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