The global security industry is not immune to calls to embrace sustainability. Around the world, the introduction of new regulations and frameworks such as the EU’s Sustainable Product Policy Initiative (SPI) and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is mandating companies to prioritise the use of sustainable materials.
In the Middle East, sectors such as construction can make substantial contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by prioritising sustainable technologies and techniques for the built environment. Meanwhile, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are helping the MEA market for sustainable packaging solutions to grow favourably, backed by increasing consumer awareness and laws against single-use plastics.
Transforming the security industry’s product pipeline is no easy task. However, the increased availability of sustainable alternatives to plastic materials has not only given the industry more options but also opened the door to new opportunities and practices, all without compromising the quality, reliability, and resilience of their product offerings.
The need for alternative materials
During the last decade, industries have benefited from the emergence of more sustainable products and manufacturing materials to choose from. One such example is bio-based plastics, made either fully or partly from renewable, biological sources. Along with recycled plastics, manufacturers have more options than ever before.
That said, so-called virgin, fossil-based plastics, particularly polycarbonate-based materials, are still widely used. While their long-lasting, resilient design offers key advantages for the security industry, they can contain substances that are hazardous to the environment.3 Their disposal also presents challenges as their lifecycle means they will sit in landfills for a very long time, or contribute to emissions if diverted to waste-to-energy facilities and combusted to create energy.
That long lifecycle is what makes these materials attractive to security companies as they help guarantee product quality and longevity. These are core requirements for products like network cameras, which have to be durable and capable of withstanding intense operating conditions. Fortunately, while sustainable plastics were typically used for short-term products like packaging, the growing list of alternatives means companies can now rely less on virgin plastics.
Maintaining industry standards
The security industry is subject to both customer expectations and regulatory compliance, meaning that the quality of sustainable materials is top priority for manufacturers. Any material used has to undergo extensive testing, including whether the products work correctly in adverse weather conditions, meet electrical and fire safety regulations, and overall do not pose a risk to the end user.
Manufacturers cannot compromise safety in favour of sustainability, which is a serious challenge as there are a limited number of materials that either meet safety regulations or have sufficient data about them available. The result is that testing for materials is more expensive than traditional plastics.
However, with that testing comes new knowledge. Verifying the long-term properties of sustainable materials, companies have discovered that some can be more effective and resilient than historically used virgin plastics. In terms of longevity, sustainable products can be just as good and even better than their plastic counterparts. Product development is an exercise in futureproofing.
By staying one step ahead and pre-emptively finding alternatives for materials that are deemed hazardous today, and likely to be eventually banned, companies can both ensure future compliance and unlock a competitive advantage.
Strengthening supply chains and making the switch
Determining whether a material is sustainable or not doesn’t just mean assessing whether it’s recyclable or produces minimal emissions. To determine its wider social and environmental impact, companies need to ensure due diligence and conduct research into where and how materials are sourced. A material might be sustainable, but it may be the product of unfair or unethical labour practices, or whose production has serious repercussions for workers, communities and their natural environments. Security companies can walk this path by collaborating closely with material vendors, thus ensuring the resilience and integrity of their supply chains.
Meanwhile, industry-wide adoption of sustainable materials is inevitably making the switch to them more cost-efficient. That said, upgrading existing product pipelines may be costly, as companies have to invest resources in design changes and re-verify materials to ensure quality assurance and industry compliance. Companies also need to consider revised product lifecycles and end-of-life protocols. Despite these challenges, companies are making progress, and we are seeing real change and the industry’s ability to meet increased demand for sustainability.
Axis itself has responded to this demand. In 2023, the company turned its focus to increasing its use of renewable carbon-based plastics. As a result, 71% of all cameras launched in 2023 contained recycled and/or bio-based and/or carbon capture-based plastics, while 74% of all network cameras launched were BFR/CFR-free.4
Building a ‘green’ future takes commitment to change
Innovation in the global plastics and manufacturing industry has helped chart a path forward for security companies to use sustainable materials in their products. Combined with advances in recycled options and the ability to redesign products around bio-based materials, the industry as a whole can accelerate down that path while continuing to provide customers with high-quality, resilient, and long-lasting products and solutions.
This opinion piece is authored by Rudie Opperman, Engineering & Training Manager MEA at Axis Communications.
