Ecodesign and the plastics industryHelen Lewis

Plastics New Zealand Workshops

Christchurch and Auckland

29-30 August 2005

Overview

– 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’)

Raw Materials material processing

Product manufacture

Distribution and storage

UseDisposal/ Recycling

MATERIALS, ENERGY, WATER

SOLID, AIRBORNE, WATERBORNE WASTES

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:

- whether extraction of raw materials will contribute to land degradation or biodiversity loss, etc

- whether toxic or hazardous wastes will be produced in the manufacturing process

- whether the product will be easy or hard to recycle…

- 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

– 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

– “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…..

Packaging consumed in NZ 1994-2003

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

700000

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

Year

To

nn

es Tonnesconsumed

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

1. Efficient design

2. Cyclic design

3. Safe and clean design

4. 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 cycles1. Use renewable energy2. Specify materials which are renewable and sustainably harvested3. Specify biodegradable materials4. Select the right biodegradable material for the disposal environment5. Design the product so that it can actually biodegrade

– Strategies for technical cycles1. Specify materials which are technically recyclable and which have

an existing collection/recycling system2. Design for disassembly and recycling3. Use recycled materials4. 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

• No PVC specified

• Water used as blowing agent in foam

• 52% recycled content

Formway LIFE chair

Design for waste avoidance and materials efficiency

• Less material (23% - 65% lighter than competitor products)

• Knit-fabric back eliminates foam / solid plastic

• 18% less components

Formway LIFE chair

Design for reuse and refurbishment

• Seat and sub-assemblies easily removed and replaced

• Arms easy to upgrade or add-on

• Upholstery easy to replace

Formway LIFE chair

Design for disassembly

• Most adhesives replaced with snap fits, clips etc

• Need only a screwdriver, allen key, mallet and pliers to disassemble whole assembly

Formway LIFE chair

Design for recycling

• Most plastic parts have in-mould labels to assist with identification / sorting

• 70 – 80% of materials technically recyclable (steel, aluminium, PP, nylon)

Axis electric kettle

Design for recycling

• Coding of plastic components

• 66% made from recyclable materials (PP)

• Design for disassembly, e.g. glues and screws avoided in favour of ultrasonic welding or snap fits

Axis electric kettle

Design for energy efficiency

• Insulated body

• Temperature indicator

• Up to 25% less energy used

Axis electric kettle

Design for materials efficiency

• 40% reduction in number of components

• 16% reduction in weight

Freeplay Energy radio

Design for renewable energy

• Self-powered wind up

• PV solar cells

Freeplay Energy radio

Design for society

• Designed for use in developing countries with no access to power

• Access to information provides social benefits (e.g. Aids, agricultural education)

Sony TV (KD 32HR500)

Design for recycled content

• Recycled plastic and glass in TV

• Recycled EPS packaging (recycled with limonene)

Sony TV (KD 32HR500)

Design for consumer information

• “Eco info” label

• Other specific information provided

Other Sony TVs

Design to eliminate toxic substances

• Lead-free solder

• Halogen free frame retardants

Email fridge packaging

Design for efficiency

• Elimination of corrugated boxes

• Visibility of product reduced damage in transport

Email fridge packaging

Design for reuse

• PS top and strips

Email fridge packaging

Design for recycling

• PE shrink film

The Green Pipe

Design for recycled content

• 100% post-consumer waste HDPE

Biodegradable chocolate trays

Design for renewable materials

• New Plantic polymer made from corn starch

Biodegradable chocolate trays

Design for degradability

• Compostable

• Dissolves in water

Inflatable distribution packaging

Design for efficiency

• Lightweight

• Minimal use of material

• Relies on air for cushioning

Inflatable distribution packaging

Design for recycling

• Single material (HDPE)

• Labelled with plastic code

The ecodesign process

Selecting your ecodesign project

1. Select a product for ecodesign2. Map out the product life cycle – product flows and all of the inputs

and outputs along the life cycle3. Identify any internal or external stakeholders (e.g. customers,

government regulators) who are driving change4. 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 objectives7. Select ecodesign strategies8. 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

Product

Packaging Component Component

Manufacturing process

Raw material Raw material

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

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

Env

iron

men

tal g

ains

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