By Linn Storäng
The challenges of a volatile global economy may ebb and flow, but environmental concerns and the need to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability will undoubtedly endure. Stakeholders, investors and regulators are taking an increasingly potent interest in the actions of businesses towards materials, vendors, and equipment management.
Sustainability challenges include a move towards a circular economy, where materials used in a product can be reused, repurposed and recycled. Organisations both large and small have embarked on a sustainability journey, committing to initiatives which cover the environmental impact of not only their own business, but also the upstream and downstream value chain.
Their scope means that every aspect of business – from the raw materials used in component manufacturing to energy consumption and the approach to recycling products at their end-of-life – will need to demonstrably contribute to the achievement of carbon reduction targets.
Understanding the regulatory landscape
Surveillance and security technology, as with all other equipment, must meet legal compliance on hazardous substances. Regulations such as REACH, RoHS, and WEEE place responsibilities on manufacturers to match environmental requirements, use and dispose of chemicals responsibly, and ensure a large proportion of materials can be recovered once a device has reached end-of-life. In Europe, the EC’s adoption of the Circular Economy Action Plan1 (CEAP) – part of the European Green Deal2 – signals an intention to initiate the EU's transition to a circular economy.
Businesses must seek to work with vendors that transparently adhere to such regulations and, as end users, businesses must understand their obligations to investors increasingly looking for a strategic outlook which takes Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards into account.
Taking an ESG-focused approach means considering the logical environmental cost of all equipment – the sustainability of its processes, the energy cost of running it, the effect of its disposal – and also being mindful of the stories of the materials which go into it. In particular, consider the impact of plastic.
The problem with PVC
There’s no doubt that plastic has been a world-changing innovation, but also no doubt that the world now overuses plastics, and that particular formulations are both unsustainable and unnecessary given modern chemistry. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is one such problematic plastic. Oil is used to extract its base chemicals, and a huge amount of energy is required to activate the various chemical reactions in its manufacturing process.
PVC is, by itself, rather unsustainable, and that is not the end of its story. PVC poses a fire safety risk once deployed, releasing toxic chemicals while burning which turn to hydrochloric acid when extinguished. Flexible PVC often uses phthalates – linked to numerous health issues – which are not chemically bound to PVC and therefore released into the air during a product’s entire life cycle.
The use of certain phthalates is already restricted under REACH, but official phthalate regulations currently do not include commercial or office installations. There is no legal requirement for manufacturers of security equipment to use phthalate-free wiring, for example. Given that more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives exist, the use of PVC and phthalates should be considered as largely obsolete.
Working together towards a circular economy
Reducing PVC use is just one part of the puzzle. BFRs and CFRs, brominated and chlorinated fire retardants, have also been identified as toxic. All fossil-based plastics carry a sustainability cost which cannot ever be repaid. And as the world moves towards a circular economy, products must go beyond the 20kg per capita per annum recovery goals set by WEEE – their packaging and components should be suitable for full recycling when they reach end of life.
Any business looking to meet its ESG goals must seek out vendors that demonstrate green design principles, prove the viability of their manufacturing processes, and evidence a healthy and reliable supply chain. Strong partnerships happen when vendor efforts go beyond regulations on material use and show a commitment to achieving sustainability development goals through schemes like the UN Global Compact and the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Planning for the future
The world is still very much in the early stages of embracing green design principles, but the supply chain is changing quickly. The more organisations that can embrace a top-down ethical approach to doing business, the quicker vital processes like decarbonisation can happen, the closer a circular economy becomes, and the healthier the planet (and its people) will be.
Whether employing more post-consumer recycled (PCR) or bio-derived plastics, using components free from volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) or switching from virgin materials to recycled substances, every small change a business makes is a step in the right direction. Consideration, consistency and collaboration is the way to remove reliance on PVC and to ensure a healthy end-of-life for products – and it is the only route to a smarter, safer, more sustainable world.
