SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

WE DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as:

“meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

ECOAID Ltd. has adopted sustainability as its overarching goal supported by the specific design principles contained in the Lowell Centre Framework for Sustainable Production.

Sustainability can be achieved by adhering to five design principles (details below):

A sustainable product is healthy for consumers.

This means:

It avoids chemicals that cause cancer or mutations, damage the reproductive, nervous, endocrine or immune systems, are acutely toxic or accumulate or persist in the environment.
It is safe in use—not flammable, explosive or corrosive, does not cause lacerations, choking or strangling, burns/shocks, damage hearing or injure eyes.

A sustainable product is safe for workers.

This means:

Workplace is safe: clean, well lit, ventilated, with good air quality, well designed ergonomically, free of exposure to toxins, equipped for fire safety and other emergencies.
Workers receive adequate health and safety training.
Working hours and pace are not excessive.
Workers have some job control and input into production process.
If workers are housed in dormitories, the living quarters are clean, and workers have sufficient food, access to potable water and sanitation.
Workers are treated fairly and with respect and dignity; there is no corporal punishment, verbal abuse, coercion, discrimination or harassment.
Child or forced labor is not permitted.
Workers have freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Employees’ skills are well utilized and their ideas and input are valued.
Communication is valued and encouraged among workers and management.

A sustainable product is environmentally sound.

This means:

Chemical and material inputs/outputs are not hazardous (see Healthy for consumers above).
Product is energy, water, and materials efficient in production and use.
Waste is prevented and/or minimized throughout the product lifecycle.
Product and packaging are durable as appropriate, and are reused, repaired, recycled or composted.
Product is designed for disassembly—it can be taken apart and remanufactured.
renewable resources and energy are utilized in production and use.
Scarce resources are conserved and ecosystems are not damaged in extracting resources for production.
Critical habitats are preserved during extraction, production, and use.

A sustainable product benefits the communities in which it is made.

This means:

Workers receive a living wage and can support their families without additional government assistance.
The work design is supportive of family life—e.g., families are not separated, and good-quality child care is available for workers’ children.
The work design promotes equity and fairness in the community—e.g., there is no age or gender discrimination.
Some of the firm’s profits accrue to the local community to be used for public improvements (such as in education, health care).
The work design promotes community input and participation and the community is informed about production and labor practices.

A sustainable product is economically viable for the firm/organization.

This means:

The product is responsive to market requirements.
Innovation is encouraged to anticipate market needs.
The firm is stable in terms of ownership and philosophy.
The company reinvests in the facility to improve its capacity for further production.
The product is priced for economic viability and also aims to internalize costs so that its production can be environmentally sound and socially just.
The firm is recognized for its corporate social responsibility: this includes programs that support and value employees as well as programs that benefit the community and environment.