Teel says sustainability starts at design

Novi, Mich. — Implementing sustainable ideas for products needs to start in the design phase, according to two experts from Teel Plastics LLC.

During the design phase, molders like Baraboo, Wis.-based Teel can educate customers on different strategies to create a sustainable life cycle for products, according to Christian Herrild, director of growth strategies, and Steve Schick, chief technical officer. That also includes allowing customers to understand they can say no to certain materials being used in their products.

Herrild and Schick spoke Sept. 20 at the Injection Molding & Design Expo in Novi.

Sustainability should be happening at the beginning of the process and throughout all phases, including design, manufacturing and development. Processors can help customers by asking questions about how the products will be used, whether it can be reused and how it ultimately will be recycled or disposed.

Molders can help implement proven systems that reduce waste, identify what can being recycled and what is necessary for design purposes.

"Going from revision one to revision two, then revision three, and to still maintain that same mold capacity, reduce waste over time and apply that," Schick said. "Then move on to collection and distribution entities and recycling the product."

Herrild and Schick talked about how injection molders can use a formal procedure to help customers create a sustainable product.

"These three elements are needed in order to have a sustainable manufacturing process in any polymer processing chain," Schick added.

Being sustainable could mean changing the energy source for the product, learning to manage cooling water so it can be recycled back into another process. It can also include selecting the right material for the volume, form, fit and function of the product.

"We have a market perception of products being very sustainable, regardless of what the actual supply chain looks like," Herrild said, "as opposed to a product that's very data-driven and has had life cycle analysis and has found the most sustainable way."