FOCUS AREA #4
Environmental Responsibility
Environmental sustainability is reflected in Bittium´s small and big decisions in product planning and assembly and on the company´s premises. In its environmental actions, Bittium focuses on improving the efficiency of its operations and on using lower-emission energy sources. Bittium´s footprint is reduced by the longer useful life of products and the development of recycling as well as improvements in resource efficiency.
Environmental sustainability is a key focus area in Bittium´s corporate sustainability program, which is guided by the company´s environmental policy, legislation on environmental protection and sustainable development and various international principles as well as customer requirements. The most notable environmental impacts of Bittium´s products occur during the last stage of the life cycle, that is, recycling. However, all stages of the value chain have effects on the environment, and Bittium actively strives to reduce the environmental effects of its value chain.
At Bittium, environmentally sustainable operations mean responsibility for curbing the climate change and the development of resource-efficient solutions. In 2022, Bittium investigated, in particular, its possibilities to improve the energy efficiency of its premises and the company enhanced the way ecodesign principles are taken into account in product design.
Management of Environmental Sustainability at Bittium
- Monitoring and observing amendments to the laws and regulations concerning environmental protection and sustainable development. The use of energy-efficient solutions in R&D (ecological design) and at business premises is also included.
- Minimizing the environmental impacts of the production, use and disposal of products. The development of instructions and practices related to ecological design supports these principles.
- Encouraging suppliers and partners to implement environmental management systems. This practice supports the realization of the principles aimed at limiting the use of hazardous substances.
- Developing energy efficiency through continuous improvement. Two energy auditors approved by the Energy Authority conduct annual on-site audits.
Bittium operates in a strongly regulated business environment. The company regularly monitors the international environmental requirements that govern its products as well as the local regulations derived from these, with major suppliers also required to comply with them. The provisions of the ROHS directives (I, II and III), the REACH regulation (on hazardous substances) as well as the WEEE (recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment) directive have been applied in Bittium´s product design since 2002.
The EU´s proposed regulation on ecological design for sustainable products was published in early 2022. The provisions of the upcoming Ecodesign regulation framework will be applied in Bittium´s product design and product development. In its product design, Bittium will also take into account the requirements of the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).
Bittium aims to offer halogen-free products whenever alternatives to halogen components that meet the relevant functional requirements are available. Bittium´s halogen-free statement conforms to the IEC (International Electrochemical Commission) definition of halogen-free materials (IEC 61249-2-21).
Environmental Objectives and Sustainable Development 2022
In 2020, Bittium launched an environmental program that continued until 2022. The ultimate objective of the program was to reduce Bittium´s carbon footprint, with the most relevant areas including the recycling of waste generated by the company´s operations, the use of renewable energy and increasing environmental awareness among Bittium´s employees. The environmental objectives set for 2022 and the related outcomes are described below.
In the second half of 2021, Bittium created a new sustainability program for the period 20222025, in which the previously specified focus areas were regrouped. The previous environmental objectives remained more or less unchanged in the update, but the metrics applied to them were further specified. Going forward, Bittium monitors three environmental indicators measuring the environmental effects of its operations, that is, the development of the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2ekg), the development of energy consumption (MWh) and the percentage share that renewable energy accounts for of total energy consumption.