Sustainable Development: it can be achieved!

Environmental legislation is impacting UK industry. Not only are producers thinking strategically about their response, so also are purchasers. How should procurement strategies be changed so that they are consistent with sustainable development? Brother UK hosted an event to address these issues on 30th September in Birmingham's Thinktank Conference Centre. Brother's own interest in the topic relates to office equipment, but the principles are relevant to any sector of industry, whether service or manufacturing.

The agenda was set by Professor James Woudhuysen from De Montfort University. He spoke of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the culture changes it brings. Managers now consider the social impacts of technology, health and Safety, the environment and energy consumption. Costs that were previously hidden are now being quantified. Decisions are made with a greater willingness to acknowledge that we do not fully know the consequences of what we do. As a result, CSR becomes a way of life affecting main boards and every other level of businesses.

Caroline Jackson is an MEP and Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Consumer Protection and Public Health. She pointed out that the environmental legislation coming out of the EU is driving the legislation of the member states. However, implementing policy has always lagged behind the legislation. There is a great deal of ignorance about the directives and their implications. For example, very little waste has been recycled and targets are not being met. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was announced in late 2002, but most of the companies that will be affected by it are still ignorant of its implications!

This topic was developed by Mark Downs, Head of the Recycling Policy at the Department of Trade and Industry. The directives are meant to minimise environmental impact by encouraging:

Product end-of-life management.
Eco-design.
Life cycle thinking.
Extended producer responsibility.

The key concept is establishing producer responsibility for the whole life-cycle of products. The intention is to reduce waste associated with electrical electronic equipment, and increase the recovery and recycling rates of waste. The producer is defined as the manufacturer of an own-branded product, a brand-owner who sources product and manages the sales, and anyone involved in importing or exporting.

There are 10 categories of product: large Household, small household, IT and Telecommunications, consumer equipment, lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools, toys leisure & sports, medical devices, monitoring, automatic dispensers. It should be noted that clothing and textile products incorporating electrical or electronic elements will be covered by the directive. This will mean registration of products, appropriate labelling and much more. Legislation comes into effect summer 2004, with most requirements starting in summer 2005.

Hugh Carr-Harris is the Chief Executive of London Remade. This major initiative is a response to the WEEE directive and it provides recycling services. There are three strands:

Supply: Optimise supply side logistics Procurement: Stimulate demand for recycled products Reprocessing: Invest in reprocessing & manufacturing infrastructure

This multi-million pound programme is proving that waste management can be an environment for innovation, job creation and further investment.

Monika Munzingerfrom the Building Research Establishment, spoke on the subject: "Managing Office Equipmentfor a better Environment". This considered:

Background to energy use in buildings
Highlight opportunities for savings
How to achieve these
Recognise barriers to improvement
Case studies
Support available

Further information is at the Action Energy web site (also listed below).

Susanna Frey Garpas explained the work of TCO Development in Sweden, and in particular their quality and environmental standards for business equipment.

"Our requirements always integrate both the working environment and environmental issues. This means that to reach our ecology criteria manufacturers have to meet the following criteria: ISO 14001 certified, the printer has to be able to use recycled paper and offer double-sided printing, there has to be limited environmental hazards during manufacturing and recycling, and the manufacturer has to follow local environmental recycling legislation."

This talk was particularly relevant to Brother UK interests, as their HL-7050 printer is the first in the world to meet the TCO standard.

Brother Industries, through its UK MD Harry Suzuki and Vice President Tetsuaki Sugahara, explained that their long-term commitment to environmental responsibility is not new. Sustainable development has been at the core of Brother’s basic management philosophy since the early 1990s.  Many operational areas have already achieved ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems. The manufacturing site in North Wales was the first Brother factory in the world to achieve this accreditation. The sales and administration site in Manchester is also close to accreditation and the aim is to achieve it by the end of 2003. Attaining the TCO certification was regarded as a major step forward.

"In fact, achieving the TCO ‘99 standard has been a huge investment for Brother. We had to totally rethink our whole approach to research, design and manufacture across 18 factories worldwide."   "The HL-7050 laser printer had to pass more than 50 tests and 144 different test criteria across ergonomics, energy consumption, emission levels and ecological soundness."

"As a concrete environmental measure to realize our "Green" policy, we have been promoting the principles of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Reform, Recycle, which we call the “5Rs”." "On a more positive note, those involved will earn respect and credibility and see some sort of financial reward for their efforts." "We haven’t got the whole solution – the point is, there is no magic wand solution."    "Investing in environmentally friendly, sustainable products is not idealistic - it makes sound economic sense."   "We shouldn’t wait until the legislators force our hand. Only by taking the lead and the environmental high ground now, can our corporate world remain sustainable into the 21st century."

Brother Industries has put much effort into Life Cycle Analysis. Sustainable development is the goal. "This has been decided because the assurance of society's sustainable development is the inevitable duty for a manufacturer that consumes an immense amount of resource and energy."

Links:

Action Energy

Brother UK Ltd.

Department of Trade and Industry

Environmental Agency (with a link to the EU directive)

TCO Development

Back to the Eco-Challenge Home page

Report by David Tyler, October 2003.
NW Advanced Apparel Systems Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University.