FEATURE


SUSTAINABILITY IN MANUFACTURING


USING IP RIGHTS TO MANUFACTURE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY


Manufacturers are increasingly expected to champion both technological advancements and sustainable practices. It is


therefore imperative to understand how intellectual property rights such as patents, trademarks and designs play an important role in making industrial sectors both environmentally and economically sustainable. Chloe Skidmore from Reddie & Grose, comments


M


uch of our current economy operates linearly. Virgin materials are extracted from non-renewable resources,


developed into products via manufacturing, before being consumed, and eventually put in landfill. The circular economy offers a sustainable


alternative to the traditional linear model of ‘take, make, waste’ and focuses on a ‘closed loop system’ based on three principles of eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and regenerating nature. Sustainable manufacturing underpins this transition.


HOW CAN IP EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY IN MANUFACTURING? IP rights are essential to incentivise and protect green innovation, but the discussion of protecting sustainable practices can often result in conflicting views. Some believe that the exclusive rights


resulting from patents may hinder widespread adoption; however, recent data confirms that a significant and growing portion of global patent activity is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Fundamentally, shifting to sustainable


manufacturing requires economic support. IP rights, when used strategically, are a necessary tool for encouraging and protecting green R&D investments to attract funding and ensure that innovators can scale and monetise their inventions. IP rights should form part of a business


strategy to ensure innovations are economically viable and companies can work with different technology partners. IP-sharing frameworks and licensing can then be used to accelerate technology transfer and enhance diffusion.


NEW SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS As the manufacturing industry progresses


40 DESIGN SOLUTIONS MARCH 2026


towards the use of new sustainable materials, low-waste production processes, and energy- efficient manufacturing techniques, patents are the primary mechanism for protecting these innovations. In the area of sustainable materials, emerging


novelmaterials include biopolymers, recyclable composites, and low-carbon cement. Notpla, based in Hackney Wick, London,


has developed a way of making a substance obtained from brown seaweed into a range of sustainable, biodegradable, plastic-free packaging solutions and uses IP rights to protect their innovation. In 2017, the company patented their manufacturing process for an edible capsule/pod that was given the brand name ‘Ooho’. The Ooho pod can contain liquids used for hydrating marathon runners and at festivals. Two years later, Ooho capsules were used in the 2019 London Marathon when Notpla partnered with Lucozade.


LOW-WASTE PRODUCTION Other manufacturers are looking to improve production processes and manufacturing techniques, including a huge increase in the use of Additive manufacturing (AM). AM is key to sustainable manufacturing as an enabler of low waste, energy efficient, and circular production. AM builds components layer by layer, using only the material required and enables on demand, localised production. Moreover, AM is encouraging innovation in


greener materials, from biobased polymers to recycled feedstocks and low energy metal powders. Its fully digital workflows provide greater control and traceability, helping manufacturers measure and optimise sustainability performance. Global patent filings in AM technologies grew at 26.3% annually between 2013 and 2020, far outpacing other fields. AM processes are parameter-rich and align


with optimisation methods that can be used to reduce waste and energy consumption. AI-driven technologies include those capable of realtime error detection and correction during manufacture, predictive manufacturing and reduced downtime, and automated parameter adjustment. These solutions demonstrate a shift toward intelligent, waste-minimising manufacturing. The use of new materials to produce and


manufacture products results in waste. In a circular economy, manufacturers are accountable for the entire life cycle of their products and so innovation also focusses on methods such as Recycled feedstock conversion to make this waste useful. These methods convertmixed waste, organics,


and hard-to-recycle plastics into usable thermoplastics or composites. Patentsmay protect the processes and resultingmaterials.


PROTECTING SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING Design rights are another form of IP right that protect the appearance of a product and can be useful for sustainable product forms and safeguarding visual aspects from competitor use. The EUIPO also reports a continuous


rise in ‘green trademarks’, marks linked to environmental protection or sustainability. It is becoming common for consumers to place value on the sustainability of a brand meaning that IP considerations are becoming strategically essential to protect brand value and develop customer trust. Together, these developments and innovations


signal a manufacturing landscape where efficiency, environmental responsibility, and IP strategy are tightly integrated.


Reddie & Grose www.reddie.co.uk


www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk


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