National & International standards in product design
British Standards Institute (BSI)
a national organisation formed to devise agreed standard procedures for performing a wide range of tasks. is 1 of 150 national standards bodies in the ISO
International Standards Organisation (ISO)
a federation of national standards institutions that devise international standards to improve safety, productivity & reliability
with more companies looking to extend to international markets & trade in other countries its essential that they conform not just to national standards but also international standards
ISO deals with quality management worldwide - many companies only deal with others who conform to it
CE marks
means product conforms to all relevant European safety standards
mandatory for a product to be sold in the EU
key international standards
BS EN ISO 14000 environmental management
BS EN ISO 50001 energy management
BS EN ISO 9001 quality management
BS EN ISO risk assessment
companies can opt out of conforming to them, but they aim to improve safety, productivity & reliability
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
a directive aimed at preventing hazardous substances from entering the production process in order to prevent damage to human health & the environment
restricts use of specific hazardous materials found in electronic & electrical products
post 2006 all products sold in EU have to be RoHS compliant
restricts - lead, mercury, cadmium & chromium
Battery directive
deals specifically with the restriction of hazardous substances & safe deposal of batteries & accumulators
batteries & accumulators allowed up to 0.00055% mercury limit, cadmium up to 0.002% limit
requires that all batteries & accumulators have a symbol of a crossed out wheelie bin - shows they can't be disposed of in normal waste
clear instruction for disposal must also provided
Polymer codes for identification & recycling
the Mobius Loop
internationally recognised recycling symbol of 3 arrows in a triangle, shows product can be recycled
may include a %, or on polymer product an SPI (Society of Plastics Industry) code - used to state the polymer resin used in its production so that during recycling material can be separated effectively
Packaging directives
the EU packaging & packaging waste directive aims to limit the production of prompt the recycling & reuse of packaging materials
it covers all area of packaging from commercial to household
most recent amendment states;
at least 60% (by weight) of packaging waste must be recovered or incinerated at waste incinerators with energy recovery
all packaging must be marked with specific materials used to assist identification & classification, marking must be clearly visible on product or its label
the EC energy label
Waste from Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
member states must ensure that all new packaging complies with following requirements & required to monitor packaging & waste against targets set in order to;
reduce hazardous substances & materials within packaging materials
design reusable or recoverable packaging
keep the weight & volume of packaging material to minimum
mandatory European directive that covers the end of life electric & electronic equipment
all relevant products must carry the crossed through wheelie bin sticker to show compliance with the directive
compulsory system required on a wide range of household appliances to assist customers in making purchasing decisions
use of a coloured scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) gives consumers an easy method of comparison
cause it is compulsory & highly visible in retail outlets means manufactures have been forced to develop the efficiency of these products
Eco-labelling
wide range of environmental certifications given to companies/products that meet specific environmental targets
by displaying these labels on products manufactures are able to provide potential customers with greater level of info
EU Ecolabel
label of environmental excellence awarded to products & services meeting high environmental standards throughout their life-cycle
some of the criteria
during manufacturing
during use
during end of life
design for environmental use
energy saving
water saving
reduction of noise
eco-design to facilitate recycling
the energy efficiency label & logo
a certification mark issued by energy saving trust for only most energy efficient products
availible for appliances, e.g. fridges, light bulbs, central heating boilers
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
FSC logo can be found on timber products, paper & recycled materials
FSC certified forests are managed in an environmentally appropriate, social beneficial & economically viable manner - protecting wild life & people who live in them
FSC guarantee fair wages & when trees are felled allow them to regenerate, preventing deforestation
EU ENERGY STAR
was developed from an agreement between the S & US to standardise how IT equipment was labelled to show the energy used.
products are assed by power usage when idle & in sleep mode
covers; computers, displays, imaging equipment