DESIGNING ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

To reduce environmental impact across the product lifecycle, Aothia has created its own Design for Environment (DfE) guidelines listing factors that should be taken account of from the design stage in order to create safe, eco-friendly products, and conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Starting from fiscal 2017, we introduced stricter quantifying of the environmental burden rate over the product lifecycle. To make the improvement rate clear, we have adopted a new environmental burden improvement rate index*. This allows us to compare and evaluate lifecycle CO2 emissions for existing "standard" products and new "development" products, to reduce the environmental burden by improving product functions and performance.

*Environmental burden improvement rate:
A: Standard Product and B: Development Product are compared and evaluated for lifecycle CO2 emissions according to the formula A÷B. When the resulting number is larger than 1, a new product is deemed to have a lower environmental burden than a standard product.

Main Points of product Design for Environment

Objectives and Significance
To determine items and procedures regarding environmental impacts and safety that must be considered during the design process for the purpose of reducing environmental impacts and ensuring the safety of products Compatible with the concept of a recycling society and with business sustainability Reducing impacts on the global environment Ensuring the safety of users and the protection of the environment Improving functions and performance of products and reducing their environmental impacts

Objectives and Significance

To determine items and procedures regarding environmental impacts and safety that must be considered during the design process for the purpose of reducing environmental impacts and ensuring the safety of products

Compatible with the concept of a recycling society and with business sustainability
Reducing impacts on the global environment
Ensuring the safety of users and the protection of the environment
Improving functions and performance of products and reducing their environmental impacts

Items related to environmental impacts and safety
Reduction of environmental pollutants Resource conservation and energy conservation Sustainable use of natural resources Use of recycled resources (promoting the 4Rs) Simplified waste treatment and disposal Emphasis on safety-consciousness Environmental and safety information included on product labels