SAN FRANCISCO – Companies looking to cut end-product costs would be well-served by studying the host of available design for reuse/recycling options.

In fact, proper design for environment planning can save as much as 5%, says Technology Forecasters president Pam Gordon.

Speaking Wednesday at a self-sponsored webinar on DfE roadmapping, Gordon indicated adequate planning could save 1% on high-volume end-products and 2 to 5% for higher mix products.

Through what Gordon calls “dematerialization” – or lower material use – companies can save a bundle, she says. By cutting the amount of packaging used, companies can reduce power and ease assembly. “Making disassembly more efficient also makes assembly more efficient,” she said. Cutting power requirements also can mean fewer thermal management components, also reducing costs and weight.

The rationale behind DfE roadmapping is the daunting prospect of compliance with the nearly 500 pending environmental regulations and requirements worldwide.

Compounding the paper exercises is the trend toward regulations that mandate producer responsibility and place the onus of proof on corporations.

Producer conduct regulations are changing, said co-host Tom Valliere of Design Chain Associates. The legislative trend is toward, "If your name is on the product, you're going to be held responsible," he said.

Developing a roadmap is a key step in the effort to tackling this enormous logistical problem. Gordon suggests a spreadsheet indicating the DfE principle, the responsible organization and individual, the timeline, and specific action item for each program.

Asked about companies that factor in end-of-life (EOL) and reuse or recycling costs to their total cost of ownership equations, Gordon quickly cited Hewlett-Packard as a leader. “Employees are responsible for looking at all costs and including EOL and reuse, recycling and transportation into the total cost of the product,” she said.
Valliere ticked off several instances of corporate savings:

• Medical OEM Medtronics modified a coating process, reducing its use 75% and saving $2.1 million annually.
• Motorola’s Motocubo phone features all-recycled paper packaging and a 99%-recyclable phone case.
• H-P reduced packaging 97% by converting the outer packaging of some of its laptops to semi-fashionable “messenger bags,” which customers can continue to use as carrying cases long after bringing the PC home.

“Our hope is more OEMs will see the imperative of looking at the full equation when considering the entire product lifecycle and lowest cost of operation for the customer,” Gordon said.