Sustainable products that can be used for a long time
Thule Group is an industry leader when it comes to product design and innovation. Right from the early design stages, we explore methods to reduce the impact our products will have on the environment over their lifetime. From design and materials to manufacturing, function, repair, and recycling – all these elements come into play.
We assess the entire life cycle impact of our products, which are built for durability and long life. By conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), our knowledge of the main environmental impact of our products increases, helping us ensure we make environmentally-conscious decisions in design and product development.
In 2021, a detailed review was made of all product categories based on a lifecycle analysis (LCA). This creates a good foundation to set up a long-term goal in each product category in terms of, for example, material use. Product design with a focus on quality that can hold several years of tough daily use is the basis of our sustainability agenda. We also aim for our designs to be timelessly modern and we offer spare parts for a long time to extend the product lifecycle and support a more circular economy.
In our product development we work continuously to look for material with minimal impact on the climate, biodiversity, water access and water quality. We have requirements for our suppliers to deliver material and components that are in line with our requirements for prohibited and restricted substances (P&R list) , which also includes conflict minerals. For fabrics we work closely with the industry organization bluesign© to find certified suppliers. We also ensure that we use as little water as possible in manufacturing.
During 2020 we further developed our Climate Impact Index (CII) calculation model as the basis for the design, development and manufacture of our products. This calculation model is used when the components include plastic, aluminum and steel. We are now further developing the model with additional parameters. As we develop new products, we also develop new and more efficient ways to package and ship our goods.
Long-term targets
- Increase focus on life cycle analyses, which are integrated into the design, product development and choice of materials for our products.
- Reduce the climate impact of our products through increased use of recycled materials and smarter use of materials.
- Strive to reduce water consumption at all product manufacturing sites, increase the reuse of water via closed loop systems, and increase usage of rainwater.
- Strive to continuously monitor and expand our P&R List, increase use of recycled materials in our products, and use more eco-friendly packaging.
Lifecycle analysis (cradle to door) of Thule Chariot Cross 2 bike trailer
We regularly conduct lifecycle analyses (LCAs) on our products with the aim of learning more and continuously assessing and reducing climate impact moving forward.
In 2021, we carried out a major review of all of our product categories to use as a basis for training to work towards our long-term sustainability goals.
As one example we show the LCA for a Thule Chariot Cross 2, a bike trailer for two children, all the way from the extraction of raw materials through its use and recycling.
We based our analyses of the user phase on several scenarios. In this example, we present the scenario that entails the most negative climate impact (reduced fuel consumption for a car, for transportation of the children to and from the preschool is, for example, not part of the calculations). Since the Thule Chariot Cross 2 is used in bike commutes and other exercise, low weight is an important consumer advantage and therefore the portion of aluminum is high while the share of steel is very low. The recycling of primarily metals (the model we used is based on 80 percent recycling), but also plastic (the model we used is based on 50 percent recycling), has a positive effect and therefore, the product has been designed to allow for the separation of material types by the consumer. The overall sustainability focus within product development is placed on climate and environmental impact, and can be divided into four parts.