Environmental issues and impacts are a source of much debate and discussion, from climate change and oil spills, through to green architecture, green IT, reusable coffee cups and bike share systems. The term ‘Sustainability’ introduces even more challenging opportunities which span social and cultural demands.

Consumers are increasingly interested in more than just recycled toilet paper or low sodium household detergents. The market is open to innovative products and services that can address ‘big picture’ issues and priority environmental impacts, be they global warming, water conservation or toxics. Innovators, entrepreneurs and some brands, have seized such opportunities, but how do we cut through the marketing hype and unverified environmental claims? How can consumers truly assess and compare the relative environmental merits of the products they purchase?

While some manufacturers and brands behave in an ethical and transparent manner about eco-product claims, there are numerous suppliers who exploit environmental issues to simply sell more product. Indeed, the impacts associated with excessive consumption of ‘greener’ products, can result in unintended environmental consequences. Simply look at the consumption patterns associated with mobile devices, despite the existence of national collection and recycling programs. Mobile phones are typically ‘ecodesigned’, and the industry is working hard to avoid waste and recover resources, but consider the overall product flows per annum and the materials poured into their manufacture, not to mention the energy and climate change implications.

It’s a topic which attracts much attention, and designers are often at the centre of the debate. As part of the State of Design Festival 2010, Design Victoria is presenting a seminar on Green Growth Markets. The panel-based event will discuss what lies behind the buzzwords and trends. What products and services are truly green? Shifting consumer patterns and legislative requirements are driving new local and international markets for green products, materials, systems and services. Product designers, graphic designers, architects and interior designers will need to understand how to access and interpret this shifting marketplace for the future of their business.

The Green Growth Markets seminar will provide a valuable forum for designers, innovators and manufacturers to explore how environmental performance and product sustainability can be maximised in a practical and ethical way.  The seminar panel includes Tamsin O’Neill from Green Magazine, Alex Fearnside from the City of Melbourne, Suzie Standford Design and John Gertsakis from WSP Environment & Energy’s Digital Solutions team.

The seminar will take place on Thursday 15th July at the Royal Exhibition Buildings. See the State of Design Festival site for more information.

Electronic waste, techno-trash and dead TVs. It’s proliferating fast, but we love our electronic devices and they generally serve us well. Most of the time.

They offer convenience and pleasure, increase productivity, maximise connectivity, and generate desire, however, they can also contribute to a range of environmental problems. Poor energy efficiency, toxic materials, short product life, and solid waste to landfill, are but a few issues. While the Greening of ICT and consumer electronics is picking up speed with much eco-innovation taking place, it is becoming obvious that industry is leading the way. OEMs, brands and suppliers are short-circuiting the design process to deliver better environmental performance.

Indeed the speed and scale of eco-innovation is unrelenting across ICT and consumer electronics (CE) categories including: Apple’s Design for Environment approach in the latest Macbook range; Panasonic’s focus on energy efficiency and ecodesigned plasma screens; and HP’s comprehensive environmental program. The era of electronics sustainability is showing what can be achieved when good design, environmental sustainability and commercial responsibility all work in harmony.

For an activist’s perspective on electronics sustainability, have a look at the annual ‘Guide to Greener Electronics‘ survey conducted by Greenpeace International. Although pious in its approach and tone, it nonetheless provides some confronting insights and opinions about global brands and their environmental performance. The Guide ranks the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change, and was last updated in May 2010.

Closer to home, the CE and IT industries are working collaboratively on a National Product Stewardship Scheme for end-of-life TVs and computers (including peripherals). In simple terms, they’re designing a take-back program to divert obsolete electronics from landfill and ensure that they’re recycled. The CE group is working through a not-for-profit ‘producer responsibility organisation’ known as Product Stewardship Australia, whose members include Sharp, Sony, Panasonic, LG, Sanyo, Hisense, Dick Smith Electronics, Toshiba, TEAC and several others. The IT sector’s efforts are focussed through the Australian Information Industry Association’s Environmental Special Interest Group, or E-SIG.

Both PSA and AIIA/E-SIG have been fiercely lobbying the Federal Government to put in place intelligent regulation that will ensure the entire electronics industry takes on it’s environmental obligations without the undermining influence of industry free-riders. Environment Minister Peter Garrett has vowed to solve this important issue and he is well advanced in delivering a positive outcome in early 2011. Basically, manufacturers, suppliers and importers of TVs and IT equipment will be told by Government … “You made it – You Take it back.”  Nothing new for every other OECD country, but a belated initiative for Australia. The  Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts has a created anE-Waste portal and regular eBulletin to keep the community, industry, NGOs and others updated on Federal Government regulations affecting manufacturers and suppliers of IT equipment and consumer electronics.

A major national event focussed on end-of-life electronics will take place in Brisbane on 21 July 2010. The E-Waste 2010 South Pacific Regional Workshop hosted by Griffith University features a comprehensive program dealing with all aspect of E-Wastes presented by speakers from industry, government, NGOs and research institutions. The Workshop is supported and endorsed by key stakeholders including the United Nation’s Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative. For a detailed Workshop program look here.

Environmental foresight is a key platform for the WSP Digital team. Our work in the digital sphere not only covers the creation of high-utility, user-friendly iPhone Apps, web-based tools such as Product Ecology and eLearning solutions, we’re also at the forefront of corporate sustainability advice for the consumer electronics and business imaging sectors. WSP Digital’sJohn Gertsakis is working with consumer electronics brands such as Sony Australia, Sharp Corporation, Panasonic, Sanyo and several other suppliers to design and deploy a national TV take-back and recycling scheme.

Listen to WSP Digital’s John Gertsakis talk about E-Waste on ABC Radio  here

A plethora of environmental rating tools always provides a point of discussion and debate among designers, specifiers and developers. While such tools can offer a more objective assessment of buildings, products and materials, they can also result in confusion and disharmony about relevance and rigour.

A recent article by Lynne Blundell, on the  sustainable property website - The Fifth Estate – profiles a range of sustainability assessment tools, as well as interviewing Australian practitioners involved in tool design and deployment. Blundell’s story also reviews a new study of over 50 tools conducted by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. The article includes a profile of WSP Digital’s new web-based ecodesign tool - Product Ecology. The importance of integrating Life Cycle Assessment into the product design process is discussed and features comments from John Gertsakis, WSP’s Senior Sustainability Associate. Readers can request a 14 day trial account via the Product Ecology site or by contacting the WSP Digital team directly:  askus@productecologyonline.com