/or use energy from more renewable sources) in both the creation and use of these products;

- conserve water and other natural resources in the creation and use of products, and

- support socially-responsible manufacturing, production, and use

In short, sustainability isn’t just a materials issue – it also takes into account the environmental impacts (both positive and negative) of design and manufacturing processes; involves efficient use of natural resources, in general; and seeks to protect human health and safety, including adoption of “fair” labor practices – just for starters.

It’s perhaps worth noting here that even without any specific mention of “carbon footprint,” the concept of sustainability becomes clear in this context. It’s really about designing products in such a way that there is less waste and less energy used throughout the product’s lifecycle; and about using materials and processes in the creation of these products that are safer and less toxic. It’s about designing products that can be more easily disassembled for recycling or designing products that are made of more recycled content. It’s about durability, green chemistry, and less packaging. A key aspect of sustainability is protecting people and the environment. But it’s important to emphasize that sustainability is also about the bottom line. The good news is that research has confirmed that taking a sustainable approach to product design and development can yield significant business benefits, as well. 

The reality is that sustainability is a journey – ideally, with each new generation of a particular product, that product will become more sustainable – it will have less of a negative impact (and more of a positive one) on the environment as it improves over time, and in so doing - it will - use less energy, fewer “scarce” materials or resources, and ultimately, will actually generate the equivalent of environmental, social and economic “credits” rather than debits.

In this sense, China may be well ahead of its Western cousins. Already looking ahead to a future in which its rapidly expanding urban populations will require a significant shift in personal mobility capacity – the development of a more sustainable, more eco-friendly form of transport is already well-underway. For example, in 2010 when the Chinese car firm, SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.) unveiled its green YeZ concept car, a vehicle that was designed to not simply reduce carbon emissions, but to actually yield a negative carbon footprint (by using a photosynthesis-like process to “inhale” CO2 and release oxygen as a beneficial by-product), it appears that China has already taken a big step towards truly sustainable transport.

Interestingly, the Toyota Prius failed to meet the demanding environmental restrictions that the Chinese government had set for its automakers in its quest for the ideal “green car.” So the Prius didn’t even make the cut, much less experience the eco-friendly leadership status that it has achieved in the West, according to observers.

So, what does sustainability look like moving forward? It’s far more than more eco-friendly packaging or the use of more sustainable materials. Looking ahead, sustainability is destined to pave the way for some truly radical re-thinking of how we will use energy, how we will travel, live, and work, in general; and how we will manage our resources so that there will, in effect, “be enough to go around.” But mostly, sustainability – and all the improved efficiency, cost-savings, innovation and revenue growth that comes with it –will be good for business. And that’s what will, ultimately, allow it to flourish – and to deliver the environmental and societal benefits that visionaries have always hoped for.

See also:

You’re Not as Green as You Think

Materials Connexion – “Who We’ve Helped”

Why SAIC's Yez Concept Car is a landmark automobile
Shanghai Motor Corporation

The Secret Formula for Success: It’s Not What Makes it Green, It’s What Makes it Great

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!)

See also:

Want To Sell A Green Product? Don’t Call It Green

“Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?”

Green Power: Achieving Energy Independence, Protecting the Environment, and Saving Lives

Could Agave (the plant that’s used to make Tequila) be the key to energy independence? And what about wastewater as a source of electricity?

In a recent round-up of some of the most compelling advances made in the field of chemistry in the past year (See: Cutting Edge Chemistry in 2011), one particular area of research caught my attention. As it turns out, there is evidence to suggest that nature – and in particular, the leaf (artificial or otherwise), may have a great deal to teach us about how to effectively harness energy from water.

In fact, there are a number of approaches that chemists are presently exploring as a means of generating power from alternative energy sources, as noted in the article:

• At the Spring ACS meeting in Anaheim, US, Dan Nocera from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, presented his artificial leaf that splits water when exposed to UV light. Crucially, while Nocera's device produces less energy than other options, it costs less than $50 (£31) to manufacture compared with around $12,000 for current commercial devices, making it the 'fast food of energy production', he says.

• Nocera's leaf can apparently work with human waste water, but what about other approaches? A team led by Ioannis Ieropoulos and John Greenman at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK have developed microbial fuel cells that use bacteria to break down urine and produce electricity.

• The agave plant is well known as the plant that makes tequila, but David King's team at the University of Oxford's Low Carbon Mobility Centre, UK, has shown that it can also be used as a feedstock to make bioethanol23. Crucially, unlike other feedstock plants agave thrives in arid conditions and would not need arable farmland to be given over to its production.

What’s worth noting here, I think, is that as far-fetched as some of these ideas may seem, it is just such innovation that the alternative energy sector (and their colleagues among forward-thinking manufacturers) requires to produce a significant shift away from dependence on sources of energy that require the use of fossil fuels. And while many may still debate the value of exploring such alternative forms of energy, one very clear danger of not exploring safer, less environmentally-toxic, alternative energy options is the potential threat that a fossil-fuel driven lifestyle poses not only to our economic security, but to our environment and, ultimately, to our health.

Indeed, the link between cancer in humans and our growing level of exposure to environmental toxins, is becoming increasingly evident. One of the biggest culprits, according to ecologist and cancer survivor, Sandra Steingraber, PhD (author of Living Downstream and Raising Elijah), is the release of toxic chemicals from the extraction and use of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. Most recently, Steingraber and her peers have been focused on raising awareness about the potentially tragic consequences of employing fracking techniques to extract natural gas, a practice which has proven especially dangerous and all too common in recent years. 

Translated? Green energy may not only help us to save the environment – it could well prove to save lives.

See also:

Living Downstream

Cutting Edge Chemistry in 2011

2012 Megatrend: Green Supply Chains Driving Global Economic Growth

In a recent article, Bill Roth – sustainability advocate, green business coach and author of “The Secret Green Sauce,” cites five megatrends that promise to contribute to a trillion dollar global sustainable economy in 2012.  One of the key mega-trends that he references is the greening of supply chains – and the impact that this will have on the global economy. 

As noted in the article, Roth explains:

Green supply chains are driving global economic growth.

• Corporations, not governments, are now driving the push toward sustainability as they harvest increasingly significant profit growth through design and process innovations that cut production, delivery, packaging and disposal costs while also reducing a company’s/product’s environmental footprint. This is a global trend led by international companies like Walmart, GE and Coca Cola. 
• Its commercial impact is now evident in the increasing scale of Request For Proposal bid questions on sustainability metrics and performance results documentation. This global mega-trend is creating new revenue growth opportunities for smaller businesses that can offer price competitive lower environmental footprint products and solutions. 
• It is also decentralizing decision-making as large corporations gain success using Green Teams to find and implement ideas that reduce costs and a company’s environmental footprint. 
• Where CFOs once questioned the ROI of producing a corporate CSR report, the importance of these documents is now clear. CSR reports have an increasingly important role as a source document used by third parties that communicate to consumers and equity investors on the sustainability of a company and its products, which has an implicit impact on the bottom line. The combined impacts of the greening of the supply chain have now made this process the economic engine of the global sustainable economy.

In my estimation, what is most noteworthy here – is that green supply chains are, by definition, driving support for sustainability not just at the corporate level but at the product level, as well. And this has significant implications for providers of sustainable product design tools and technologies. Such tools promise to grow in popularity as both downstream and upstream supply chain requirements increasingly demand that more sustainable products be produced and more sustainable materials be used in the production process.

Such sustainability strategies enable companies to reduce their environmental footprint AND achieve significant profit growth through design and process innovations that cut production, delivery, packaging and disposals costs, according to Roth -- an observation which I whole-heartedly agree with. 

Sustainability metrics are also increasingly becoming a required “line item” on RFPs, according to Roth, and the formation of Green Teams to find and implement ideas that reduce costs and improve environmental footprint ratings, are on the rise. This trend, too, is one that I have witnessed, and that I expect we will continue to see more of.

Moreover, investors are paying more attention to the sustainability of a company and its products, according to Roth. And that, ultimately, promises to be one of the greatest contributors to the adoption of sustainability practices among many companies – but especially among those that may not prove to be motivated by the need to “do good” unless such good is rewarded financially. 

Increasingly, it seems, doing the right thing is being paired with financial gain, as well. This is a topic that we will continue to explore further in the coming months.

See also:

Five Megatrends Creating 2012’s Trillion Dollar Global Sustainable Economy

What’s the Future of Sustainable Design?

“I believe sustainability will be part of what we define as "good design." Good design considers environmental impact. That's where design is going.” – Steve Bishop, IDEO

“Good design leads to market success and less impact on the environment.” – Vancouver-based product design firm, Form3

“The social and environmental aspects of design have become as important as the functional attributes of modern products.” – LUNAR Design

In a recent interview with The Atlantic, IDEO’s Steve Bishop offered his views on sustainable design. As global lead of environmental impact at the design and business innovation firm IDEO, Bishop helps companies build brands, develop new products, and design new innovation processes inspired by principles of sustainability.

As noted in the article, Bishop believes that sustainability will simply be a part of good design, and good design will take environmental impact into account.

IDEO’s Steve Bishop is not alone in his view of what constitutes “good design.”

Vancouver-based product design firm Form3 also embodies this view in its core values. Comprised of a group of “highly trained, dedicated, and experienced industrial designers,” product design firm Form3 was founded in 1997 with its mission simply to design better products. In this context, the creation of better products meant taking eco-design considerations into account, alongside cost, aesthetics and product performance.

The design firm believes that the ability to design a better product comes from 3 broad considerations of form:

How will the product be made? Better quality results in a longer life. We carefully choose materials and manufacturing processes that minimize cost and reduce the impact on the environment.

How will the product look? Aesthetic and formal considerations help to make a product stand out in the marketplace. We strive to give a product a beautiful form that is appropriate for a given cultural context and that people will respond to in an appropriate way.

How will the product work? There are technical challenges to overcome and functional reasons for the shape of a product. We design products that work well, are comfortable and easy to use, and have a form that provides cues for its function.

Form3’s fundamental design philosophy is simply that, “good design leads to market success and less impact on the environment.”

Palo Alto, CA-based LUNAR Design shares a similar passion for sustainability and good design. In fact, the company has targeted sustainability as one of its key practice areas – and has called this practice, LUNAR Elements. A brief description is included below: 

The social and environmental aspects of design have become as important as the functional attributes of modern products. Our sustainability practice, LUNAR Elements, pioneers principles in green design and implements them on programs today. From materials research to Life Cycle Analyses, LUNAR helps clients minimize their footprint to maximize their positive impact for their customers, their markets, and our world.

As a part of its sustainability practice, the firm developed “The Designer’s Field Guide to Sustainability” which provides an overview of sustainable product development and the product lifecycle. Encouraging input from others, this "open source" guide offers some useful recommendations for those seeking to design in a more sustainable manner. To learn more, see: http://www.lunar.com/fieldguide/tips.html.

In short, sustainable design is gaining favor as a critical foundation for simply good design. And that’s encouraging – because as one industrial designer recently confided to me, “The last thing I want to do is to design for the landfill.”

Bravo! May we actually be moving towards more durable (or more easily recycled) products – and may these products increasingly contain more recycled content, less toxic materials, and boast greater energy efficiency.

What do you think? Tell us. It’s not too late! We’re still seeking participants for the study. To learn more, see, “Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2!

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?”

See also:

Form3
Lunar Design
IDEO's Steve Bishop on the Future of Sustainable Design Thinking
“The Designer’s Field Guide to Sustainability”
Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2!

Coming in 2012: Are You Ready to Support a More Sustainable Approach to Product Design?

According to independent analyst firm, Verdantix – corporate spending on innovation to push product-level sustainability differentiation in 2012 will reach $12 billion in the U.S.; $1.6 billion in the U.K.; $500 million in Canada and $400 million in Australia.

As noted in a related article, “The Five Growth Areas for Sustainability Spending in 2012,” Verdantix reports that spending in the following sustainability-focused areas will experience significant growth in 2012:

1)      Strategic energy management

2)      Product sustainability differentiation

3)      Sustainability business consulting

4)      Smart and sustainable city projects

5)      Pyramid market innovation

In particular, Verdantix reports that as requirements for legislation such as REACH and RoHS become more stringent, and as stakeholders pay greater attention to the sustainability side of products, firms are going to spend more ensuring that their products and services are greener. For example, environmental labeling requirements set to be put in place by end of year 2012 in France will drive product-level sustainability initiatives and reporting.

So, the question is – are you ready? Are your products designed with sustainability in mind? You may not even choose to market these products as green or sustainable – the real issue is whether you are incorporating sustainable practices in your product design and manufacturing efforts.  Tools to assist you in such efforts are becoming increasingly accessible, making it much easier to embrace sustainability than in the past. For example, such tools allow you to identify and incorporate more sustainable materials in your products upfront during the design phase,  can help guide you in the selection of sustainably-sourced materials or components throughout the supply chain, can help you to identify sustainability "hot spots" (or aspects of how your product is created, manufactured or used that score high in terms of having a negative environmental impact)  throughout the lifecycle of your product, and more.

Ultimately, products that are designed and manufactured using less energy, less material and/or more sustainable materials, can be more easily disassembled for reuse or recycling, or that are made using less toxic chemicals or processes – will offer a competitive advantage. Think that’s a bit idealistic? Think again. Legislation changes everything – and it’s coming, whether we’re ready or not. If not, it means scrambling to keep up – when you could have taken the lead and put yourself out ahead of the crowd…

One way to get there? As a designer or engineer, you can begin to ask about and test out some of the new sustainable product design tools being offered by engineering software providers. We’ve mentioned them before – but for those of you “just joining” – to name a few, these include: Sustainable Minds LCA, PE International’s GaBi LCA software, Solidworks Sustainability/Sustainability Xpress, Trayak’s Eco-Designer, Autodesk’s Eco-Materials Advisor, and PTC’s Windchill LCA. Or better yet – just ask your engineering software provider to help you conduct a “sustainability audit.” That will give you an idea of just where your product development efforts might benefit most from a sustainability makeover.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming report, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

See also:

The Five Growth Areas for Sustainability Spending in 2012

Engineers Still Trying to Make Sense of Sustainability

When it comes to sustainability, engineers are skeptics. But is that such a bad thing?

In its third annual survey exploring how mechanical engineers view the world of sustainability, the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) found that engineers, true to their nature –are still trying to solve the sustainability puzzle. As reported in Mechanical Engineering’s November issue, prevailing attitudes among engineers are that they see the value of sustainability, show skepticism about the hype, and are searching for a better way to quantify what they are doing.

To which I say, “Bravo!” Kudos to the engineering community for being the skeptics that they are – for requiring that sustainability – and, in particular - sustainable design and manufacturing – deliver more than just promises.

As one ASME survey respondent points out:

“We do not subscribe to the politics behind the green/sustainable movement,” one engineer wrote. “We believe in using sound engineering judgment to deliver the most cost-effective means to lower our customer’s energy consumption to save them money. The CO2 savings, a meaningless metric, is simply a function of lower energy consumption.”

Engineers, by definition, are trained to question – which is why, I think, we see such a strong resistance among the engineering community to embrace sustainability simply because it is “the right thing to do.” The reality is that every day, engineers are tasked with addressing challenges like safety, reliability, and performance – and to the extent that sustainability issues have an impact on such design criteria – then sustainability matters.

It matters, for example, if counterfeit parts enter the supply chain and threaten to compromise the performance of a critical engine or electronic component. It matters if a product is dependent on the availability of a rare or scarce material, or if the cost of producing a part or product is at risk of skyrocketing due to rising energy costs. In short, the metrics that are important to engineers effectively remain unchanged – cost, performance, safety, reliability. What has changed is that there are an increasing number of external factors impacting engineering and design that lie outside the control of the engineer.

That said, what IS becoming more important to the engineering community is the ability to better predict how such external factors stand to impact their design decisions or threaten the safety or reliability of the products they make.

Which is why tools that, for example, enable engineers to more easily identify and specify sustainable or alternative materials in their design efforts, matter – and why tools that allow them to evaluate and understand the performance of these materials in context, matters. It’s why tools or processes that allow engineers to more easily develop products that either consume less energy during the use phase, or use less energy in the manufacturing or production phase, matter. It’s why if it becomes clear that “doing things the way it has always been done” is no longer sufficient, that we can expect to see our engineers come up with a new, more innovative approach to solving the problem, whether that problem relates to sustainability or something else.

So – a tool that allow us to reduce our carbon footprint may prove useful not necessarily because it shows us how to reduce our environmental impact – but because it shows us how to reduce our energy use. But is that a bad thing? Either way, whether companies are motivated to reduce their energy use to cut costs or to reduce their environmental impact, does it really matter? At the end of the day, what matters is that less energy is used, and there are quantifiable benefits. 

If embraced in this way, perhaps sustainability would have more followers among the engineering community. Perhaps we simply need to ask the question, “What are the engineering benefits of sustainable product design and manufacturing?” Or as Mechanical Engineering magazine’s recent article on this topic asks, “what could be more sustainable than improving efficiency and eliminating waste to lower the cost of new products and manufacturing processes?”

What do you think? Tell us. It’s not too late! We’re still seeking participants for our study,  “Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?”

See also:

Sustainability (Mechanical Engineering magazine, November 2011 issue)

Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2! (survey)

The Sustainability Consortium Releases “High Impact” Profiles for 10 Product Categories

“The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) took a major step forward today when they announced the completion of 10 Category Sustainability Profiles as part of research on 50 product categories, with a commitment to develop 50 additional product categories by the end of 2011.” - source: The Sustainability Consortium

A bit of background
Several years ago, Walmart supported the creation of “The Sustainability Consortium” in an effort to drive product-level sustainability. (See earlier post on this subject.) Supplier scorecards for reporting sustainability across the supply chain were put in place – and efforts to move towards some mechanism for easily creating and comparing a product’s “sustainability score” against its competitors – was envisioned. To date, the Sustainability Consortium’s efforts have been embraced by some and criticized by others. But whether you’re a supporter or not, it’s worth paying attention to the Consortium’s latest developments because of the potential impact their work may ultimately have on the Walmart supplier community. In that light, noted below are some of the key points of their latest announcement. 

Which product categories are included?
The Sustainability Consortium announced that it has completed 10 category sustainability profiles. The categories that are a part of this initial launch include beef, coffee, cotton towels, yogurt, fashion dolls, laptops, laundry detergent, televisions, toilet tissues, and wheat cereal.

Why were these product categories selected?
TSC members chose these categories because of their business relevance, potential for improvement, and magnitude of impact.

According to the press release, “The Sustainability Consortium’s work on these profiles, which identify and prioritize the largest impacts in the life cycle of a product, is extremely valuable,” said Helen van Hoeven, director of market transformation at World Wildlife Fund and a recently appointed Consortium Board member. “This information allows retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers to focus their efforts on innovating and improving on products and their supply chains where it matters most.”

How are these profiles created? 

“The Consortium collects the best available knowledge by reviewing published life cycle assessments, scanning literature, interviewing subject matter experts, integrating life cycle models, and utilizing our large network of corporate, NGO, academic, and government partners. We turn over every rock for information to see what’s available,” said Joby Carlson, Knowledge Base manager for The Sustainability Consortium. “From that, we begin to understand the most well supported environmental and societal issues related to a product category. We also reveal relevant and actionable best practices or product attributes that organizations can implement to address these priority issues. 

What’s the objective?
TSC’s objective is to have this information serve as the basis for driving sustainable change in research and development, understanding supplier sustainability through scorecards or benchmarking, establishing sustainable sourcing policies, and guiding product designs. TSC believes that these deliverables represent a significant milestone for The Consortium’s Sustainability Measurement and Reporting System to inform retailers, buyers, manufacturers, and suppliers about the impacts various consumer goods and supply networks have on the climate, water, energy, biodiversity, toxicity, and society.

What’s the view from its membership community? Are these profiles valid?
“We are big believers in The Consortium’s approach,” said Dr. Len Sauers, vice president for global sustainability at Procter & Gamble and Consortium Board member. “Having these profiles will be immensely helpful to bring people around the table to make real progress towards product sustainability.”

What’s the key takeaway?
The impact of the efforts of the Sustainability Consortium to provide guidance around sustainability metrics for retail products like toys, electronics, and cleaning agents promises to be significant in the years ahead. While the foundation for the sustainability ratings and/or rankings to come may be questioned by some, the reality is that the groundwork is being laid to make product design more sustainable, in general – and to make more eco-friendly product options available to mainstream consumers. Ultimately, the key will be for a manufacturer to be able to provide some kind of verifiable qualifying data to back up its eco-design or sustainability claims. At the end of the day, this is a good thing – perhaps the system isn’t perfect, but it’s a start – and it’s better than what exists currently. So – we’ll be watching. And critics should be, too. If there’s something that seems totally amiss, then it is the job of the watchdogs among us to speak up.

See also:

Sustainable Product and Consumption Starts to Get Real in the Marketplace  The Sustainability Consortium Adopts PE International's GaBi Tool to Perform LCA

Is Sustainability Really Good for Business?

(Note: If you’re not a “save the planet” type, no worries. Sustainability offers lots of other benefits, too. Like the ability – to make money.)

“Sustainability is about making money,” says SAP’s Chief Sustainability Officer Peter Graf.  Is that just the talk of a silver-tongued executive – or is it really true? What if the road to riches really is paved with green? What if a company that embraced sustainability could really rise to the top of its class and point to its sustainability efforts as a key ingredient in that success?

SAP seems to have done just that. And it seems intent on helping its customers to do the same. According to Graf, the message is a simple one. As noted in a related article on the subject, his views on sustainability are easy to understand:

“There is money to be made. There is money to be saved,” says Graf. “That’s why companies need to engage.”

So, just for a moment - forget about “saving the planet.” Instead, think in terms of the other benefits that a sustainable approach can deliver. This includes cost-savings, energy-savings, reduced waste, and less risk (safer products, less exposure to toxic materials, less reliance on rare materials, no risk of penalties due to non-compliance, etc.) And that’s just the beginning – many companies also experience an increase in product innovation, revenue growth and product quality – alongside the expected environmental and energy-related improvements.

So the question is – what’s holding companies back from integrating sustainability into their product development efforts? Is it too difficult? Too costly? Or is it simply a cultural issue – one that is characterized by a general “resistance to change”?

Even small steps can have a big impact

Actually, some of the best advice I’ve heard on this subject is that even small steps can have a big impact. This message is perhaps best illustrated by the teachings of the Bressler Group – a small product design firm based in Pennsylvania. The company is a huge proponent of sustainable thinking – but not just because it’s good for the environment – and not just because it’s cool. They see sustainability as being a key ingredient in building a better product – and ultimately, even doing so more cheaply, and more efficiently.

Their free video, “Cut the Crap: A Method for Developing Greener and Cheaper Products” offers some valuable insights into the process of applying sustainability principles in product design – namely that embracing sustainability doesn’t require companies to completely overhaul their product development process. They can make even small changes – substitute a more eco-friendly material, for example; or reduce the amount of waste generated by their manufacturing operations. Such changes, multiplied over time, can really add up- and can, as the firm suggests – have a real impact on not only the environment – but on the bottom line, as well.

As Bressler Group’s Mathieu Turpault puts it:

“Cost reduction is a tangible benefit of more sustainably-designed products,” says Mathieu Turpault, Managing Partner for Design, Bresslergroup. According to Turpault, “Each year there are millions of new consumer and industrial products released. Using our process, developers can realize a series of ongoing improvements which has huge potential when multiplied across millions of units.”

Through its incremental approach to sustainable product design, detailed in the “Cut the Crap” webinar, Bresslergroup proves that changes can actually be made right here and now, with readily available tools. As one webinar attendee from a major consumer products company commented: “For an industrial designer who’s heard a lot about sustainable design, but never experienced anyone actually doing it, this presentation offers practical steps and real tools to begin implementing these hyped methodologies.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

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?”

To learn more, see: Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2! 

See also:

“Sustainability is About Making Money”

“Cut the Crap: A Method for Developing Greener and Cheaper Products”

Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2! 

Sustainable Product Development Saves Energy, Fuels Innovation and Drives Revenue Growth

Manufacturers cite “significant improvement” in revenue growth, product innovation and energy use from sustainable product development, according to new study

New Hampshire, USA – According to early findings from a new research study, “Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?” manufacturers have much more to gain than just a better reputation by embracing sustainability in their product design and development efforts.

In particular, according to independent market research and analyst firm, Four Winds Research, select manufacturers are experiencing not only a significant improvement in energy use, but a significant improvement in revenue growth and innovation, as well, as a result of their sustainable product development efforts.

That’s good news, because in today’s tough economic climate – it’s the ability to not only address environmental or social concerns, but to drive business forward -- that companies need most.

But some companies are beginning to realize that they can do both. While the cost-savings and environmental benefits of improved energy efficiency, waste reduction, or a reduced carbon footprint are often cited as key benefits of employing a leaner, more sustainable approach to design and manufacturing, the research suggests that additional financial benefits are also possible.

For many, it may come as somewhat of a surprise that a growing number of organizations – from automotive and aerospace manufacturers to makers of high tech electronics products and industrial machinery – cite increased revenue growth, as a result of their organizations’ sustainable product development efforts, with some even seeing a significant improvement in both revenue growth and innovation. In addition, many manufacturers are experiencing improvements in product quality, as well, according to the research.

So, how do they do it? Nearly sixty percent of those surveyed indicate that their company leverages lean or green design strategies (i.e. fewer parts, less material, reduced complexity) to achieve cost savings and minimize environmental impact, while nearly fifty percent indicate that they employ design for sustainability (DfS) principles and lifecycle thinking to support ROI across the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit).

In addition, early findings reveal that approximately thirty-five percent of manufacturers surveyed indicate that product design software is “used widely” to identify and evaluate more sustainable design alternatives; and over thirty percent use “up-front” LCA (lifecycle assessment) tools and methodologies during the conceptual design phase to identify and estimate the potential environmental impacts of design decisions. Also, in seeking to achieve their sustainable product design objectives, companies also most often cite “the ability to identify and use more eco-friendly materials in our products” as a top priority.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in the new research study, “Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?” To learn more, or to participate in this research effort, see: Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Research Study and Be Eligible to Win an iPad 2! 

For more information, contact: Amy Rowell at amy.rowell@fourwindsresearch.com.

About Four Winds Research
Four Winds Research is an independent market research and analysis firm focused on topics related to sustainability. Its current research efforts are centered around identifying the key issues and challenges facing designers and engineers today as they attempt to create sustainable products; understanding how organizations can effectively apply sustainability principles in product design and development both internally and across the supply chain; and the critical role that sustainability metrics, tools, and technologies promise to play in product design and manufacturing in the coming decade. To learn more, see: www.fourwindsresearch.com

New Global Study Examines Sustainable Product Design Tools, Strategies and Practices

Participate in a New Sustainable Product Design Study and Be Registered to Win an iPad 2!

New global study examines the sustainability practices, strategies, and tools being applied in product design and manufacturing today

New Hampshire, USA – Four Winds Research, an independent market research and analysis firm focused on topics related to sustainability - announced today that it is seeking participants for a new global study on sustainable product design and manufacturing.

Sustainability managers, engineering and design professionals, regulatory compliance officers, environmental health & safety professionals, quality managers and other practitioners who are either currently involved in supporting sustainable design and/or manufacturing – or expect to be - are all encouraged to take part in this important baseline study.

To participate, individuals are asked to simply complete a short survey. All responses will remain strictly confidential. Deadline for participation is September 1st, 2011. 

All qualified survey participants will be entered into a drawing for an iPad 2!

The study, “Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?” seeks to gain greater insight into the sustainability issues and challenges facing manufacturers today –  and to identify important trends and developments in sustainable design and manufacturing. The study will also take an in-depth look at manufacturers’ concerns involving sustainability or sustainability-related issues – from questions surrounding increasingly strict regulatory environmental compliance requirements and pending legislation, to the level of adoption of lifecycle thinking and sustainable product design tools or strategies in manufacturers’ product design and development efforts.

Increasingly, sustainability is a topic that is of growing interest to manufacturers – but it is also one that raises many questions for organizations and individuals alike. Is it difficult to design products with sustainability in mind? Does it require special tools? Does it involve special training? Will it change the way I design, or require additional steps in the design process? Can I still work with my existing suppliers or will I have to find new ones? And what about the materials or processes that I’m using to manufacture my products – are these sustainable? If not, what are my alternatives? What about using an LCA (life cycle assessment) to help guide my product design efforts? How does all this impact my work?

Today, product designers from across all industry sectors – from footwear and apparel to high tech/electronics and transportation – wrestle with these and other questions in their quest to support sustainability initiatives within their companies. What we’d really like to know is - what’s happening in your organization? Is sustainability important? In particular, is it important at the product-level? If so – how is sustainable product design currently being tackled by your product development teams?

Tell us.  By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

For more information, contact: Amy Rowell at amy.rowell@fourwindsresearch.com.

About Four Winds Research
Four Winds Research is an independent market research and analysis firm focused on topics related to sustainability. Its current research efforts are centered around identifying the key issues and challenges facing designers and engineers today as they attempt to create sustainable products; understanding how organizations can effectively apply sustainability principles in product design and development both internally and across the supply chain; and the critical role that sustainability metrics, tools, and technologies promise to play in product design and manufacturing in the coming decade. To learn more, see: www.fourwindsresearch.com

How Hazardous Are Your High Tech Electronic Products?

Expect that many of you may have already made note of the recent updates to the RoHS legislation w/respect to its impact on the design of electronics' products - but thought this reference might still be of interest, “RoHS Recast New and Improved?”

At first glance, it seems this article is written from the perspective of the European manufacturer, but as it turns out, this particular electronics’ manufacturer, TTI, is actually based in North America - and is simply paying close attention to this legislation because of its European customer base. 

One of the key changes involves an expansion of the definition of what constitutes an electronics’ product. For example, greeting cards and toys containing electronics are now subject to the same RoHS compliance requirements as other electronic “gadgets.”

In particular, according to the press release,

The Council today revised the directive on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This will extend protection from dangerous chemicals to more electrical appliances and improve the safety of products such as mobile phones, refrigerators and electronic toys (62/10 +COR4, 8117/11 ADD1 REV1).1

First adopted in 2003, the law bans six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, including lead, mercury and cadmium.

The review extends the scope of the ban to more products, while harmonising it across the EU: the ban will now in principle apply to all electrical and electronic equipment as well as to cables and spare parts. Certain transitional periods are provided for, though: monitoring and control devices and medical devices will be covered in three years, in vitro medical devices in five years and industrial control appliances in six years.

The law adopted today also obliges the Commission to regularly review and adapt the list of restricted substances according to a number of criteria. This means that further substances in electrical and electronic equipment may be banned in future.

So, ultimately – what do these RoHS changes mean for a manufacturer or supplier of electronics’ products? In short, increased scrutiny. As TTI’s Ken Stanvick puts it:

"If your company chose to do little or nothing to insure demonstrable compliance to the “old” RoHS directive then your company will be faced with a significant outlay of time and resources needed to catch up and legitimately supply RoHS compliant products, or subassemblies or components used to assemble finished products to the EU market."

Translated? If your company is involved in the design of electronics’ products – or supplies parts, components or subassemblies containing electronics – then it will need to both support and document its compliance efforts in this area. Failure to do so threatens a manufacturers’ ability to participate in the European marketplace – and is likely to threaten the ability to participate in markets worldwide, as RoHS legislation is enacted elsewhere.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

Council Tightens Rules on Hazardous Substances in Electrical of Electronic Equipment

RoHS Recast New and Improved?

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

Looking for an Easier Way to Design Sustainable Packaging?

Then you might want to check out Earthshift’s new PackageSmart tool – a product the company describes as, “a simplified life cycle assessment tool for evaluating the environmental impacts of packaging.” The goal is to help packaging engineers to more easily identify and implement more sustainable packaging alternatives, and to integrate this kind of environmental assessment early in the design cycle.

As the makers of SimaPro LCA (lifecycle assessment) software, Earthshift has a wealth of experience to draw on in developing such a tool. But what is perhaps equally impressive is their commitment to making the tool “user-friendly” to the community it is intended to serve.

Key features, according the company, include:

·                 Comprehend Ability Quickly analyze weight changes, different materials, recycled content, take back program, shipping and distribution pathways.

·                 Transparency Find the source of your impacts, dig back through life cycle inventory data, and add your own data. Apply multiple metrics, including Walmart and Global Packaging Project.

·                 Affordability & Action ability Share your work with internal teammates or external LCA consultants with web based annual licenses.

·                 Consistency & Accuracy Choose your own Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and your own Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (LCIA).

Such tools represent an important step towards making sustainable product design more accessible to the engineers and designers responsible for understanding the environmental impacts of their design decisions. An annual subscription for this web-based tool starts at $2000 for 1-5 users, with price discounts applied for larger groups. To learn more, see PackageSmart.  A free two-week trial is currently available.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: Are We There Yet? (survey)

PackageSmart

Earthshift