We all know the saying, “they don’t make them like they used to.” Well, what if we did? Sustainable innovation is about creating novel products that last longer and consider the entire lifecycle. Now more than ever, companies must evaluate the environmental, societal, and economic impacts they have. So, what are companies doing in the realm of sustainable innovation? Let’s find out.
Background
So, what actually is sustainable innovation? Sustainable innovation is the practice of making intentional changes to a company’s product, service, technology, or business model to achieve a positive social, economic, and environmental impact. This involves discovering solutions to address pressing issues such as climate change, pollution, and resource depletion, to name a few. Companies use sustainability-oriented innovation to make a positive impact.
E-waste
One of the reasons why sustainability innovations are so crucial is e-waste. Electronic waste, or e-waste, describes discarded electronic devices. In 2022, 62 million metric tonnes of e-waste was produced. Only 22.3% of that year’s e-waste was properly recycled, leaving US$62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for. What sustainable innovations are companies using to combat the massive amounts of e-waste being produced?
Design for disassembly (DFD)
We all know and love LEGO for its creativity and problem-solving skills. But the best thing about LEGO is that you can break it down and use it over and over again to build new things. Designing for disassembly (DFD) means the product can be disassembled so parts can be reused, recycled or repaired, much like LEGO. DFD aims to eliminate waste rather than manage it. It's a perfect example of sustainable product design, as companies consider the afterlife of the product and its impacts on future generations.
But are companies actually designing for disassembly? Enter Daisy: a robot designed to disassemble an iPhone to recover valuable materials. Daisy can disassemble 15 different iPhone models at a rate of 200 per hour - that’s 1.2 million devices per year!
In 2018, the company refurbished more than 7.8 million Apple devices and helped divert more than 48,000 metric tons of electronic waste from landfills.
The company’s engineering of an aluminium alloy made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium allows the new MacBook Air and Mac mini to have nearly half the carbon footprint of earlier models. (Apple, 2019). DFD is a great sustainable innovation that more companies should be implementing.
Right to repair
"$300 for a screen replacement.” Seem familiar? The outrageous costs of repairing technology not only create an economic burden but also impact the environment significantly. Companies often ensure that repair is not possible by third parties. ‘Right to Repair’ is legislation that enables users and third parties to perform repairs, rather than sending items back to the manufacturer.
A reason for the push of the Right to Repair law is due to a practice called “parts pairing”, where parts have built-in microcontrollers that recognise if part serial numbers do not match. If the appropriate part or proprietary software isn't used during the replacement, the device can ‘break’. This legislation can reduce the amount of e-waste as products have an extended lifespan and easy refurbishments - adopting a circular economic model.
Circular Economy
A circular economy is an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products to sustain production. Unlike the standard linear product lifecycle of take -> make -> dispose, the circular economic model changes the cycle to make -> use -> recycle. By adopting sustainable innovations such as DFD and Right to Repair, companies can fit into a circular economic model and embrace systems thinking.
Conclusion
Recap: Sustainable innovation is the practice of making intentional changes to a company to make a positive impact. By implementing sustainable innovations and adopting circular economic characteristics, companies can contribute to a sustainable future.