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    Systemising circular and eco-design

BY: Lynda Haig Thoresen | Marketing, Communication & Sustainability Manager

Data Respons Solutions business model is to design, develop and deliver smart embedded and industrial IoT solutions by combining specialist engineering competence with standard embedded components from leading technology partners.  

We do not develop own products but develop solutions according to our customers specification. Our most valuable contribution in terms of Circular Economy and Eco-design is to positively influence our customers to choose sustainable options.

Systemising circular and eco-design

We will spend the next year creating firm processes and systemising our circular approach and our main plan is to:

  • Carry out Circular Economy and Eco-design workshops throughout the organisation to map our current situation.
  • Create and implement a circularity action plan.
  • Fully implement Eco-design in all solution design phases. (Up to 80 % of product’s footprint is decided in the design phase (Innovation Norway).
  • Make circular and eco- design processes part of our management system.
  • Prepare for compliance according to Circular Economy standard ISO/TC 323.
    This standard is currently under development and is planned released during May 2023.

The solutions or products we develop should be designed for lifetime sustainability (cradle-to-cradle). Easy to maintain and service, and easy to upgrade to increase lifetime. However, the best way to reduce waste, both economically and environmentally is not to produce it in the first place, says Lynda Haig Thoresen, Marketing, Communication & Sustainability Manager at Data Respons Solutions.

Lynda Haig Thoresen

Some circular efforts we already have implemented are:

  • Sell more solutions with service contracts and upgrade-programs to secure extra-long lifetime rather than disposing
  • Modular design. Fewer components and parts, increase product life rather than dispose and entire product.
  • Use more sustainable, recyclable, or biodegradable, reusable, and cost-effective packaging for transportation.
  • Select transport that the uses the lowest possible footprint.
  • Coordinate logistics (transport) and production
  • Creating solutions and products with low energy consumption and with the lowest possible manufacturing footprint.
  • Select recyclable materials in the products design phase.

What is Eco-design?

Eco-design refers to actions taken in product development aimed at minimising a product’s environmental impact during its whole life cycle, without compromising other essential product criteria such as performance and cost. (definition by Johansson, 2002)
The eight stages for achieving circularity are:
  1. Encourage customers to choose the best possible solution for their needs
  2. System-wide, life-cycle thinking
  3. Design for low impact materials (durable, compact, low weight, low energy) and use fewer components and parts in the design
  4. Design for optimised manufacturing processes to minimise environmental impact (energy consumption, pollution and waste, production yield)
  5. Design for lifetime sustainability optimising a product’s useful life (durability, easy to maintain and repair, standardisation, modular for upgrades)
  6. Design for optimisation of transport (local supply chain, shift from road to rail and air to sea) and packaging (optimise load, minimise air, reduce packaging)
  7. Design for resource efficient use (low power consumption and ease of maintenance) and adaptability (possible to upgrade and extend lifetime)
  8. Design for dis- and reassembly and recycling of components

Source: The sustainability guide

Read more about our Sustainability efforts

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