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News Release from: Envirowise
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 04 August 2006
UK energy review provides environmental
dilemma
Businesses are being urged to consider the full environmental impact of their operations, following the July release of the UK Government's Energy Review.
Businesses are being urged to consider the full environmental impact of their operations, following the July release of the Government's Energy Review Envirowise - which offers companies free advice on resource efficiency - says voluntary action now to assess and reduce waste throughout the entire lifecycle of a product could help businesses meet future energy challenges
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 25 May 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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This includes recognising how everything from the energy used to extract raw materials from the ground at the outset, to the resources involved in a product's design, manufacture and eventual disposal, all contribute to an "embedded environmental footprint".
And with compulsory standards relating to the design of energy using products on the horizon, taking early action could help companies identify long-term cost savings - as well as forge stronger alliances with suppliers and major clients, says Envirowise Programme Director, Dr Martin Gibson.
A willingness to innovate in the field of "cleaner" design will become a real business benefit for manufacturers and retailers, particularly in view of forthcoming legislation.
Further reading
UK businesses offered free environmental help
Envirowise is advising electronics businesses to sign up to its free and confidential designtrack service, which focuses on minimising the environmental impact of a product over its entire lifecycle.
Free workshops to explain clean design
Presentation subjects include cleaner design principles for both products and packaging, as well as an update on existing and future legislation.
Engineers and technicians must be trained
Leading UK engineering and technology firms, with a combined multi-million pound spend on training and development, will assemble at the IEE 'Investing in Technical Teams' forum on 4 November 2004.
The EU's Energy Using Products (EuP) Directive, for instance, seeks to improve the environmental performance of products throughout their entire life-cycle by making sure resource efficient measures are built in at design stage.
This legislation is likely to affect all energy-using product types that sell more than 200,000 units a year, in a range of categories including lighting, office equipment, consumer electronics and domestic appliances.
Therefore suppliers to the UK's biggest electrical manufacturers could have much to gain from quickly addressing potential changes in product specifications.
Envirowise recommends that producers of energy using products and components consider the following.
First, visit the Envirowise website to access advice and tools for assessing your product design.
You may be eligible for a free, confidential DesignTrack visit from a specialist adviser, who will help you develop a targeted action plan.
Secondly, talk to customers and suppliers now and find out how they plan to address their environmental impact.
Is there an opportunity to work together to identify mutually beneficial solutions? Consider how an Environmental Management System could help you implement a practical framework for achieving best practice.
Larger companies with numerous suppliers may consider working with Envirowise to establish a partnership programme, allowing them to work towards cleaner design and compliance throughout their supply chain.
Dr Gibson continues: "We look forward to working closely with businesses to ensure they have the knowledge and capacity to grasp the commercial opportunities associated with cleaner design".
"For example, our recent luxury to landfill survey demonstrated that around a third of consumers questioned would favour an electrical or electronic product designed with either low environmental impact (34.4%), minimal packaging (35%) or recyclability (31.6%) in mind".
"So this isn't solely about compliance - it's about maintaining a competitive edge in a fast moving market, to ensure future success".
A number of good practice guides are available free via the website which can help manufacturers across a range of industry sectors work towards cleaner design.
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