While every company has its own initiatives and drivers, changes in societal attitudes, combined with new legislation, are creating an environment where meaningful progress and results are demanded, and where, across the spectrum of products from consumer to medical, there is increasingly nowhere for businesses to hide. Our Sustainability Lab team look at the drivers of change, as well as some of the potential ways forward for businesses.
Businesses are seeing pressure mounting from all fronts to deliver on promises to transition to sustainable and circular practices.
A compelling convergence
Consumer attitudes are changing. Evolving societal attitudes, new consumer mindsets and a scaling of conscious consumerism into the mainstream are influencing how people purchase, consume and view products and brands. Alongside that, mounting pressure of public opinion is driving new legislative initiatives. The evolving regulatory landscape has the power to initiate more environmentally-sound design. Cutting-edge technologies, advances in materials technology and cross-industry collaborations are providing new ways to tackle sustainability challenges.
Shifting burdens
The shift in the consumer sector has historically been driven by behavioural and societal shifts – with demand from consumers for less impactful products. This has put the burden on consumers, as businesses can get away with inferior product experiences while appealing to ‘conscious consumers’ who are willing to spend more money or time for the privilege. However, legislation is starting to catch up with this groundswell from consumers and campaigners: from Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) for packaging in the EU and UK, to right-to-repair laws (and lawsuits) in the EU and the US. This is a drive towards accessible sustainable products. Technology is going to be one of the biggest enablers for this in terms of: development of new materials, digital frameworks for managing material tracing, and designing packaging and products to fit in this new ecosystem.
Medical no longer “immune”
In the medical sector, which relies on the use of single-use devices to deliver on sterility, safety and usage compliance, the challenge to achieve more sustainable and circular solutions is greater. This is compounded by the long approval pathways which means that implementing changes to products can be costly and can take years. Despite this, the same attitudes seen in consumer products can be observed; patients are acutely conscious of medical waste and the burden their treatment loads on increasingly stretched healthcare resources.
The challenge is one that needs to be addressed by multiple stakeholders – device manufacturers, healthcare buyers, hospitals and healthcare staff – who must look for ways to reduce the impact of what is a material- and energy-intensive sector. This ambition clearly exists: initiatives like the NHS “Net Zero” roadmap in the UK, ESG commitments from pharmaceutical and device companies, and the introduction of sustainability criteria to purchasing decisions in Scandinavia demonstrate this. A great example is Novo Nordisk’s Pencycle programme, addressing the 23 million injector pens which go to landfill each year in the UK alone. As with the consumer sector, this will require coordination and communication between companies, regulators and payers to move in the same direction.
Taking action
With the long timescales involved, the risk of not starting now is higher than the risk of waiting to see what others do. Every business and industry will have their own drivers, constraints and initiatives in progress, there is a menu of approaches to sustainability that need to be considered.
Lifecycle assessment: Answers are not always obvious. Switching from single-use to reusable may inadvertently produce a negative impact. LCAs will help to identify opportunities from quick wins to sustainable long-term changes.
Portfolio sustainability road mapping: Materials and technology in this area are rapidly evolving, while legislation may take years to mature. Creating a sustainability roadmap will identify immediate actions that can be taken, as well as next steps to reach 2030 goals.
Reduce: Clever design thinking can identify opportunities to reduce materials used in product and packaging which can achieve noticeable gains in waste reduction as well as enhancing the user experience.
Re-use: Seeking ways to re-use all or part of a product may uncover additional opportunities to enhance a product as well as reducing waste and the environmental impact of original manufacturing and distribution. Understanding how real people interact with these products – while designing for durability and repair – can extend product lifespans and significantly reduce impact.
Recycle: Choosing materials better suited to recycling can provide simple, incremental wins and developments in bio-based plastics are creating options for non-fossil-fuel derived single-use products.
New approaches: Taking new approaches to the product model may yield opportunities for environmental gain as well as responding to new consumer behaviours. For example, a digitally enabled product concept may reduce the need to transport or physical product manufacture and distribution, whilst providing more convenient solutions for customers.
Talk to the Sustainability Lab team about how we can help you respond to legislative requirements, leverage new technologies and create solutions that resonate with end customers.
Whether you’re shaping a new concept or scaling a proven idea, our experts will have advice to help you in your process.
