How To Comply With The New EU Eco-Design Directive
A more eco-friendly design is key to reducing the GHG emissions of a product. Which is why the EU will soon release a new regulation demanding producers to improve the sustainability of their process. To help your company prepare for that and save you time, in this post we’ll tell you what the upcoming legislation means for your business. Before doing that, let’s briefly define the eco-design concept.
What Is Eco-Design?
Embracing an eco-design, a.k.a. ecological design, means developing a certain product with the environment in mind right from the start. Also, it implies estimating the ecological impacts of that product throughout its life cycle. Accordingly, a step-by-step life cycle assessment (LCA) is essential to adopt an eco-design. Once you measure the carbon footprint of the entire product value chain, you should then try to reduce it by switching to more sustainable raw materials, lower-carbon transport, etc.
What Is The Eco-Design For Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)?
The latest updates on the upcoming eco-design regulation date back to last December 4th. The ESPR will extend the scope of the existing eco-design directive, enforcing a series of requirements to nearly any kind of product (except for food, feed, and medicinal products) sold in the EU market. However, the legislation highlighted some priority goods to target such as textiles, furniture, etc. Timeline wise, you can expect ESPR to become legally binding for priority products within the next couple of years.
The Eco-Design Directive Requirements
Performance Requirements
Here’s the list of product aspects that you should disclose information on:
Durability and reliability;
Reusability;
Upgradability, reparability, maintenance and refurbishment;
Presence of substances of concern;
Energy and resource efficiency;
Recycled content;
Remanufacturing and recycling;
Carbon and environmental footprints;
Expected generation of waste materials.
Information Requirements
Manufacturers will have to record the information on their goods environmental performance in a digital product passport (DPP). To add to that, this document should include further details such as instructions for users on how to repair or recycle a product. Without a DPP, you won’t be able to sell your products in the EU and you may incur financial penalties. The DPP will let buyers compare products from different suppliers and make a more informed purchasing decision, thus promoting a traceable and circular economy.
Complying With The ESPR
While meeting the requirements of the new EU eco-design directive could be challenging, you’re not on your own! Stripe Blue’s here to support you. Tapping into life cycle analysis tools, our eco-design consultants will provide you with an environmental product declaration (EPD). This will provide you with most of the insights required by the ESPR. So, don’t get stuck at the EU border control and reach out to us today!
