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The manufacturing industry makes up a large portion of the American economy, in fact, the entire world, with new products coming off the manufacturing line every day. But given the size and scale of such an industry, it is no surprise that businesses dealing with manufacturing leave a larger carbon footprint and cause detrimental side effects to the environment. Whether you run a factory that produces environment-polluting smoke or has to deal with skyrocketing electricity bills, you must consider the option of going green.
The term ‘going green’ relates to pursuing measures that lead to ecologically and environmentally-friendly decisions. It helps protect the environment, sustaining and preserving our planet’s natural resources for future use. That said, industrial emission is one of the top five reasons for air pollution, and this acts as a wake-up call for factory owners to get up and do something about it. Some changes might be easy while others might be expensive and more tricky, still carrying them out is essential for our planet’s survival. Let us take a look at some of these down below;
Install Eco-Friendly Machinery
Although traditional factory equipment might get the job done, outdated machinery can sometimes use more energy than necessary. Procuring and installing eco-friendly equipment will lead to less energy wastage while also increasing productivity levels.
For example, installing an EPMS (electric power management system) will let you see visible results that eco-friendly machines have. Start-up factories must look into investing in eco-friendly equipment right from the get-go if they want to an integral of the green movement. Moreover, many equipment manufacturers offer attractive deals and reduced prices when selling ‘green machinery’ to other factory owners. Apart from that, most governments also provide added incentives to eco-friendly factories, allowing factory owners to save on their energy bills.
Reuse and Recycle Waste
Deploying a ‘recycle and reuse’ strategy will reduce the amount of waste dumped into landfills, leading to a cleaner and safer environment. For example, chemical factories can use an industrial water treatment system to provide clean water for chemical washing purposes instead of dumping contaminated water into nearby landfills. Not to mention, taking such an approach can drastically lower water and sanitation bills.
Additionally, factories can also recycle paper and cardboard in order to package their products. Also, they can recycle and reuse unwanted glass to reduce glass shards that end up in nearby water supplies. If you plan to build a large factory, it might be a good idea to spend some cash on a recycling machine. It is an expensive investment. However, it will reduce the quantity of waste material your factory will produce. You can also hand over your waste products to other businesses. For instance, you can give sawdust from spare wood to nearby farms that can use it as bedding for animal enclosures.
Encourage Employees To Engage In Green Challenges
Implementing a ‘recycle and reuse’ policy will make operations greener and reduce environmental impact. It will be best to encourage your factory employees to take corporate social responsibility more seriously. Challenging every team on your payroll to see who can conserve the most energy or generate the least amount of waste will be an excellent way to engage their sense of corporate social responsibility. Plus, it will allow you to see what is realistic while still being equally productive.
Such corporate social responsibility can also expand to basic workplace practices such as getting rid of disposable coffee cups and plastic cutlery. Or try to implement them and see your weekly trash pile disappear into the void.
Utilize Locally Sourced Raw Materials
Raw material transportation is one of the things that lead to an overall increase in your factory’s carbon footprint. Raw materials sourced from other states or imported internationally can lead to air pollution due to increased transportation distances. Not to mention, it also drives up transportation costs uphill. Consider this- what would be better- to source a chemical compound internationally or acquire it from a local seller? One might say that the answer to this question is an obvious one!
Sourcing raw material from local sellers will reduce your overall carbon footprint. Although it won’t eliminate it entirely, it is better to have small victories than big ones. Plus, you will be playing a critical part in helping the community by purchasing raw material locally. Moreover, you can form partnerships with businesses that are advocates of the ‘green movement.’ For instance, simply switching to a packaging supplier that uses recycled materials or someone who favors alternative energy sources will be the first step towards a cleaner and more eco-friendly environment.
Use Alternative Energy Sources
Deploying Alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy will cut down dangerous emissions and reduce your energy bill by quite a lot. These alternative energy sources were once expensive, but nowadays, every factory owner can wet their feet in the alternative energy source craze. Although these might still be more expensive than city power, think of it as a one-time investment that will save you copious amounts of cash in the long run.
For example, you can install solar panels and utilize the stored energy to run solar-operated lights at your factory. Furthermore, you can also generate extra clean energy and even sell it back to the city power grid. The possibilities with alternative energy are endless!
Think About Digitizing Internal Communication
By adopting an all-digital communication approach, you will not only save lots of paper, but you will also make your factory’s operation more efficient. No doubt, digitizing communication will lead to improved productivity. Real-time communication has numerous benefits:
- Reduces waste products as there won’t be any need to write down something physically.
- Helps in keeping up manufacturing pace due to quick communication.
- Improves employee coordination
- Enables factory workers to manage Robots and AI tools using mobile technology.
Going 100 percent digital will rebrand your factory into an eco-friendly one that will attract new people inside your workforce, especially millennials. It will also help you attract more investors who seek to preserve our planet by being environmentally and socially responsible business people.
Conclusion
In order for our environment to show us some love, we have to offer it some love first. It is a well-known fact that our world is facing imminent threats such as deforestation and pollution. And preserving it from such threats is our moral and social responsibility. Businesses need to become more ‘carbon neutral’ if they wish to categorize themselves as eco-friendly. Conducting regular energy audits, installing eco-friendly machinery, and encouraging employees to adopt ‘green’ practices will be a massive step towards achieving a safer and greener environment.
Also Read: 5 Green Grants & Loans Available to UK Businesses in 2021
