Published 16.08.23
Greener and Cheaper: Five Key Insights from Makersite’s Approach to Better Products
At Makersite, our mission is simple: help companies design and manufacture products that are more affordable, safer, and more sustainable. With the world’s largest supply chain database and over 10 million detailed lifecycle assessments completed, we’ve proven that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. Businesses can reduce environmental impact, cut costs, and manage risks at the same time.
Neil D’Souza was recently interviewed by Stefanie Hauer at podcast – Planetary Business.Here are five key insights from the interview, that define how we work — and how our platform is helping global manufacturers thrive in an era of geopolitical complexity, evolving regulations, and resource constraints.
You can listen to the podcast below.
1. Green Can Be Cheaper — and More Profitable
Our experience shows that it is possible to improve the environmental performance of any product without increasing its price. The key lies in understanding its complete supply chain. Once you know where and how materials are sourced, and how products are made, you can make design changes — such as sourcing from lower-impact suppliers or selecting better materials — that lower lifecycle costs while improving sustainability.
2. Transparency Drives Better Decisions
Historically, environmental data rarely reached engineers, limiting its impact. Makersite changes that by providing granular component-level data on cost, environmental impact, compliance, and supply chain risk. This transparency empowers teams to act on the biggest levers for improvement instead of small, symbolic changes. For example, understanding which steel grades have significantly lower carbon emissions can reshape product design choices.
3. Regulations Like the Digital Product Passport Unlock Opportunity
The EU’s Digital Product Passport represents a major step toward enabling product circularity. Much like nutritional labels for food, it standardises information on product composition, environmental footprint, and disposal instructions. This transparency helps companies reclaim and reuse materials already in circulation — a strategy that reduces dependency on imported raw materials and strengthens long-term resilience.
4. Avoiding the Survival Mode Trap
40% of supply chains have already changed in the past 18 months due to global volatility. Many manufacturers have responded by cutting investment to preserve cash. In our view, this can delay essential innovations and prolong vulnerability. Using the right tools and data to adapt supply chains now — rather than waiting for a “steady state” — is critical to building long-term strength and sustainability.
5. A Clear Vision Enables Change
Change requires a clear picture of a desired future. We have observed a steady increase in companies genuinely committed to doing better. No engineer wants to design a harmful product; they simply need the information to make better decisions. Providing accurate, actionable data on cost, impact, and compliance enables rapid product improvements and accelerates positive change.
Conclusion
At Makersite, we focus on improving products at their source — in design and manufacturing — rather than relying solely on reporting or compliance frameworks. By combining powerful data, AI-driven insights, and a clear product-centric view, we help companies win on margin, risk, and impact simultaneously.
Our ambition is bold: within the next decade, put one billion products on the market that are the most sustainable they can be — without compromising profitability.
If you would like to explore how Makersite can help your organisation make better products, contact us to arrange a demonstration of our platform.
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