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News Release from: Envirowise | Subject: Energy management
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 July 2006
To reduce energy usage - check all
processes
UK businesses are being urged to consider the environmental impact of their operations, by assessing and reducing waste throughout the lifecycle of a product - from quarry to distribution.
Businesses are being urged to consider the full environmental impact of their operations, following the July release of the UK 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 Manufacturingtalk on 21 Sep 2006 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.
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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." Dr Gibson continued: "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.
* Visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/cleanerdesign 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.
* 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 continued: "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 is not solely about compliance - it is about maintaining a competitive edge in a fast moving market, to ensure future success.".
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