One issue that has seen a lot of attention recently has been the number of product recalls over the past year. Part of the reason is the impact that some of these products may have to the community. Authorities, no matter where they are, make their decisions based on risk assessment. Take toys as an example. Toys are under tight scrutiny as they are primarily used by children. Such products have to be targeted for inspection and testing, because of the potential risks that they pose.

However, the blame for quality concerns in manufactured goods does not only lie on the manufacturers - the main issue is often in the design. No matter where the product is made, it is the design which determines the project budget and compliance requirements. As for manufacturers, no matter how reliable or responsible they are, they can hardly do anything outside their budget.

That said, manufacturers are aware of the increasing importance in ensuring the they are in compliance of their product with the laws and regulations of the areas they are exporting to. Existing regulations such as REACH, or the recent EU EuP Directive, impose eco-design criteria and restrict substances which cannot be used in manufacturing a product. Product failures, and product recalls, come about because requirements have not been fulfilled. As moral manufacturers, we have to do our best to demonstrate our due diligence.

In the future we will see more regulations covering environmental and sustainability issues, such as climate change. The thing to remember is that, as Sir Nicholas Stern has argued, making changes that will benefit our environment should be considered as an investment, not a cost.

Brian Au is Assistant Project Manager at SGS Hong Kong Ltd.