Episode 1: Product Development for Sustainability

Key insights you’ll hear in this podcast

• Overview of design for sustainability: Explore how the circular economy principle emphasises waste reduction in product design through practices like green chemistry, material selection, and improved recyclability and repairability.

• Importance of the business model: Understand how a company’s business model influences a product’s lifecycle, including usage intensity and design incentives. Discover the benefits of service models, such as recurring revenue, and extending product lifecycles through reutilisation and charitable donations.

• Pioneering industries: Learn how industries like consumer packaging, automotive, and energy lead the way in sustainable design. Identify key drivers such as social pressure in consumer packaging, and the need for material reuse in renewable energy.

• Business benefits in product design for sustainability: Explore how sustainability enhances transparency in emissions reporting, regulatory compliance and public perception. Discover the positive impact of sustainable design and service models on customer loyalty and engagement.

• Overcoming barriers: Address concerns about costs and compromises in product quality. Discover examples, like LEGO’s efforts to maintain quality while ensuring sustainability. Understand the challenges companies face in incentivising staff and adapting finance, logistics, and supply chain structures for service models.

Find out more

If you are interested in any of the topics discussed during this episode, please find useful links below:

• Product Development of Tomorrow podcast series