As sustainability becomes a competitive differentiator for all kinds of products, designers need to apply systems thinking to the task of reducing their lifetime environmental impact from design to disposal, writes Dr Liucheng Guo of TG0
The way hardware is developed often finds itself in conflict with sustainability goals. Electronic consumer goods are frequently built to optimise functionality, cost and aesthetics – but the longer term is not necessarily taken into account. Reuse, repairability and safe disposal in the form of recycling have been secondary concerns for too long.
Now, growing pressure from consumers, boardroom members and lawmakers is prompting a rethink. Minds are focused on sustainability, not just as a ‘nice to have’, but also as a valuable source of competitive advantage and an imperative for the wellbeing of the planet.
That leaves product designers asking, ‘How can we ensure that our products work better for longer, and without damaging the environment, across the entire ‘cradle to grave’ lifecycle?’
But more than that, they’re asking this question right at the start of the design process. That’s important because, according to the EU Science Hub, over 80% of a product’s overall environmental impact is determined during its design phase.
Systems thinking is leading to the creation of new types of electronic interfaces, ones that use lighter and better materials, fewer components and are far less complex to update, recycle and dispose of safely
Software-enable surfaces
Systems thinking is an approach that aims to future-proof product design by considering the sustainability of a product’s entire lifecycle from its conception and through its manufacturing, active use and eventual disposal.
It has not just led to incremental gains, but also to the creation of new types of electronic interfaces, ones that use lighter and better materials, fewer components, and are far less complex to update, recycle and dispose of safely.
Take, for example, TG0’s own smart surfaces: these integrate electronics with surfaces in a new, simplified fashion. As a company, we’ve long recognised that e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams. An estimated 62 million tonnes of e-waste were produced globally in 2022, and only 22% was documented as having been formally collected and recycled.
Incorporating new smart surfaces into their products, designers can reduce energy waste and e-waste at every stage of the lifecycle, by:
• Developing surfaces with fewer parts and reconfigurable interfaces, so that a single physical platform can support multiple product variants, resulting in shorter production runs, reduced bills of materials and less tooling waste.
• Decoupling functionality from physical form, so smart interfaces can support the evolution of physical products over time. User interface updates and feature rollouts refresh the user experience without altering the hardware itself. In turn, that creates added digital value without added costs in materials.
• Creating products that can learn user behaviour. Using embedded AI models that operate locally on-device can help reduce power consumption, via support for smart standby modes, adaptive lighting or load balancing, for example.
• Reducing parts and materials through the integration of sensors. This cuts manufacturing waste and energy consumption during production and assembly, as well as reducing material usage and lightweighting the end result.
At TG0, we’ve also considered incorporating more post-consumer resin (PCR) materials, replacing plastics with biological components, such as those derived from sugar cane.
Maximise systems thinking
In order to get the best results from new ways of thinking, businesses must fully embrace cross-disciplinary and crosscompany collaboration. They should involve UX designers early, integrate software teams into hardware sprints, and measure success, not just by unit sales or launch velocity, but by lifecycle impact, too. Collaborating with academic partners or external designers may also accelerate sustainable innovation.
Integrating sustainable practices into product development is often seen as cost-prohibitive, yet many experts argue that initial expenses are outweighed by the long-term advantages.
As new technologies and materials become more accessible and scalable, sustainable development can drive significant cost efficiencies over time.
At TG0, we believe sustainable hardware starts with smarter thinking, using fewer materials, embedded intelligence and digital flexibility to future-proof design.
As sustainability becomes a competitive differentiator, the opportunity is clear. The tools are here. Demand is growing. What’s needed now is a market-wide shift in mindset.
About the author:
Dr Liucheng Guo is co-founder and CTO at London/Hong Kong-based AI hardware company, TG0.
His research has led to seven groups of patents and over 20 publications. At TG0, he works on the creation of touch and pressure-sensing technology that offers design flexibility while reducing environmental impact.
