Designers and businesses who want to raise design standards to a respectable level are increasingly talking about designing sustainable products, but what is often overlooked is the fact that products do not exist in isolation, and so a product designed in isolation is unlikely to ever be sustainable. If sustainable product design is going to have maximum impact, then the process should begin with developing a sustainable business system.

Another better example is DANONE who understands that “we sell because of design, because our products are cool, because of price, because of service, but also because of sustainability.” In other words, sustainability is an integral part of the product attributes which increase the value of the products and services offered. DANONE is working on “making five of our most popular products CO2 neutral by 2012”. This process at DANONE also means taking risks, for example “eliminating the cardboard packaging of our yoghurts, which we have started to do already in some places in France and we will continue to do despite the fact that our estimates show that we will lose money, but we’ll do it anyway because it is time and it is right.” DANONE carried out a pilot project in some French supermarkets, and the response from consumers was quite negative, as they did not perceive it as a sustainability policy, but rather felt that “that DANONE is reducing the quality of the product”. Despite these negative estimates, DANONE has decided to proceed with the progressive elimination of this packaging.

(Image source)
(Image source)

Image Source:
Chart stylized and based on: Nasar, N. (June 21, 2007) Designing Sustainable Manufacturing Practices, OECD Workshop, Copenhagen.

TATA Group is another leading group of companies that has sustainability policies well integrated with the business plans. The panoply of community development endeavours undertaken by Tata companies — embracing everything from health and education to art, sport and more — has touched, and changed, many lives.

• Workplace
With a work culture that embraces ethics, value systems, comfortable and safe environments and learning opportunities, the Tata group encourages holistic growth amongst its most valuable asset — its people

• Community
In India and overseas, Tata companies are intensively involved in a wide variety of community development projects covering social needs that range from health and education to livelihoods, women-children welfare and more

• Environment
The Tata group's beliefs on sustainability have led to a corporate policy that emphasises environment preservation. Tata companies work on projects that include repairing green cover, reducing effluents and emissions, maintaining local ecologies and improving long term corporate sustainability.

At Tata Power, the Sustainability Policy integrates economic progress, social responsibility and environmental concerns with the objective of improving quality of life. The intent of their Sustainability model is ‘Leadership with Care’ with four key elements–
Care for the Environment; 
Care for the Community; 
Care for our Customers / Partners 
Care for our People.

Tata has also developed an Index for Sustainability.
The Tata index for sustainable human development is a pioneering effort aimed at directing, measuring and enhancing the community work that Tata group enterprises undertake. The index provides guidelines for Tata companies looking to fulfil their social responsibilities, and is built around the Tata Business Excellence Model, an open-ended framework that drives business excellence in Tata companies.

Image Source:
• http://www.tata.com

• http://www.tatainternational.com/html/corporate_sustainability_initiatives.html

• http://www.tatapower.com/sustainability/sustainability-tata-power.aspx