Nolan’s Notes: Finding Your Sweet Spot
Standard of Excellence: Delivering Excellence—A Daily Goal
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
Why Does Sustainability Matter?
June 7, 2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 1 minute
In a recent conversation with Kelly Scanlon, IPC lead sustainability strategist, we dove deep into the topic of sustainability, asking what it is and how we achieve it. Because this is such a broad topic, we’ve excerpted just a portion of the conversation here, but what is clear is that we’ve only scratched the surface on sustainability; there is so much that is not yet fully defined.
Nolan Johnson: Kelly, why should we concern ourselves with sustainability?
Kelly Scanlon: One of the challenges of defining sustainability is answering the question, “What does sustainability mean?” You could be talking at the level of an individual—what we do in our homes or whether we carry a reusable shopping bag to the grocery market—or how this translates into what we do when we design, build, and use electronics.
Think on this long enough and the idea of sustainability becomes a journey of continuous improvement that can increase resource efficiencies and decrease impacts through conscientious and intentional lifecycle management. That’s great. So, what does this mean to electronics manufacturing companies? Sustainability concepts, approaches, and metrics are challenging to define. Placing these concepts, approaches, and metrics in context with the variety of companies and stakeholders making up the complex and diverse electronics manufacturing supply chain is even more challenging.
John Mitchell has elevated sustainability at IPC, which has a robust sustainability for electronics initiative. We aim to identify the environmental, social, and corporate governance sustainability topics that are most pressing and put into place a roadmap for reassessing these topics over time. By identifying the most relevant or material topics, IPC wants to support the industry so it can focus on those things that matter, that is, that can be measured and adjusted to ensure sustainability goals for electronics are appropriate and achievable.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the June 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Hon Hai Reports New June Sales High Amid AI Boom
07/07/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamTaiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. reported on July 5 that its sales for June rose 10 percent from the previous year, driven by cloud and networking growth because of the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), the Taipei Times reported.
Electronics Industry Wrestles with Cost Pressures and Weaker Profitability
07/07/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationElectronics manufacturers are facing rising material and labor costs according to the Global Electronics Association’s June Sentiment of the Global Electronics Manufacturing Supply Chain Report.
Naprotek Appoints James Eisenhaure as Chief Financial Officer
07/07/2025 | Naprotek LLCNaprotek, LLC, a leading provider of mission-critical electronics technology solutions, today announced that James Eisenhaure has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective June 30. Eisenhaure has been serving as interim CFO since earlier this year and now formally steps into the role.
Yannick Green Joins Technica USA as Business Development/Account Manager for Northern California and Northern Nevada
07/07/2025 | Technica USATechnica USA is proud to announce that industry veteran Yannick Green has rejoined Team Technica as Business Development/Account Manager, supporting both supply partners and PCBA customers across Northern California and Northern Nevada.
I-Connect007’s Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/04/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007For our industry, we have seen several bullish market announcements over the past few weeks, including one this week by IDC on the massive growth in the global server market. We’re also closely watching global trade and nearshoring. One good example of successful nearshoring is Rehm Thermal Systems, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in Mexico and the official opening of its new building in Guadalajara.