Vanderlande supplies automated transport systems for airports, parcel services and warehouses. Although the Veghel-based company is less well known to the general public, many people indirectly use its technology on a daily basis. For example, when checking in luggage at Schiphol Airport, receiving a parcel or shopping in the supermarket.    

Partners for Innovation has been working with the company since 2010. ‘That collaboration began with the creation of a “product declaration” for our Blueveyor,’ says Bart van Dartel, senior manager of sustainability and circularity at Vanderlande. This involves determining and reporting on the environmental impact.    

 The demand for data on this subject does not come from Vanderlande alone, says Van Dartel. ‘Customers also ask us to provide evidence of the footprint our products have – and naturally they want this to be independent. It has to be done according to standards – that is why we work with Partners for Innovation as an external party.’   

The insights are particularly important for the product development teams: they need this information to be able to make sustainable choices. Van Dartel: ‘For example, we initially thought that the way in which the product is delivered to the customer makes a big difference, but over the total lifespan, those emissions are relatively small. Much more environmental benefit can be achieved through smart material choices. And we look closely at the energy consumption of our systems. They sometimes run for up to 20 hours a day. That is very intensive – a small improvement in efficiency there can already yield significant environmental benefits.’   

‘A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) requires a great deal of specialist knowledge, which we do not have in-house because it is not something you use on a permanent basis. That is why we like to work with Partners for Innovation, who have that expertise and can think pragmatically with us. It is also useful to stay up to date with EU regulations. How do you keep up? What legislation is currently in place, and what is coming? We want to be at the forefront of sustainable solutions and therefore comply with all regulations in a timely manner.’    

 More attention to education    

 Van Dartel advocates including sustainability – such as circular design – as a fixed component in the training of designers. ‘I notice that engineers do not automatically learn this component in their training, even though it is a skill that you need to have. Among younger engineers, you already see more of a tendency to start with sustainable product design. It would be great if this became second nature to everyone.’ Partners for Innovation wholeheartedly agrees.    

Vanderlande expects to do a lot more with LCAs. Van Dartel: ‘At Vanderlande, we will consistently apply LCAs during product design. This is in line with our commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which stems from the Paris Climate Agreement.’