News


RS Group expands by 10 000 products

April 2024 News

RS South Africa has announced RS Group’s Better World claims-based framework, enabling customers to select verified sustainable product alternatives. This provides suppliers with a standardised framework to accelerate the development and manufacture of more sustainable and responsible products. As part of the new framework, the group is extending its Better World product range by 10 000 products and 50 suppliers, increasing the total to 30 000 products from over 90 suppliers. More than 1000 of the new products support energy and carbon reduction, or renewable energy generation across customer facilities.

The company launched the Better World product range in March 2023 to enable the world’s engineers, innovators, and problem solvers to make more sustainable and responsible product choices, where each product is supported by robust evidence and verifications. It comes in response to an increasing need from customers within process industries and manufacturing to purchase greener products that help improve operational efficiency and drive ambitious sustainability goals. The CIPS and RS Indirect Procurement Report 2024 showed ‘sustainable and ethical procurement’ as a top business pressure for UK procurement professionals, with 71% considering ESG as important when selecting products or services, and 80% saying they would pay a premium for sustainable products.

With customers finding sustainable purchasing confusing and limited, the new Better World product framework was developed with, and verified by, external sustainability consultants. It ensures clear and robust categorisation of product sustainability claims, and is aligned to developing green claims legislation, including adhering to the industry-standard ISO 14021. The framework covers the key areas of the product lifecycle and claims are now classed into three main categories:

• Made more sustainably: products produced using more sustainable materials or manufacturing processes.

• Sustainable solutions: products that help customers run their business more sustainably, from reducing energy and emissions to protecting health and safety.

• Support circularity: products with an increased lifespan that can be reused, repaired or recycled to reduce waste.

Danny Hobson, head of Product & Supplier Sustainability at RS Group comments: “Our customers want to buy greener products to support their sustainability goals, but they find it difficult when there is such a limited selection. This framework has been developed to not only provide more simplicity and transparency for purchasing decisions, but also to ensure peace of mind that our green claims are genuine, comply with the latest regulatory guidelines, and are backed by evidence. We have an important role to play across the value chain to encourage customers and suppliers to adopt greener choices, and the announcement ensures we are working collaboratively to design and build as sustainably as possible.”

RS Group’s Better World product framework sets a clear standard and precedent for sustainable products for the industry. The company is committed to partnering with suppliers and customers to advance a more sustainable and circular value chain. It also marks a significant step in its 2030 ESG action plan to offer customers 100 000 Better World products.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

RS South Africa shapes future engineering talent
RS South Africa News
RS South Africa is demonstrating that nurturing future engineers goes beyond traditional classrooms or competitions. On STEM Day, the company shone a light on the full spectrum of its educational initiatives.

Read more...
ABB and Compu-Power bring high-efficiency UPS innovation to IS3 X-Change 2025
News
ABB recently participated in the 31st annual IS3X-Change 2025 in Cape Town, alongside its long-standing channel partner Compu-Power.

Read more...
Meta and partners announce completion of 2Africa subsea cable system
News
Meta, in partnership with leading global and regional telecommunications companies, has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system. This marks a historic milestone in digital infrastructure, establishing what the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system.

Read more...
RS South Africa retains Level 2 B-BBEE status
RS South Africa News
RS South Africa has once again achieved Level 2 B-BBEE verification.

Read more...
SEW-EURODRIVE unveils world class facility in Gqeberha
News
In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region.

Read more...
Africa’s brightest young battery innovators
Schneider Electric South Africa News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.

Read more...
Africa’s strategic role in powering the global clean energy future
News
The 2026 Africa Energy Indaba is to spotlight Africa’s mineral wealth, industrialisation potential and the urgent need for sustainable value chain development.

Read more...
Crash reconstruction tests advance vehicle safety research
News
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab recently participated in a series of collaborative crash reconstruction tests held at the Toyota Test Track.

Read more...
Siemens and HD Hyundai to accelerate revitalisation of USA shipbuilding
News
Siemens Digital Industries Software has signed a memorandum of understanding with HD Hyundai to drive the revitalisation and modernisation of the commercial shipbuilding industry in the USA.

Read more...
The smart choice for test and measurement solutions
RS South Africa Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
As the demand for precision and efficiency continues to grow across industries, RS PRO, the own brand of RS, provides a complete portfolio of test and measurement equipment engineered to meet the highest standards of performance, safety and value.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved