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Life cycle thinking and product design: Don’t leave LCA to the last minute!

By Barbara Nebel, CEO , thinkstep-anz There is no such thing as a green product, only greener or more sustainable options. However, the differences in impact between products can be significant. This is an important distinction to make as it recognises that all products have some impact on the environment. Some common-sense knowledge and an overall understanding of how something is made and what it is made of can help you form ideas around how sustainable your product is. However, unless these ideas are tested and backed by credible data, they will remain as vague claims. This is where sustainability tool Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comes into the picture to quantify a wide range of environmental impacts across a product’s whole life. In this article, we explore the principles behind LCA, the many uses and benefits of LCA, and how to optimise LCA to create the most sustainable products and services. Life cycle thinking and LCA Every product has a life cycle. It starts when the raw materials are harvested or extracted and finishes when the final product is disposed or used at the end of its functional life. Life cycle thinking — the concept around which LCA is built — understands that each stage of a product’s life cycle contributes to its overall environmental impact. Life cycle thinking also understands that sustainability is about more than just carbon. An LCA takes a broad definition of environmental sustainability with a wide range of indicators including carbon footprint, energy use, water consumption. Finally, life cycle thinking as a principle and LCA as quantitative tool understand that decisions around one area of a product’s sustainability can also affect others. Part of an LCA’s objective is to consider these trade-offs that can occur to ensure a positive impact in one area does not […]

D-Link launches new, secure AC1200 and AC750 Mesh Wi-Fi Range Extenders

As the quality, reliability and security of Wi-Fi becomes increasingly important, D-Link A/NZ has launched their new DAP-1610 AC1200 Mesh Wi-Fi Range Extender and DAP-1530 AC750 Mesh Wi-Fi Range Extender, both encompassing the latest WPA3™ wireless encryption. DAP-1610 The DAP-1610 is a portable plug-in wireless Extender that lets you extend an existing wireless network, giving you powerful Wi-Fi throughout your home and eliminating Wi-Fi dead zones. With high-speed, dual-band 802.11ac wireless speeds of up to 1200Mbps – that’s 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 900Mbps on the 5GHz band – the DAP-1610 ensures a fast and stable Wi-Fi experience for all of your connected devices. The DAP-1610’s dual-band technology also helps reduce interference from any nearby wireless transmitters and provides backwards compatibility with older connected devices that run on previous Wi-Fi standards. What’s more, if you wish, you can use its Gigabit Ethernet port and your home’s existing wired Ethernet cabling to extend wireless coverage without having to worry about signal strength. The DAP-1610 also provides you with flexible Mesh choices for your home network when you pair it with a compatible D-Link Wi-Fi 5 Mesh Router to create a seamless whole-home Mesh Network built on industry-standard Mesh technology. The DAP-1610 seamlessly picks up the same Wi-Fi name as your existing network and allows you to enjoy a Mesh connection throughout your entire home Meanwhile, Mesh Smart Roaming allows your devices to intelligently switch to a stronger Wi-Fi signal as you move around the house. You can also pair with other Routers or Extenders which support the 802.11k/v standard to enjoy Mesh Smart Roaming throughout your home at all times. Setup of the DAP-1610 is simple, either via the single-touch WPS button to join the Extender to the existing network, or alternatively, you can setup and manage the DAP-1610 just as […]

Productivity: The way forward

-Ian Walsh, Managing Director, Intent Group. Over the last few weeks, I have been reflecting on the current situation we find ourselves in New Zealand. Many suppliers and manufacturers are struggling with unprecedented demand, growth, and expansion, in a scale of activity that I have not seen for over 20 years. It is a confluence of many factors: global demand for NZ produce with growth in many markets, internal demand perhaps fueled through lack of travel options, and people diverting their cash into their houses, lounge suites and other home living quality improvements, along with a construction boom trying to meet the increasing infrastructure and house demand of kiwis returning from overseas and the omnipresent housing crisis faced here. This is happening in a disrupted world with fragile supply chains, while managing Covid-19 and limited labour supply, through MIQ limitations and access to RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) and other labour sources constrained. Given this environment how can we adapt to these challenges? Whilst government policy, covid response and other macro events may take some time to change, there are some things you can do in the meantime to improve your business. The current Covid outbreak and subsequent lockdown provide a further opportunity to review your business and key drivers. On the supply chain front, you should ensure to have your inventory policies, demand and forecasts reviewed and adjusted based on the nature of the good, the lead time, the safety stock, and the fragility of the supply chain. This is especially important for importers – you can’t sell what you don’t have. For exporters, there is no better time to collaborate, aggregate volume to secure shipping or charter, to assure delivery. If you haven’t looked at some of these options, now is the time. There are several large players adopting […]

New digital identifiers help prepare businesses for the future

New Zealand businesses will be able to find exciting innovation opportunities thanks to new globally unique digital identifiers for different parts of their business. NZBN Organisation Parts, linked to a business’s legal entity identifier, the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), and reinforced by a global international standard, will accelerate businesses’ adoption of digital ways of working. A business can assign Organisation Part identifiers to its different physical or logical parts (e.g., branches, departments, and delivery addresses) to enable accurate, safe digital interactions, and ensure key messages between trading partners (e.g., purchase orders, invoices, and deliveries) will be directed to the right place. “Organisation Parts will future-proof and empower businesses to innovate, digitise, and compete in the evolving digital economy”, says Ross van der Schyff, General Manager Business & Consumer at the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). “The NZBN ecosystem has evolved to meet customer needs and now reflects New Zealand businesses’ structures and digital interactions. Organisation Parts will help businesses prepare for exciting opportunities, such as e-invoicing, secure transactions, and cloud-based information sharing, available with the growing digital economy.” Dr Peter Stevens CEO, GS1 New Zealand, noted the importance of businesses being globally connected for New Zealand’s status as a trading nation. “GS1’s Global Location Numbers were chosen by the Government in 2013 because they are globally unique, and part of a credible international system with strong links to trade and supply chain logistics. “Future uses of Organisation Parts could include creating digital pathways to track food from the paddock to the plate, car parts to the manufacturer, and medicine to specific cabinets in a hospital.” Active tech investor Serge van Dam says that the NZBN – now augmented with Organisation Parts – is the unique digital key that the digital ecosystem needs. “If businesses, technology providers and […]

ATNZ appoints new CEO to drive future vision

Apprentice Training New Zealand (ATNZ) is thrilled to advise Rebecca Smith has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Executive Officer to lead the Group Training Organisation (GTO) organisation into its new exciting phase. ATNZ Board Chairman John Blakey said Ms Smith has a wealth of experience and expertise, vital to leading the GTO which from Monday 02 August became a standalone entity, separate from Industry Training Organisation Competenz, with which it has partnered closely since 2010. “Rebecca brings strong strategic leadership combined with an impressive career in marketing and business. Most recently the Executive Director of the NZ Story Group, Rebecca is focused on driving growth, acquisition, and retention. She has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and brand leadership across various industries, including senior marketing leadership roles with Fonterra, BNZ and Telecom. We are delighted to have a leader of her calibre on board”. ATNZ is the country’s largest employer of apprentices in mechanical engineering and related industries. As a GTO, ATNZ places their 360-plus apprentices into “host” companies where they work and learn their trade. As well as the separation from Competenz, part of the government’s ongoing Reform of Vocational Education, Mr Blakey said ATNZ has an exciting vision for the future. The GTO will expand to also become a vibrant and commercially independent Private Training Establishment within the next two years. Ms Smith joins ATNZ to drive this vision to fruition and lead the team of 22 staff from Monday 9 August 2021. Mr Blakey said the ATNZ board acknowledge and deeply thank ATNZ General Manager Susanne Martin for the commitment and energy she has brought to the role over the last three years. “We want to express our gratitude to Susanne for all her mahi. We value how Susanne has always led from the […]

Blank conveyors on a blurred factory background. 3d illustration

Automation rises due to worker shortage

Faced with a growing shortage of workers, many business owners in New Zealand are looking towards automation, something of an irony after years of concern about the risks of structural unemployment. The national labour shortage looms as the most significant risk to our booming manufacturing sector. The latest Bank of New Zealand Performance Manufacturing Index (PMI) for July increased to 62.6, the second highest recorded, but also cited labour issues as the primary concern to industry players. Caleb Nicolson, General Manager of TMX New Zealand – Asia-Pacific’s leading business transformation consultancy – says the combination of a local worker shortage, an inability to bring in seasonal migrants during peak season, and increasing labour costs in New Zealand were making the business case for supply chain automation more attractive to a broader group of businesses. “These types of facilities are common-place overseas, in the US for example approximately 70% of new major warehouses are automated. New Zealand has been relatively slow to take up these smart technologies, until now. The labour shortages are challenging businesses to look differently at their supply chains and we’re now seeing even smaller companies starting to investigate automation, despite the relatively high upfront investment cost.” Many local businesses are looking at automating operations to create high speed, low-cost and higher capacity operations. COVID has undoubtably amplified the requirement to deliver operations with less human contact, automation provides a logical way to reduce this risk to your business model says Nicolson. To ensure businesses move with the times, Nicolson urges them to consider getting independent advice in relation to automation and make it a priority to consider the different software solutions and automation options that are available. Similarly, seeking advice on the procurement and implementation process can make a huge difference to business productivity. TMX has been […]

RMIT welcome RS Components as racing partners

RS Components are proud to announce their support of the RMIT Electric racing team in the legendary Formula SAE competition this year. Originally started by the Society of Automotive Engineers student branch at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1980, the Formula SAE competition now sees over 500 teams from universities worldwide, design, build and compete in their own Formula-style open-wheeled race car. The vehicles are judged on dynamics, design justifications, costing strategies and business presentation and apply rigorous STEM concepts to the build and design process. As the brightest young minds compete annually around the globe, the boundaries of innovation, technology and engineering are constantly redefined. The RMIT Electric Racing team took the competition to the next level in 2008, and entered the first-ever electric vehicle. They were confident they could produce a simple, electric counterpart for the combustion vehicle competition. Every year since, Formula SAE has seen a rapid growth in the number, competitiveness and performance of electric vehicles against their combustion rivals. A fact the RMIT Electric Racing team are infinitely proud of. Managing Director of RS Components ANZ Scott Philbrook said, “We are proud to support the next generation of innovators with the quality products RS Components has to offer. The team and I at RS wish these bright minds the best of luck in this year’s race.” Today the team counts over 50 passionate students across a dozen faculties who demonstrate innovative thinking, initiative and commitment to the real-life commercial project. And it’s little wonder the Formula SAE graduates are often headhunted for their unique combination of technical skills, strong communication abilities and project management skills. Christopher Carr, Business System Head for RMIT Electric Racing said, “Our project is dependent on the valuable investment by our sponsors who allow us to advance the research and […]

Feeling our way towards hydrogen

-Tina Schirr, Executive Director, BusinessNZ Energy Council Right now hydrogen is getting a lot of attention. Many countries are focusing on producing hydrogen for fuel, or procuring it, or planning for its future use. Hydrogen fuel is highly desirable – clean hydrogen produces none of the harmful emissions of other energy sources. So hydrogen is potentially a very good energy source for powering our post-carbon world. But there’s a catch – production of hydrogen is not economic at present and currently can’t be produced cost-effectively. As a result, countries are taking the initiative in different ways as they feel their way towards a hydrogen-powered future. Recently, the World Energy Council (WEC) released a report on hydrogen – Hydrogen on the Horizon: Ready, Almost Set, Go?: the BusinessNZ Energy Council, WEC’s representative in New Zealand, contributed to the report, along with 128 other countries. The report highlights the global activity that’s occurring in the development of hydrogen as a fuel source. A number of countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the Americas are focusing on producing hydrogen. Others, in Asia and Europe, are more focused on procuring it. Their reasons for looking to hydrogen are varied – including its potential to diversify energy sources, decarbonise economies, allow for repurposing infrastructure, and to grow green jobs and green economies. Some countries – notably Germany, Japan, South Korea and Singapore – are partnering with others to ensure they can achieve global hydrogen supply chains and adequate supply once hydrogen becomes cost-effective to produce in significant quantities. New Zealand is becoming integrated into such partnerships, signing bilateral partnership agreements with Japan and Singapore and partnering with Germany on green hydrogen research projects. New Zealand is also among the countries that are seeking ways to produce hydrogen cost-effectively. Last week Contact Energy and […]

Prestigious Awards to Showcase Region’s Best Businesses

Wellington’s diverse business community given a chance to shine post covid. Entries are now open Monday for the prestigious Wellington Region Business Excellence Awards, to be celebrated at a black-tie gala hosted by the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and its sponsors in November. The Awards, now in its 14th year, celebrate the dozens of local businesses that contribute to the region’s vibrant and successful business community. Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, says after an extremely disruptive and challenging 18 months, the Awards are more important than ever. “Business is the unsung hero in our community. From keeping people employed in uncertain times, to increasing inclusion and diversity in the workplace, to tackling environmental issues, and supporting charitable and community groups; our local businesses do so much good work. The awards are an opportunity for businesses to celebrate their efforts, drive, and determination as well as their contribution to our communities. I encourage businesses to enter and tell their success stories because they deserve to be recognised and celebrated.” This year there are 10 categories for the Awards, which include: Manufacturing & Distribution, Innovation & Technology, Hospitality, Tourism and Retail, Service and Support, Trades and Infrastructure, Not for Profit, Best Emerging Business, Young Business Person of the year, Employment Excellence and Environmental Excellence. The awards are free to enter and are open to any business to any business based within the Wellington Region. The overall winner elected from the category winners will be awarded the Supreme Business of the Year Award. Previous winners include Cuttriss Consultants Ltd, who won the 2019 Supreme Business of the Year Award, who also took out the Professional Services category. Reflecting on their achievements, Director Colin McElwain said, “It was a really great evening to celebrate business within the […]

WRONZ launches Wool Source

Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand Inc (WRONZ) has announced its world-class research initiative with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to explore new uses for New Zealand’s strong wool has led to the development of unique wool particles, powders and pigments with global export potential for applications as diverse as cosmetics, printing, luxury goods and personal care. WRONZ unveiled the innovative wool products at an event to celebrate the achievements from its New Uses for Strong Wool programme, supported by research, industry and funding partners. WRONZ also announced the launch of commercial development company Wool Source to develop the new products and assess market demand for the strong wool innovation. WRONZ further announced the completion of its pilot production facility to manufacture its first deconstructed wool ingredients from 100 per cent biodegradable, renewable and sustainable New Zealand strong wool. The launch event also provided the opportunity to announce investment from the Ministry for Primary Industries to fund further product lines and commercial development as part of the wider New Uses for Strong Wool programme. MPI is contributing $1.95 million via its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund alongside $2.92 million from WRONZ. The three-year programme aims to prove the commercial viability of the new deconstructed wool particle products. The goal is to develop more sustainable product ingredient alternatives for global manufacturers and consumers – while revitalising New Zealand’s strong wool sector, creating new value for our economy and communities. Additionally, The Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) announced it was jointly funding Wool Source’s market engagement alongside WRONZ. SWAG chief executive Andy Caughey says, “We’re providing support for Wool Source to undertake a deep dive project into particles, powders and pigments markets to assess the scale and viability of the commercial opportunity. “New Zealand’s wool […]

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