B&W Loudspeakers

WEEE Directive Prompts Sustainable Actions

B&W Loudspeakers (B&W) is a leading manufacturer of premium loudspeakers. The organisation was founded in 1966 and is research led, investing up to 10% of sales in design and technology. It has a research and design facility that houses around 20 engineers.

The forthcoming directive on Waste and Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) prompted B&W to introduce a range of sustainable measures which in total achieved total cost savings of more than £150,000/year.

These measures included:

• The cleaner redesign of the CM4 loudspeaker. Design actions include using returnable packaging crates between suppliers and replacing disposable packaging, resulting in a reduction in waste disposal and a fall in the rate of rejects from 13% to 2%.
• The company is also working towards mono material packaging that is easy to recycle. By redesigning the cartonboard box, the volume of expanded polystyrene used has been reduced by 50%, achieving a 30% cost reduction.
• A shift to using completely lead-free PCBs.
• The company is now prepared for compliance under the RoHS Directive- which requires cadmium to be phased out by 1st January 2007. The company is now building in environmental compliance from the outset of the design process - The guidance notes for product development have been adapted to include environmental criteria.