''Belkin Box Clever''

A FORWARD thinking company is urging others to follow its example and save money as well as helping the environment.

Ken Simpson joined computer and consumer electronics manufacturer Belkin, of Rushden UK, 10 months ago as European regulatory compliance manager.

Part of his role was to evaluate the packaging used by company, whose products range from cables to protective cases for laptop computers. He said: "My background is in environmental management and quality control and I know the various regulations relating to environmental packaging."

By coincidence, soon after his arrival he was contacted by Simon Miller, cleaner design specialist at government agency Envirowise.

Together they developed an alternative design which reduced the overall volume of the packaging used for one of their connectors by 50 per cent.

Mr Simpson said: "Not only has the new design the potential to save us in excess of £200,000 when in full production but it will also decrease the quantity of waste, which everybody pays for in the end."

05 December 2006