New global study examines the sustainability practices, strategies, and tools being applied in product design and manufacturing today

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Hampshire, USA – Four Winds Research, an independent market research and analysis firm focused on topics related to sustainability - announced today that it is seeking participants for a new global study on sustainable product design and manufacturing.

Sustainability managers, engineering and design professionals, regulatory compliance officers, environmental health & safety professionals, quality managers and other practitioners who are either currently involved in supporting sustainable design and/or manufacturing – or expect to be - are all encouraged to take part in this important baseline study.

To participate, individuals are asked to simply complete a short survey. All responses will remain strictly confidential. Deadline for participation is August 1st, 2011. 

All qualified survey participants will be entered into a drawing for an iPad 2!

The study, “ Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing: What’s Happening Now… and What’s Ahead?” seeks to gain greater insight into the sustainability issues and challenges facing manufacturers today – and to identify important trends and developments in sustainable design and manufacturing. The study will also take an in-depth look at manufacturers’ concerns involving sustainability or sustainability-related issues – from questions surrounding increasingly strict regulatory environmental compliance requirements and pending legislation, to the level of adoption of lifecycle thinking and sustainable product design tools or strategies in manufacturers’ product design and development efforts.

Increasingly, sustainability is a topic that is of growing interest to manufacturers – but it is also one that raises many questions for organizations and individuals alike. Is it difficult to design products with sustainability in mind? Does it require special tools? Does it involve special training? Will it change the way I design, or require additional steps in the design process? Can I still work with my existing suppliers or will I have to find new ones? And what about the materials or processes that I’m using to manufacture my products – are these sustainable? If not, what are my alternatives? What about using an LCA (life cycle assessment) to help guide my product design efforts? How does all this impact my work?

Today, product designers from across all industry sectors – from footwear and apparel to high tech/electronics and transportation – wrestle with these and other questions in their quest to support sustainability initiatives within their companies. What we’d really like to know is - what’s happening in your organization? Is sustainability important? In particular, is it important at the product-level? If so – how is sustainable product design currently being tackled by your product development teams?

Tell us. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

For more information, contact: Amy Rowell at Email Contact.

About Four Winds Research
Four Winds Research is an independent market research and analysis firm focused on topics related to sustainability. Its current research efforts are centered around identifying the key issues and challenges facing designers and engineers today as they attempt to create sustainable products; understanding how organizations can effectively apply sustainability principles in product design and development both internally and across the supply chain; and the critical role that sustainability metrics, tools, and technologies promise to play in product design and manufacturing in the coming decade. To learn more, see: www.fourwindsresearch.com