The Nemko Green Ready label

Durability is the product’s ability to maintain its function without needing repair or replacement during its lifetime. In short, evaluating durability through testing will help demonstrate that the product can function for a longer lifetime.

Higher durability has a positive environmental effect by saving raw materials and the energy of refining, manufacturing and recycling the product. Through physical tests like ageing and wear-out or fatigue, the product gets exposed to the stress imposed by operation and environmental conditions through different lifecycle stages such as use, maintenance, repair, transport and storage.

Example(s) of the standard(s) applied:

• IEC 60068 series - Environmental testing
• MIL-STD-810H - U.S. Military Environmental Engineering Considerations And Laboratory Tests

The repairability of a product applies to how easily a user or service person can repair it, upgrade it, or disassemble it for the use of components. The attention to this aspect is increasing rapidly, as France has already launched its French Repairability Index, and the EU has its Right To Repair concept.

Essential factors to consider when designing a product with high repairability are easy disassembly, reasonable repair cost and time, and accessible information about reparation.

Example(s) of the standard(s) applied:

• EN 45554 - General methods for the assessment of the ability to repair, reuse and upgrade energy-related products
• IEEE 1680.1 - Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays

Access to materials on this earth is limited. Moreover, it takes more energy and causes more air pollution to mine and refine materials than it does to recycle them. The use of more recycled content is therefore encouraged. A proper recycling process is the first step to efficiently collecting necessary materials.

Post-consumer recycled plastic content is today one of the benchmarks when evaluating the use of recycled content. However, other materials, such as paper and metal, are becoming increasingly important in sustainable product design. 

Example(s) of the standard(s) applied:

• EN 45557- General method for assessing the proportion of recycled material content in energy-related products
• IEEE 1680.1- Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays

A product’s packaging can make for only a brief moment in a product’s lifetime and is thus a significant waste factor. Much of the packaging is disposed of without being recircled into the economy.

Most packaging includes paper and cardboard, but also plastic, wood, ferrous metals and glass are used. The packaging design is essential in that designing for the use of recycled materials will help reduce the product's carbon footprint.  

Example(s) of the standard(s) applied:

• EN 45557- General method for assessing the proportion of recycled material content in energy-related products
• IEEE 1680.1- Standard for Environmental and Social Responsibility Assessment of Computers and Displays

Li-ion batteries have become the key source of electricity in electronic products and even electric vehicles. Despite being widely used, it has its considerable downside regarding degradation over time. Some products are designed to be compact, with an integrated, and thus irreplaceable, battery.

Also, many products reach the end of their life long before becoming dysfunctional, simply due to poor battery capacity. With battery performance testing, one can provide transparent information to the user on how well the battery will perform over time.

Example(s) of the standard(s) applied:

• IEC 61960-3- Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes

Energy Efficiency and Energy Label have been pioneers in raising concerns over the environmental aspects of products. They are highly successful and have contributed to high carbon emissions savings. A manufacturer should aim to meet not only the minimum requirements of regulations; it should be challenged to reach a higher standard in energy saving.   

Standards and regulations from the EU commission are well recognized and harmonized with most other countries. The EU benchmark will be one of the guidelines to show how a product is designed to achieve energy efficiency. 

Example(s) of the standard(s) applied:

• EU Energy Related Product Directive 2009/125/EC and all products regulations