the key is the architecture.
as explained in the previous article, the introduction on our sustainability series, a shift of values is ongoing: “sustainability is the new premium” is the outcome of our recent study (bernhaupt et al., 2022). and as a premium remote-control manufacturer, we at ruwido want to take responsibility for our planet and our children’s future, while continuing to produce high quality products.
for just a good marketing story, it would already have been enough to change the plastics material for the housing of our remotes to recycled plastics. however, marketing stories and greenwashing won’t make real changes:
using recycled plastic instead of plastic for the housing of a remote control would only have a very minor effect on it’s environmental impact (ruwido, 2022). “the key is”, ferdinand maier, ceo of ruwido, pointed out, “you have to change the architecture!”.
therefore, in 2018, several targets were defined: the development of a remote control without silicone, without printing, without lacquering, use organic materials instead of plastics and a tremendous reduction of the remote control’s carbon footprint. “when we set the targets, we were not sure if it was possible to achieve them.” maier explained.
however, with more than 25% of our employees working in research and development, all efforts were put into reaching those sustainability goals. the path was not easy. millions of euros were invested, and the process started all over for three times. but with the strong commitment and passion to create value for a better world, giving up was not an option. and at the end all efforts and investments have been worth it: with our “better world architecture”, we have achieved, what initially seemed to be impossible:
a remote control without silicone, without printing, without lacquering, plastics made of organic materials and a tremendous reduction of components, resulting in a carbon footprint two thirds smaller than it was before.
instead of using prints and lacquers that contain substances hazardous to human’s health and to the environment (porwal, 2015), laser etching technology is applied. this also enables the material to be recycled at the end of a product’s life in a cleaner way (karana et al., 2014).
this elimination of coatings is made possible by the material of the housing of the remote control, which has a surface 50 times more abrasion resistant compared to traditional plastics material. the material is made of 45% renewable materials and can be recycled for at least three product life cycles.
the architecture’s reduction of components leads to less production steps and less intermediate packaging waste. the necessary transport gets massively reduced, the better world architecture is designed, developed, and produced directly in austria. thanks to the improved encapsulation of the electronic parts, they get protected from dirt and fluids, resulting in a longer lifetime.
the better world architecture is not only good for the environment. it’s single piece haptic layer enables on-screen information with sounds, supporting handicapped and blind people according to 2024 eu accessibility regulations.
the architecture combines sustainability with the brilliant tactile feeling & haptic of a premium remote.
as demonstrated by several renewed awards and two valid patents, our better world architecture is a futureproof solution for humans and for the environment.
so how can this new product architecture enable a longer product lifetime, and which environmental benefits can be reached through that? those questions will be answered in our next article “twice the time is half the price”.
Bernhaupt, R., Berger M., Pottier, G. (2022) Global News or Romantic Movies: How Customer Values Are Key for the Entertainment Experience, submitted to IBC Conference 2022.
Karana, E., Pedgley, O., Rognoli, V. (2014). Materials experience : fundamentals of materials and design. Oxford : Butterworth-Heinemann.
Porwal, T. (2015). Paint Pollution Harmful Effects on Environment. International Journal of Research – Granthaalayah, 3.
ruwido (2022). CO2eq comparison between different product architectures.
