Transcript Document

Ecodesign and the plastics industry
Helen Lewis
Plastics New Zealand Workshops
Christchurch and Auckland
29-30 August 2005
Overview
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What is ecodesign?
Why ecodesign is important
Ecodesign principles and strategies
Ecodesign case studies
The ecodesign process
– Life cycle thinking
– How to select an ecodesign project
Participants
– Your company
– Your products
– Your role
What is ecodesign?
‘Design for Environment’ or ecodesign is about
developing products in a way that reduces their
environmental impact
The aim is to design products that are functional,
desirable, cost-effective, and have no harmful side
effects on the environment
Life cycle thinking
– The key to ecodesign is understanding the environmental
impacts of your product throughout its life cycle, i.e. from raw
materials extraction or harvesting, through to how the product
is disposed of or recycled at the end of its life
Life cycle thinking (‘cradle to cradle’)
MATERIALS, ENERGY, WATER
Raw Materials
material
processing
Product
manufacture
Distribution
and storage
Use
SOLID, AIRBORNE, WATERBORNE WASTES
Disposal/
Recycling
Why focus on design?
Most of the environmental impacts of a product are “locked
in” at the design stage, when materials and processes are
specified. This determines:
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whether extraction of raw materials will contribute to
land degradation or biodiversity loss, etc
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whether toxic or hazardous wastes will be produced
in the manufacturing process
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whether the product will be easy or hard to recycle…
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etc
Ecodesign could involve….
– Design of a new ‘greener’ product
– Minor changes to an existing product, e.g. switching from
100% virgin polymer to 25% recycled
– Redesign of your transport packaging system to improved
efficiency (e.g. secondary / transport packaging)
– Ecodesign guidelines for suppliers
– Taking waste back from customers for to reprocess back into
their product
– New labelling to encourage responsible disposal or recycling
Why ecodesign is important
1. Business reasons
2. Ecological reasons
3. Social reasons
1. Ecodesign and business
– Ecodesign can add value to business by:
– Reducing costs (materials, energy, waste, transport)
– Meeting product stewardship regulations here and
overseas
– Improving corporate reputation (impacts on share price,
access to finance)
– Provide a competitive edge in environmentally aware
market segments
– Improving relationships with suppliers and customers
– Becoming a new source of innovation
Product stewardship regulations
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Take-back requirements / producer responsibility
Recycling / recycled content targets
Bans on toxic or hazardous substances
Container Deposit Legislation (CDL)
Voluntary programs supported by regulation
– The preferred model in Australia and NZ
Competition
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“Our products are designed
with the environment in mind.
The latest Canon digital
cameras are totally free of
hazardous materials. Our new
Bubble Jet printer uses 68%
less energy than the previous
model….”
(Canon advertisement, The
Age, 21/8/04)
2. Ecodesign and the environment
– Humans are embedded in and entirely dependent on, the
processes of nature
– BUT we causing irreversible harm to the natural
environment
– Environmental damage is caused by:
– Growing population
– Technological advances
– Increasing affluence and consumption
– Manufacturers have a critical role to play in reducing impacts
Packaging a major focus…..
700000
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
20
02
20
00
19
98
Tonnes
consumed
19
96
19
94
Tonnes
Packaging consumed in NZ 1994-2003
Year
12% of waste to landfill
3. Ecodesign and society
– Consumers care about the environment (although back of
mind issue for most)
– Environmental pressure groups can have a major impact on
business
– Confrontational campaigning (e.g. Greenpeace,
Boomerang Alliance)
– Advocacy and partnerships (e.g. Plant Ark, Clean Up
Australia)
NGO campaigns
– Greenpeace: plastics hierarchy (no PVC)
http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/pvcdatabase/bad.html
NGO campaigns
– Planet Ark,Clean Up Australia– no plastic bags
– ‘Say no to plastic bags’ campaign, Christchurch
Discussion
– Has your company already implemented any ecodesign
strategies?
– Why or why not?
– Are there any external pressures on your business, e.g. from
customers, government or NGOs?
Ecodesign principles and strategies
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Efficient design
Cyclic design
Safe and clean design
Communication design
1. Efficient design
– Keep material and resource inputs to a minimum
– Do more with less
– Strategies:
1. Eliminate unnecessary components
2. Use less material in the product (e.g. downguage)
3. Maximise efficiency of operation (minimise use of energy, water,
consumables)
4. Design for durability
2. Cyclic design
– Design to enable materials to be continuously cycled through
natural or industrial systems
– Eliminate waste
Natural (biological) cycles
Industrial (technical) cycles
2. Cyclic design (cont)
– Strategies for natural cycles
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2.
3.
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Use renewable energy
Specify materials which are renewable and sustainably harvested
Specify biodegradable materials
Select the right biodegradable material for the disposal environment
Design the product so that it can actually biodegrade
– Strategies for technical cycles
1. Specify materials which are technically recyclable and which have
an existing collection/recycling system
2. Design for disassembly and recycling
3. Use recycled materials
4. Establish product stewardship programs (take-back)
3. Safe and clean design
– Avoid toxic or hazardous substances and processes
– Protect human health
– Strategies:
1. Eliminate processes which generate toxic or hazardous wastes in
production
2. Replace potentially toxic substances (heavy metals in inks and
pigments, flame retardants, plasticizers etc)
Communication design
– Encourage responsible consumer behaviour
– Ensure product and packaging related communication is
informative and accurate
– Strategies:
1. Label plastic components (PIC or international codes)
2. Use energy and water labels
3. Provide information on recyclability / appropriate disposal
4. Provide information on other environmental attributes
>PA 66-GF 30<
Ecodesign case studies
Formway LIFE chair
Design for low impact
materials
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No PVC specified
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Water used as blowing
agent in foam
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52% recycled content
Formway LIFE chair
Design for waste avoidance
and materials efficiency
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Less material (23% 65% lighter than
competitor products)
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Knit-fabric back
eliminates foam / solid
plastic
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18% less components
Formway LIFE chair
Design for reuse and
refurbishment
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Seat and sub-assemblies
easily removed and
replaced
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Arms easy to upgrade or
add-on
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Upholstery easy to
replace
Formway LIFE chair
Design for disassembly
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Most adhesives replaced
with snap fits, clips etc
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Need only a screwdriver,
allen key, mallet and
pliers to disassemble
whole assembly
Formway LIFE chair
Design for recycling
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Most plastic parts have
in-mould labels to assist
with identification /
sorting
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70 – 80% of materials
technically recyclable
(steel, aluminium, PP,
nylon)
Axis electric kettle
Design for recycling
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Coding of plastic
components
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66% made from
recyclable materials (PP)
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Design for disassembly,
e.g. glues and screws
avoided in favour of
ultrasonic welding or
snap fits
Axis electric kettle
Design for energy efficiency
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Insulated body
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Temperature indicator
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Up to 25% less energy
used
Axis electric kettle
Design for materials
efficiency
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40% reduction in number
of components
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16% reduction in weight
Freeplay Energy radio
Design for renewable energy
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Self-powered wind up
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PV solar cells
Freeplay Energy radio
Design for society
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Designed for use in developing
countries with no access to
power
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Access to information provides
social benefits (e.g. Aids,
agricultural education)
Sony TV (KD 32HR500)
Design for recycled content
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Recycled plastic and glass in TV
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Recycled EPS packaging
(recycled with limonene)
Sony TV (KD 32HR500)
Design for consumer
information
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“Eco info” label
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Other specific
information provided
Other Sony TVs
Design to eliminate toxic
substances
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Lead-free solder
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Halogen free frame
retardants
Email fridge packaging
Design for efficiency
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Elimination of corrugated
boxes
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Visibility of product reduced
damage in transport
Email fridge packaging
Design for reuse
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PS top and strips
Email fridge packaging
Design for recycling
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PE shrink film
The Green Pipe
Design for recycled content
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100% post-consumer waste
HDPE
Biodegradable chocolate trays
Design for renewable materials
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New Plantic polymer made
from corn starch
Biodegradable chocolate trays
Design for degradability
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Compostable
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Dissolves in water
Inflatable distribution packaging
Design for efficiency
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Lightweight
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Minimal use of material
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Relies on air for
cushioning
Inflatable distribution packaging
Design for recycling
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Single material (HDPE)
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Labelled with plastic code
The ecodesign process
Selecting your ecodesign project
1. Select a product for ecodesign
2. Map out the product life cycle – product flows and all of the
inputs and outputs along the life cycle
3. Identify any internal or external stakeholders (e.g.
customers, government regulators) who are driving change
4. Identify environmental ‘hot spots’ – i.e. where are the
greatest impacts?
5. Identify ways that you can influence environmental impacts
through ecodesign
6. Select ecodesign objectives
7. Select ecodesign strategies
8. Take steps to integrate ecodesign in your business
1. Selecting a product for ecodesign
Possible criteria:
1. Do any of your products have significant environmental impacts?
2. Are any of your products non-compliant with local and international
regulations?
3. Are you under pressure from regulators or NGOs to change any of
our products?
4. Are any of your products / markets at risk from future regulations or
NGO campaigns?
5. Are you likely to increase sales of one of your products by appealing
to environmentally aware consumers?
6. What are your competitors doing - are you going to lose market
share for one of your products if you do nothing?
2. Map out the product life cycle
Raw material
Raw material
Manufacturing process
Packaging
Component
Component
Product
Distribution / retail
Use
Disposal / recycling
3. Identify external pressures
– Customers, e.g. supplier guidelines, questionnaires
– Government, e.g. voluntary programs, regulations (now and
in the future)
– Environment groups, e.g. campaigns against your product
– Consumers, e.g. interest in greener products
4. Identify environmental ‘hot spots’
– These are key issues that will be addressed in the design
process
– Based on your review of life cycle impacts AND stakeholder
concerns
5. Identify ecodesign objectives
– Translate ‘hot spots’ into design objectives, e.g.
– design for recyclability
– reduce product waste / damage
– reduce secondary / tertiary packaging
– improve efficiency of transport logistics
Environmental gains
6. Select ecodesign strategies
Category 3
Significant environmental
benefits but technically and
economically questionable
Category 1
Significant environmental
benefits and technically and
economically feasible
Category 4
Limited environmental
benefits and technically and
economically questionable
Category 2
Limited environmental
benefits but technically and
economically feasible
Technical and economic feasibility
7. Design process
– Incorporate objectives and strategies in the Design Brief
OR
– Try to influence customers to include in THEIR Design Brief
8. Take steps to integrate ecodesign in your
business
– Ecodesign commitment (policy)
– Ecodesign procedures or checklists
– Supply chain partnerships
Conclusions
– Ecodesign aims to reduce the environmental impacts of
products over their life cycle
– Ecodesign is important for business, environmental and
social reasons
– You don’t need to be an environmental scientist or expert
– Start small…look for incremental improvements
– Get support from management (e.g. ecodesign policy)
– Change your NPD process to integrate ecodesign into
future projects
Questions / comments
Small group discussion
– Map the life cycle of a simple product
– Identify environmental ‘hot spots’
– Identify some changes that could be made at the design
stage to reduce these impacts
Discussion
– Feedback…how did you go? What did you learn?
– Next steps: your own ecodesign project