Driving Ecodesign in the Funeral Sector

A key tool in the transition towards a circular economy

By Nuria Capdevila, Founder y CEO CIRCLE Corporation, Spain

For over nine years, I developed my career as a senior industrial designer in the Design Lab, a global and cross-functional department created in 2010 within one of the most sustainable multinational corporations, recognised for its position in the Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations for more than 13 years. This pioneering team, strategically positioned just two levels below senior management and directly reporting to an executive figure, was tasked with applying ecodesign principles to all products. This position within the organisational structure granted us considerable influence over various teams and projects globally, enabling us to align a vast range of acquisitions under a coherent and sustainable brand identity.

The journey was not without its challenges, but consistency and ecodesign principles guided us, demonstrating that this approach was not only viable but also offered tangible and profitable benefits on a global scale. Thanks to this experience, I can confidently assert that ecodesign is a powerful tool for the funeral sector. In this article, in this article, I aim to demonstrate how ecodesign has become not only an imperative but also a profitable choice, and no longer merely an option. Although many funeral sector companies may not be large publicly listed firms, increasing regulations and the urgent need to move towards a circular economy require funeral businesses to align their strategies with these concepts step by step.

In today’s context, the sector faces a crucial challenge: integrating sustainability into operations while preserving traditional identity and values. With the European Green Deal and its ambitious goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, new regulations have emerged that will transform the way products and services are designed and marketed. This presents a unique opportunity for the funeral sector to reinvent its offerings through ecodesign and align itself with circular economy principles.

Funeral service companies are, by definition, organizations of social interest; however, they must also adopt Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)3 criteria and indicators and include these in their mandatory sustainability reports, in line with the new EU directive. This regulatory framework, which replaces non-financial reporting, requires companies within the sector to assess and communicate their impact throughout the entire value chain, covering both their upstream and downstream commercial partners. In this context, ecodesign emerges as a powerful tool to integrate sustainability in a tangible way, fulfilling these obligations while strengthening corporate identity.

Ecodesign considers environmental aspects – and sometimes social aspects as well – in the design of products and services, alongside functional, aesthetic, regulatory, economic, and commercial factors. In this line, the new Regulation (EU) 2024/17814 on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, in effect since July 2024, establishes key requirements for products to be more durable, repairable, recyclable, and resource-efficient.

Adopting ecodesign not only ensures regulatory compliance but also prepares companies to adapt swiftly to future environmental requirements and allows them to stand out in a market increasingly oriented towards sustainability. Additionally, developing responsible products strengthens corporate identity and improves competitiveness by reducing costs and minimising environmental impact. This transition offers the funeral sector the opportunity to honour its legacy while leading a more sustainable future with innovative products.

Read the whole article in the winter issue of THANOS magazine - you can read online at pages 28-31