For years, environmental impacts have increasingly influenced consumer behavior and purchasing decisions, from screwing low-energy light bulbs into their fixtures and showering under low-flow showerheads to using energy-efficient washing machines and dryers. But these measures pale in comparison to the potential sustainability of smart homes, which may prove crucial for optimizing and protecting our environment, natural resources, and quality of life.
Sustainability is a top concern for consumers. Globally, nearly 80% of consumers say they value sustainability, and over 70% of these respondents are willing to pay 35% more for environmentally friendly solutions.
How device manufacturers can improve the sustainability of smart homes
In Jabil's Smart Home Technology Trends Report, 215 decision-makers from smart home device manufacturers were surveyed, and 95% of them responded that they consider the "circular economy" of their products, from conception to end-of-life management and reuse.
Unfortunately, despite its many benefits, sustainability remains an intangible concept surrounding senior management. In fact, a Microsoft IoT Signals report shows that only about 30% of businesses investing in the Internet of Things are considering sustainability.
However, some major IoT players are striving to prioritize sustainability. For example, Amazon has begun to emphasize sustainable products, awarding special badges to products that meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Amazon collaborates with government agencies, non-profit organizations, and independent labs to develop guidelines and select certified products.
This is a positive step in the right direction, but smart home device manufacturers will need a well-thought-out strategy to improve the sustainability of their product portfolios. Here's where you can start:
Start with these three steps of sustainable design
Smart home brands need to consider sustainability as a fundamental standard for their products. In a panel discussion on the impact of the smart home ecosystem, Bjorn Block, IKEA's Regional Manager for Smart Home Business, shared that sustainability is one of the five standards that every product must meet.
Sustainable design aims to reduce negative environmental impacts. Its fundamental goals are to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create a healthy production environment. Here are three steps to building sustainable smart home devices:
1. Start with government regulations
As a foundation, let's start with government regulations concerning energy and water conservation. While legal requirements are only minimum standards, these standards are likely to become more stringent in the future as governments increasingly encourage sustainable development. For example, in May 2020, the European Commission adopted the Circular Economy Action Plan, which aims to reduce the EU's consumption footprint, double its use of circular materials, and promote economic decarbonization by reducing the EU's carbon and materials footprint.
2. Evaluate the materials used in the product.
The ever-increasing number of IoT devices is unlocking exciting new business models and improving customer service, but it is also making the sustainability of everyday devices more complex. As Stacey Higginbotham noted in her article, "Sustainability is the elephant in the IoT room," and "One of the biggest changes brought about by the IoT is that as we apply computing technology to everyday devices, we are adding plastic, metal, and any number of hard-to-recycle components."
You need to explore ways to reduce environmentally harmful materials, such as plastics or other materials that don't decompose naturally. These problems can even be completely eliminated with eco-friendly alternatives. Available options will vary depending on the needs and conditions of your equipment or appliance, but durable plastic alternatives include glass, ceramics, stainless steel, and cutting-edge bioplastics. We hope that the combination of options will continue to expand in the future.
3. Focus on product durability
In addition to ensuring that the materials are sustainable (or at least recyclable), they, and the finished products, must also be durable. Most electrical appliances are believed to last 10 to 15 years. Therefore, devices with smart features need to be able to far exceed the two-year lifespan of most modern smart devices.
To extend the lifespan of your smart home devices, ensure connectivity is embedded in the firmware to provide lasting value. This will help control the number of products that ultimately end up in landfills.
Assess sustainability standards throughout the entire production process
Environmental design involves assessing your production. The U.S. General Services Administration states that sustainable design principles include the following capabilities:
▲Optimize workshop efficiency
▲ Minimize the consumption of non-renewable energy sources
▲Use environmentally friendly products
▲Protect and conserve water
▲Improve indoor environmental quality
▲Optimize operation and maintenance practices
Assess the highest level of sustainability for your production site. You can take several steps to maximize output while minimizing your environmental impact. Conduct an energy audit to see where you are using too much energy or where renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, can be used to replace traditional energy sources.
Similarly, a water audit can help you identify areas that can be improved through technology, water-saving devices, and sustainability best practices. Through water conservation programs, you can save water and reduce costs associated with purchasing, heating, treating, and disposing of it.
You can also reduce waste generation through additive manufacturing. Traditional manufacturing requires cutting raw materials, and unused materials are discarded, which can harm the environment. However, with 3D printing, you only need to create the desired shape, eliminating the waste generated during the cutting process. Furthermore, additive manufacturing can reduce the weight of products and the number of parts required, which helps lighten the load on vehicles, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions during transportation.
However, producing sustainable products involves more than just environmental factors; it also includes the work environment. Trista Bridges, co-author of "Sustainability Leaders: The Path to Sustainability and How the Sustainable Development Goals Are Changing Everything," says that companies should consider sustainability standards when launching or improving existing products, just as they would when assessing market growth, customer needs, or competition.
“They (the companies) need to think: What is the environmental impact of this particular product or service? What is its social significance?” Trista Bridges explained. “Because sustainable development is not just about the natural environment. The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include reducing inequality, zero hunger, and infrastructure—all of these are important for creating sustainable societies.”
All of these audits and assessments should not be one-off events; they should be conducted regularly to ensure that you are always producing in a way that is effective and safe for the environment and workers.
Considering environmentally friendly delivery
The company also needs to consider the environmental impact of delivery and transportation. 80-90% of the environmental impact of automobiles is due to fuel consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which climate scientists point out are driving factors of global warming.
In the future, the company may avoid the entire problem by reducing greenhouse gas emissions during transportation through the use of commercial electric vehicles. As part of its climate commitment, Amazon is already working toward its goal of having 10,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2022 and 100,000 by 2030. It's not hard to imagine other companies following suit.
Prior to this, businesses could reduce their negative environmental impact by shortening the transportation distance of their products. The COVID-19 pandemic has already prompted businesses to consider regionalization to mitigate supply chain risks. Technologies such as additive manufacturing can help smart home companies bring production closer to the end customer.
Another fundamental but crucial factor is ensuring undamaged delivery. Packages face numerous risks: water damage, improper handling, and theft, among others. In fact, damaged goods account for 20% of e-commerce returns. There are several ways to protect your products from damage during transit:
▲ Ensure the packaging size is ideal (i.e., not too large, to avoid the product rattling and potentially getting damaged).
▲ Fill in the gaps in the packaging to prevent scratches
▲Use impact/shock/tilt indicators, which will inform you of any damage that may occur during transportation and remind packing personnel to be more careful.
▲ Partner with trusted carriers or shipping partners; if you are working with a new partner, conduct a trial run to assess their ability to deliver products safely.
By taking extra steps to ensure products arrive safely, companies can avoid unnecessary deliveries, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.
Provide sustainable end-of-life solutions
As I've already mentioned, part of this includes using recyclable materials in products and packaging. But you can also go a step further and ensure that your products don't end up releasing toxins and greenhouse gases into landfills.
The amount of e-waste (also known as "electronic waste") generated is increasing every year, reaching approximately 54 million metric tons globally in 2019. It is projected that by 2030, global e-waste generation will reach nearly 80 million metric tons.
Proper e-waste management brings us as close as possible to a circular economy. Effective processes streamline the supply chain to reduce risk and costs, while providing complete visibility into the final disposal of all materials, especially key materials, in compliance with all global laws and regulations. Throughout the operation, electrical and electronic equipment is prepared for maximum reuse or recycling, and all other materials are responsibly recycled. Proper e-waste recycling involves sorting usable materials out of landfills to avoid waste.
This is a very serious problem, and even some governments have intervened. For example, in Germany, recycling is ingrained in the culture due to legal regulations. Discarding appliances like washing machines is illegal, and you will be subject to hefty fines if caught doing so. However, the government also provides solutions to make recycling easier. As a result, Germany's recycling rate is approximately 56%, making it the country with the highest recycling rate in the world, a position it has maintained since 2016.
In response to this issue, many technology companies have launched e-waste recycling programs, allowing consumers to benefit from properly disposing of or reusing old appliances and products.
Companies like Home Depot and GE have joined the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program. This initiative partners with utilities, retailers, manufacturers, government agencies, and other organizations to utilize existing best practices for environmentally friendly disposal of older refrigeration equipment.
As a partner of the RAD initiative, GE proactively offers to take away the old refrigerator when people buy a new one, and responsibly dispose of it free of charge. According to GE's website, approximately 11 million refrigerators are disposed of in the United States each year, but only a small fraction of the insulating foam in the walls and doors is recycled.
Improperly disposed electrical appliances can pose serious environmental threats. When insulating foam blowing agents are released into the environment, they contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change. Furthermore, refrigerants and other hazardous substances may be released into the environment in violation of government regulations.
Smart homes promise many things: convenience, security, and comfort. But more valuable than individual gains is the collective impact smart homes will have on the planet. Smart homes enable people to make better decisions and become more responsible global citizens. By monitoring and automating within an interconnected ecosystem, people will be able to reduce their negative environmental impact as effortlessly as leaving their rooms. We all need to make greater efforts for sustainable development, and this can begin with smart homes.
