Kodak established a product design strategy in 1991 to ensure that product research and development teams look beyond current regulatory compliance. The strategy integrates areas of potential future regulatory requirements, issues of public concern and Kodak's environmental policies into specific standards that must be met by all Kodak products.

Kodak's beyond compliance positions are codified in Kodak's internal Product Standards. The Standards cover all life cycle stages and are part of Kodak’s ISO 14001-certified Corporate HSE Management System. Kodak's intention with this strategy is to enhance our capability to develop product systems that enable sustainable growth.

Comprehensive Product Assessments are integral to achieving this objective. Kodak's Product Assessments Process reviews health, safety and environmental considerations of new products across the entire product life cycle. Full and streamlined Life Cycle Assessment and other related tools for products and packaging are also used to gauge and improve the eco-efficiency of product systems. The common objective for these tools is to provide more product or service value for less environmental impact. With the use of these tools, Kodak is able to establish metrics, set design targets, provide design guidance, and compare competing technologies based on associated environmental impacts.

To help meet the challenge of designing sustainable product systems, Kodak has partnered with academic institutions, such as Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability and Georgia Institute of Technology’s Environmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing Program, to enhance its eco-efficiency tools, obtain a better understanding of the environmental profiles of various imaging systems and identify opportunities for improvement.

In 2009, Kodak's product stewardship programs resulted in numerous eco-efficiency gains. KODAK THERMAL DIRECT and KODAK PF-N Non Process Digital Printing Plates, Automatic Pallet Loader options in Kodak Computer to Plate systems, KODAK NEXPRESS Dry Inks and KODAK Document Imaging Solutions are just a few examples of sustainable solutions that have been developed.

Product stewardship initiatives also extend to our customers whether they are large graphic print shops, retail photofinishers or individual consumers. Kodak is dedicated to helping all customers cost-effectively address sustainability challenges.