The shift to live an eco-friendlier lifestyle started in the 1960s where hippies and those alike made daily decisions to live more environmentally conscious. Fast forward to the 1970s, China’s manufacturing sector started taking off. Nations around the world began making a move to source out of China, which forced them to become one of the most polluted countries in our current world. Fast forward to 2015, and the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted by nearly every nation to focus on the negative impacts of pollution and commit to moving towards more eco-friendly practices in all business sectors.Ever since this deal was signed, large companies are being encouraged and even forced to do their part, which trickles down to their suppliers and factories to make these changes as well. Summitech has seen a large push from our customers on finding eco-friendly sources. Our suppliers have made steps in the right direction, and 2021 will be a year where this continues. Below we have laid out what some of our factories are doing in the new year to be more environmentally responsible.
One of our factories has installed an off-grid solar panel system on the roof of their factory. This renewable energy source will produce less pollution and use less water. Solar panels also help minimize the amount of coal production. Every factory that implements solar energy has a chance to take a step towards environmentally responsible manufacturing.
For consumer electronic products, power cords and cable assemblies are a common component used in their design. There has been a large push for suppliers to source raw material that is PVC-free as PVC materials can be hazardous. PVC products are made with chemical additives that can evaporate into the air over time, causing serious health effects. PVC also has high chlorine content creating toxic pollution in the form of dioxins, which can remain in the environment for many years. Our suppliers are capable of using TPE material in replacement during the manufacturing of these components. The downside to TPE material is that it can be 30-50% higher than the price of PVC material. For some companies, especially start-ups, this is not always an economically feasible alternative.
Power supply products are all required to be manufactured in compliance with the laws and regulations in place to protect the environment. The US has DOE regulations in place, and Europe has ERP regulations in place and adhering to RoHS2 standards banning hazardous substances that negatively impact the environment. Regardless of where the products are shipped, our power supply factory’s policy is to provide customers with products that meet or exceed the latest environmental regulations and are recyclable.
Summitech will continue to source from suppliers that focus on making positive strides toward environmentally friendly practices. If you have any questions regarding our suppliers’ standards or would like more information, please email info@summitech.com.
