In a recent conversation with another sustainability consultant, we discussed the idea of engineering green. The discussion shifted from product function to product cost. The question: Can a business incorporate sustainability concepts into an existing product without increasing cost, or does green have to be a design criterion in the original product development for that product to be competitive?
The comments were that product design is an engineering process that precedes manufacturing and requires a strategy that takes into account both application and economic factors. For most products, 50%-75% of the cost is locked-in during the design phase. Thus, green should to be included in the design phase.
We went on to compare original green product pricing with the evolved green product pricing of today. The downward trend seems to be a combination of growing eco awareness, increased competition, and green product design. We concluded that this would be an on-going discussion and that questions related to business sustainability would continue in a broader conversation.
May 19-20, Greener by Design 2009 will be held in San Francisco headlined with “How Smart Companies Innovate in a Recession”. The focus of the conference will be on bringing green products to the mainstream by aligning environmental innovation with affordability.
As a sustainability consultant, I look forward to this gathering and the opportunity to continue this business sustainability discussion.
Powered by Compendium
Comments for Engineering Green