Sustainable Manufacturing
Achieving sustainable manufacturing
What can we do as manufacturers to achieve sustainability ?
Long-term improvement A long-term vision for manufacturing sustainability means change is more achievable . Reaching manufacturing sustainability goals requires time and resources . Approaching it with a long-term vision helps to make change more approachable and more likely to be built into the day-to-day processes .
A coordinated approach One challenge with improving the sustainability of manufacturing processes is the risk of them being adhoc and unstructured . This approach has good intentions but is harder to sustain , get stakeholders ’ backing and all teams involved . To be successful , we need a coordinated , structured and formal approach . Management , operators and everyone in the business is more likely to implement change when it ’ s structured . This means starting with the data for the current processes , as well as working with stakeholders and key decision-makers on the primary goals . From here , a long-term plan should be put together with input from all the people involved , including on-the-ground operators .
Working with stakeholders With any changes , it ’ s crucial to get the support of stakeholders . By working collaboratively with those with an interest in the company , new initiatives are more likely to get financial funding and be successful . In order to do this , you need insightful data .
Analytics and data A comprehensive and systematic approach to data is essential to successfully collaborate with different members of your organisation and get stakeholder backing . It ’ s typical for sustainability goals and strategies to be developed at a corporate level , with little input from operators or personnel . On the other hand , operators aren ’ t always equipped with the right analytical software to provide the insight needed to make intelligent decisions regarding sustainability goals . Many companies at the operator level use spreadsheets to process and analyse data . While functional , it can limit the insights the data can provide . Contextualising data , building models or signal cleansing can be very difficult or time-consuming . Therefore , getting valuable data from operations teams can be challenging , as can developing measurable sustainability KPIs . This can lead to a dependence on regulation compliance as a measure of sustainability success , limiting the approach from the outset . Selecting advanced software can be extremely helpful in creating a plan to move towards manufacturing sustainability and measuring its success .
For example , the right software can identify correlations between environmental performance and process parameters . Alternatively , software can build environmental models to aid understanding with how changes to processes will impact energy consumption or other environmental factors .
Going beyond compliance Environmental compliance is , of course , essential for sustainable manufacturing . To align practices with regulations , you need to understand the requirements of regulatory bodies in your industry and country . Breaching regulation can lead to fines or even legal action , depending on the situation . For example , serious chemical spills or breaches in toxic waste management . However , managing sustainability solely for compliance can limit the scope . Companies that only aim for compliance can find it harder to attract talent and maintain brand recognition as a sustainable organisation and don ’ t reap the full benefits of sustainable manufacturing . We can miss opportunities to improve efficiency , reduce costs and reduce carbon emissions . Going beyond compliance can help your company to get ahead in the sustainability journey , putting you in better standing with your customers than your competitors . Adopting a comprehensive approach to improving manufacturing sustainability is where the real difference lies and where real change and growth can happen .
Work with sustainable partners For complete manufacturing sustainability , the approach must include the supply chain and postmanufacturing logistics . By partnering with companies that also value sustainability , you can improve the carbon footprint of your product from beginning to end . A well-known example would be McDonalds . Their advertising campaigns over the last few years have focused on a green supply chain . For instance , in 2020 , they advertised that 99.6 % of their primary guest packaging was sourced from recycled sources and supported deforestation-free supply chains . As a B2C company , they use their work with sustainable partners , including manufacturers , to promote their products . Therefore , as B2B companies , we can promote ourselves to our customers who want to develop as sustainable brands by being sustainable manufacturers . By working with sustainable partners , we can also show our customers how the product journey from source to supply has taken steps to be more sustainable .
Reviewing and updating A key part of working towards manufacturing sustainability is reviewing progress and adapting the approach . Over the coming decades , there will be new breakthroughs in sustainable technology that we can build into our processes . We can also assess the successes of our sustainable approach so far and learn from the less successful outcomes . www . heat-exchanger-world . com Heat Exchanger World September 2022
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