What we present here is
expanded on in a report entitled 'Sustainability and Business
Competitiveness' published by the UK Department of Trade and
Industry (click
to download PDF) and also by the UK Design Council (see
what they have to say).
It is now widely accepted that
sustainable design can help your
business...
An important part of environmental management is simply about
reducing the amount of resources used, or using them more
efficiently, to reduce the amount of waste produced. Tackling
climate change, for example, means reducing the amount of
carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) produced when
products are transported or when they use electricity made
from burning fossil fuels. More efficient energy usage in
the factory means lower energy bills and more efficient products
mean they are cheaper to run for the consumer. Landfill tax
At Sprout, our aim is to improve the functionality and appeal
of the product while also reducing the complexity and resources
used in making it. The result is more often than not that
the product is cheaper to manufacture.
New and innovative products keep your product range
exciting and allow to you get a step ahead of your
competitors. Sprout's design process means that sustainability
is used as a source of inspiration and innovation,
rather than back-end re-design and detailing in the
development phase. This means the design process is
more efficient and the final designs are not compromised
during development.
Only 20% of businesses affected know
about 2004 EU Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
which requires various changes to
be made to products in this sector.
This is accompanied by the RoHS (Reduction
of Hazardous Substances) directive
which bans the use of certain substances
in product design. Sprout can help
not only make the changes necessary
to comply with all relevant legislation,
but our life-cycle approach means
that our designs should be forward-looking
enough to comply with future (Integrated
Product Policy) legislation should
it come into force. The EU packaging
directive and EuP (Energy Using Products) directive
all support the EU's policy of moving
product design in a more sustainable
direction.
The reputation and behaviour of any operating company
can enhance the overall reputation of the Group.
If badly managed it can also damage
not only the Group’s reputation, but that of
all the other operating companies. A good reputation
depends on keeping the respect everyone involved in
our business and supply chain. Our ability to manage
our perceived
impact on the issues important to our stakeholders
will be fundamental to gaining the trust of our customers.
