Implementing an ecodesign initiative in your company is easier than you think. What’s most important is to understand the steps to follow!

Here is a typical process. You can easily take inspiration from this example and adapt it to your needs.

What the manager needs to consider

• +How many people will be needed to implement an ecodesign initiative?

  Large companies may assign one or more managers to lead responsible innovation and ecodesign initiatives. Most often, the initiative is carried out by existing product development teams who integrate environmental criteria in the design process. External specialists may be called upon to fill gaps in expertise that is unavailable internally, for example to carry out customer and stakeholder needs assessments or life cycle analyses, or to determine recyclability potential.

• +What personnel should be assigned to this type of project?

  Packaging ecodesign requires the involvement of several operational units in the company, as well as the support and direction from management. The units that could be closely or tangentially involved throughout product development include:

  • Management
  • Marketing
  • R&D
  • Production
  • Procurement
• +How long does a typical initiative take?

  When embarking on its first initiatives in which environmental factors and stakeholder expectations are taken into consideration, a company will need to conduct a situation analysis, identify avenues for improvement and determine potential solutions. Time needs to be invested in laying the groundwork, determining procedures and gathering information, while outside expertise may be sought to help in launching the initiative.

  Each optimization and ecodesign project will be an opportunity to clarify your understanding of the issues you face and identify available opportunities. While implementing the initiative will not require a top to bottom review of your business practices, you will need to establish a structured foundation based on a clear vision.

  If a company masters the ecodesign mindset, implementing an initiative is not likely to slow down the product development process. Ecodesign can stimulate innovation, and a solid process will improve product quality, limit late-process changes and thus speed up product marketing.

  Integrating ecodesign in basic innovation management practices will be the key to making it part of the company’s fabric and advancing its continuous improvement process.

• +How much money needs to be invested in the initiative?

  Many assistance programs are available to help companies integrate ecodesign in their processes.

  Resources and subsidies available to companies include:

  • IDP’s PARI-CNRC ecodesign strategy interventions
    • Understanding ecodesign issues and opportunities
    • Defining a vision and action plan for implementing an ecodesign initiative
  • IDP training and guidance programs, with support from the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et des Exportations (MEIE)
    • Team skill building
    • Implementing ecodesign projects
  • MAPAQ’s Programme Levier, a tool developed by Quebec’s food processing industry to create winning conditions that increase competitiveness and spur development:
    • Strategic development
    • Quality assurance systems
    • Structured business partnerships
  • Projet ACCORD by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et des Exportations (MEIE), to promote ties among business people and entrepreneurs in a given region who have a common vision of their business sector and have defined a long-term strategy for progress.
  • Fonds de développement de la transformation alimentaire (FDTA)
    • Programme d’aide financière pour l’optimisation des emballages (financial assistance program for packaging optimization): Program designed to provide financial assistance to Quebec food processing companies wishing to optimize a packaging item or a process linked to packaging.
    • Programme d’aide financière pour l’optimisation d’un emballage au moyen de l’analyse du cycle de vie (financial assistance program for packaging optimization using life cycle analysis): Program designed to provide financial assistance to Quebec food processing companies wishing to establish a diagnosis of their environmental performance, carry out a life cycle analysis of a product or optimize the selection of a process, packaging item or ingredient.