Product category:
Compliance Engineering
News Release from: Environ
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 October 2007
System eases environmental compliance
Embedding EcoDesign in the product design process allows companies to make significant cost savings.
Embedding EcoDesign into the product design process provides an effective framework for managing compliance with the ever increasing list of environmental regulatory requirements Customer expectations for supplier environmental performance are increasingly being translated into green procurement policies
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 10 Mar 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Web-based system gets to grips with WEEE
Environ has developed a web-based approach that provides the B2B producer with flexibility and control of future WEEE recycling arrangements.
Producer compliance scheme answers WEEE demands
Environ has set up a producer compliance scheme - the B2BWEEE-Scheme - to enable producers of business-to-business (B2B) products to fulfil their obligations under the proposed UK WEEE Regulations.
As part of its sustainable procurement policy the NHS PASA plans to introduce more detailed procedures and guidance on sustainable procurement later in 2007.
These procedures will require detailed environmental requirements to be developed for each tender specification to reflect the significant environmental impacts associated with the particular contract, product or technology.
Where relevant, the tender specification will also include requirements for environmental performance data.
Further reading
Producer compliance scheme is ready for WEEE
Environ has set up a producer compliance scheme for business-to-business WEEE in the UK.
WEEE producer compliance scheme opens for business
Environ's B2BWEEE-scheme is now open for member registration, which will give business-to-business producers the opportunity to join well before the 15th March 2007 deadline.
The tender specifications may also set out ongoing environmental performance reporting requirements which may become contractual obligations.
Specifying product environmental requirements will assist with whole life costing of equipment and enable health care trusts to work towards their environmental objectives, for example by selecting low-carbon products to meet energy efficiency targets.
The PASA Sustainable Development team is also working with the PASA Centre for Evidence Based Purchasing to develop environmental criteria which will be built into product evaluations and buyers guides for medical equipment.
Embedding EcoDesign in the product design process allows companies to make significant cost savings.
Case study examples at Siemens Medical show that application of IEC 60601-1-9 EcoDesign processes can reduce product costs by between 30% and 50%.
These drivers and benefits led to the development of the new International Standard IEC60601-1-9 for Environmentally Conscious Design of Medical Electrical Equipment, which was published in July 2007.
This is a collateral standard to IEC60601-1 and has been developed drawing on extensive practical experience at Philips Medical Systems and Siemens Medical Solutions.
To provide medical device manufacturers with a practical and cost-effective approach, Environ has released the EcoDesign Best Practice Club for Medical Devices at the Electro-Medical Devices: Regulations and Standards Conference in London on Tuesday 18th September.
The club enables companies to integrate best practice EcoDesign and product stewardship procedures into their new product design processes and achieve compliance with the IEC60601-1-9 standard.
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