Offshore Electronics commits to sustainable PCB sourcing

Author: EIS Release Date: Jan 18, 2022

Guernsey-based CEM Offshore Electronics has committed to sustainable PCB sourcing and manufacturing through its exclusive supplier agreement with NCAB Group.

 

NCAB Group has conformed to ISO 26000 since 2014, the international standard that focuses on corporate responsibility.

 

Using this framework, the company has divided its operations into three core areas: supply chain, employees and customers.

 

This approach not only ensures its raw materials are sourced sustainably and transported using green logistics, but also safeguards human rights and social conditions when partnering with factories in other markets. The company will not work with suppliers who fail to observe these requirements.

 

By signing a sole-source supply agreement, Offshore Electronics now effectively adheres to the same standards, extending efforts to minimise its own impact on the environment.

 

Unusable parts that cannot be added to assemblies, for example, are recycled at local facilities, diverting large amounts of waste from landfill.

 

These kinds of changes are outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which recommends the adoption of ‘circular economy’ principles to better manage the industry’s impact across the world.

 

“NCAB’s adherence to ISO 26000 is a positive development, helping us to make progress on our own sustainability efforts,” says Jack Lucas, Purchasing Manager at Offshore Electronics, “our sole-source agreement is somewhat counterintuitive given current supply conditions, but NCAB’s exceptional work and commitment to high ethical and environmental standards made it an easy decision to make.”

 

Supply of PCBs has been severely impacted by several competing issues in recent years, including reduced manufacturing capacity in China, increased demand for electronic goods and a limited supply of the raw materials.

 

The agreement with NCAB consolidates all of Offshore’s PCB procurement for its contract manufacturing facility in Guernsey, where it makes PCBAs for voice alarm systems, ventilators, and torque/force testing equipment. The business originally had four separate suppliers but now works with NCAB exclusively.