Sustainable Product Development – Critical for Resource Conservation and Product Innovation

Manufacturers heavily rely on rare earth elements and realize that alternate materials, metals and processes must be evaluated in order to continue developing and producing their products and materials. The primary goal of this session is to educate participants on the value of Sustainable Product Development (SPD) to ensure long-term availability and viability of these technologies. Participants will learn how SPD is key to designing innovative products and processes to create value. Tad will discuss the challenges of manufacturing products with REE elements and explain the benefits of using SPD. He will explain how LCAs are used as an integral tool with an SPD program to evaluate risks, decrease environmental impacts and investigate the best alternatives for a sustainable supply of REE. Combining innovative design techniques with life cycle data allows manufacturers to evaluate future products before going to market, thus increasing environmental performance, enhancing market appeal and maximizing ROI.