Small steps to sustainable product design

TG0 is working on a long-term sustainability roadmap. Here’s why.

Consumer demands, scarcity of key materials and government regulation are all accelerating the sustainability agenda. But achieving ‘sustainability’ is rarely a one-step process.

Our Chief Innovation Officer Francesca Perona describes TG0’s sustainability journey, and  how this benefits our customers and consumers.

Fran, how does the TG0 team feel about sustainability?

“TG0’s product design team works with plastics and electronic components. Increasingly we’re having to consider sustainability, although this is something that in honesty is a little outside of our comfort zone. We’re having to consider the types of plastics we use, material choices, manufacturing techniques, and of course the sustainability ‘in-use’ and at ‘end-of-life’ impacts of the products we design.

“Luckily, we’re motivated to learn about, and act on, sustainability. Our team is relatively young, and therefore has learned about sustainability and climate change from an early age. Personally, I find sustainability fascinating, and I’m excited by the intersection between innovation and sustainability. Before joining TG0 I worked in sustainable fabric design, which has given me a good grounding in this area.”

Where is TG0 on its sustainability journey?

“We have delivered some sustainable solutions, but we feel we need to do better. We’re by no means putting ourselves up as sustainability pioneers, but we are constantly looking at and implementing ways to become more sustainable – either via processes, material choices or partnerships. We see sustainability as a series of marginal gains, rather than one big win. And we’re committed to getting better on sustainability every day.”

Why do businesses need to take sustainability seriously?

“In general businesses know that being sustainable can save them money, attract new customers and make them more efficient — as well as being the right thing to do. That’s why most of them think beyond ‘greenwashing’, IE appearing to care so customers trust you. Most are genuinely trying to improve.

“In the hardware and plastics industries, sustainability is increasingly integral to the buying process. We know OEMs won’t use us to design products unless we think hard about sustainability.

“Plastic usage is a hot topic because of global conversations about ocean plastics, excessive packaging and recycling. But the way we use electronic components is also coming under increased scrutiny, particularly regarding lifespan and the environmental impacts of extracting core materials for things like batteries.

“For the first time, a business like ours is having to ask questions like: can the product be manufactured with a lower environmental impact? How easy is it to separate electronics from the plastics they are housed in? How could this product be recycled? Can we make it easier to repair or reuse components? Is this type of plastic one that can be re-used?

“But we’re also trying to keep costs down for our clients, and to create products that look good, work well and have a premium ‘feel’. So we have to weigh sustainability against the other things that are important, like cost, usability and brand consistency. Maintaining that balance is hard, and who is to say who gets it right?”

Why else should businesses care?

“Because sustainability is good for them and good for society. Customers across the world are moving to more sustainable options. They are making lifestyle choices such as reducing meat from their diet or avoiding fast-fashion, and choosing to spend with ethical brands. This major trend means businesses have to reflect their brand values through more sustainable options. If they don’t, customers will take their business to their competitors.

What are the talking points about sustainability in the hardware industry?

“Consumers are becoming more savvy – or more suspicious – about sustainability claims for electronic goods. They want more transparency. There’s some negativity about certain brands and even rumours that some companies create products that are designed to break after a few years, or are impossible to repair, so customers have to continually upgrade. Personally, I’d like to see them given more information about how electronics can be disposed of responsibly.

What is TG0 doing about sustainability?

“We are looking at continuous improvement in all areas. In terms of product design we have a great focus on material selection and usage, and we seek to reduce the number of parts per product, as this can lower the environmental impact of assembly and disassembly. We’re currently designing several prototypes and examining things like material bonding, the number of manufacturing steps, the possibilities of mid-life repairs and downcycling.  We wrote a blog about some key sustainability considerations recently. Plus of course, we keep up-to-date with regulations, compare against competitors, and always look to work with customers, partners and suppliers that can help us reduce our own environmental impact and that of the products we design.”

Does ‘sustainability’ make product design harder?

“It makes it more interesting! In all product design, there are always trade-offs on things like performance, costs, durability, user experience etc. Sustainability is another parameter to consider.

“Sustainability is a non-linear, and interdisciplinary problem. We can make interventions on design, materials, manufacturing processes, product finishing methods and hardware architecture that all impact sustainability and the other parameters. We aim to achieve the perfect balance — it’s about innovating within the constraints.”

Do different industries have different requirements?

“Yes. The different verticals we serve have different levels of maturity regarding sustainability, but also different regulatory and design constraints. The consumer and lifestyle brands seem to be the most ‘tuned-in’ on the topic, in part because they are closer to end-consumers but also because products in these areas tend to have shorter lifecycles.

“In automotive, conversations tend to be about sustainable material use, and choices such as trim materials, for example leather alternatives and recycled textiles. OEMs also want to reduce weight and the number of parts to save complexity (and money) and help vehicles to run more efficiently.

“We must never forget that although consumers are moving to purchasing models of ‘buy less and use for longer’, they are still motivated to change products for performance, price and novelty reasons. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of the public, and ask, how do they want us to design and act.”

Any final thoughts?

“Sustainability is a complicated consideration, and for a small business like ours, can sometimes seem daunting. But we know we must improve, and by improving, we feel we can instigate positive change that’s good for our customers and for their customers. We’re working on roadmaps and processes, as well as the technical considerations for individual products. We’re trying to do better all the time. Watch this space!”

Learn more about how TG0 can help you on your sustainable product design journey by contacting us HERE.

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++ Note, Fran has left TG0 since this article was written.