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.

Product designers and manufacturers can obtain expert advice on cleaner and more efficient product design - as well as an update on the latest legislative news - at a series of free Envirowise workshops in 2008.

Events are being held in January, February and March to allow companies to access specialist advice on sustainable design techniques from experts in this field.

Participants will be able to discuss potential changes to product specifications - which could help generate valuable cost savings.

Presentation subjects include cleaner design principles for both products and packaging, as well as an update on existing and future legislation.

There will also be a practical session to examine delegates' own products and help identify opportunities for redesign.

An XRF machine will be available on the day to test products for RoHS compliance, free of charge.

Jenni Rosser, cleaner design specialist for Envirowise commented: "The seminars are designed to help businesses grasp the environmental and commercial opportunities associated with more efficient design".

"They will illustrate how cleaner design principles can be adopted to achieve cost savings, satisfy legislation and improve competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging marketplace".

One company that has already benefited from this approach is sustainable healthcare product design company Lightweight Medical.

The company was founded in 2003 by a group of graduates from Glasgow School of Art and has since gone on to win a number of national design and innovation awards.

Perhaps the most notable piece of design produced by the company is its neo-capsul - a transport incubator for low-dependency newborns.

The neo-capsul was produced using metal sections made from recycled aluminium, with a conscious effort to ensure that all components were manufactured in the UK to minimise the impact of transport.

The neo-capsul was specifically designed with repair and disassembly in mind, resulting in 80% of the materials being recyclable.

This has also facilitated efficient maintenance and upgrading, thereby prolonging the service life of the incubator and preventing the replacement and waste of entire products due to defects in single parts.

Neil Farish, Director at Lightweight Medical, explains: "The business case for sustainable design is simple: it results in more profitable products".

"This can be through reduction in material, manufacturing and distribution costs, capitalising on new legislation and procurement policies, increased consumer brand loyalty and generation of new intellectual property".

The Envirowise seminars will take place in Birmingham on 16th January, Sunderland on 24th January, Brighton on 20th February and Nottingham on 12th March 2008.

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