While the manufacturing industry is one of the most vibrant and innovative sectors in the American economy, it also has a sizeable carbon footprint. Between energy usage, greenhouse emissions, and waste production, the manufacturing industry inflicts considerable damage on the environment.
In recent years, consumers and industrial buyers alike have started putting pressure on manufacturing companies to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices and green production processes. In response to these buyer demands industrial business leaders must be increasingly conscious of the environmental impacts of their production processes and develop agile solutions to address them.
As green business trends gain momentum, many manufacturers are finding that going green isn’t just good for the environment but can also be highly advantageous from a business perspective. In many cases, cost-efficient, sustainable production practices can even increase revenue.
The Business Case for Sustainability
The financial benefits of industrial sustainability can be measured both in cost savings and new revenue generation.
For example, cutting back on energy usage, such as electricity and fuel, not only reduces carbon dioxide and greenhouse emissions but also saves money on facility utilities. This is true even with the high upfront costs of green technology investments, like solar panel installations. Because many sustainable technologies require minimal maintenance, they can be less expensive to maintain than their pollution-heavy counterparts.
In addition to reducing existing expenses, sustainability often helps increase profits. The more sustainability initiatives an industrial company integrates into their standard production practices, the more attractive they appear to consumers, investors, and employees – all of whom can drive increased revenue.
Sustainable business practices can:
- Improve the supply chain
- Enhance brand value by developing a positive environmental and social reputation
- Inspire trust among industrial buyers and consumers
- Attract and retain qualified industry professionals interested in working for an environmentally conscious company
- Create new business opportunities in emerging markets
How to Become a Green Manufacturing Company
There are many approaches to “greening” a manufacturing facility, including lowering carbon emissions and energy usage, reducing water usage, and improving e-waste recycling practices. Taking an analytical approach to operations can help manufacturers identify high-impact problem areas and seek out practical alternative solutions.
That said, while it’s great to have high sustainability ambitions, it’s important to develop a realistic implementation plan. Sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint; new practices work best when implemented strategically.
Leading the Industry by Example: A Real-world Case Study in Creating an Eco-friendly Manufacturing Facility
When our team at Hudson Technologies, a custom manufacturer specializing in stamping and deep drawing processes, decided to become more environmentally progressive, we focused our energy and resources on two specific aspects of our process: the lubricants utilized throughout manufacturing operations and our facility cleaning systems.
After learning more about the environmental impacts of the chlorinated lubricants traditionally used in metalworking, we invested substantially in R&D to replace the substance with state-of-the-art, biodegradable lubricants. Working closely with suppliers, we determined an environmentally friendly alternative that addressed our needs and adjusted our processes to maintain high-quality production while using the new lubricant.
We also developed a plan to phase out solvent-based metal cleaners like trichloroethylene (TCE) from our manufacturing process by instead utilizing a water-based cleaning system. Rather than relying on solvent-based cleaners, the new aqueous cleaning system cleans parts using a water-based cleaning solution and a natural hydraulic purging motion generated by a vertically aligned agitator. Cleaned parts are then dried with a HEPA-filtered, energy efficient recirculating dryer. With these changes in place, our facility wastewater can be sent into the public wastewater system with minimal secondary processing.
Greening our manufacturing facility wasn’t just good for the environment – we also contributed to the local economy by investing a total of $2.6 million over three years into the community while pursuing this ambitious sustainability endeavor. One of the primary tenets of Hudson’s business sustainability model, this is an important principle of our company’s philosophy.
Our greening initiative even gave us a competitive edge in the marketplace; by switching to biodegradable lubricants and an aqueous cleaning system, we can now accommodate customers with stringent RoHS and REACH compliance requirements.
The Future of Environmental Sustainability in Business and Industry
Creating a manufacturing culture conscientious of environmental issues is more important in today’s industry than ever before. Not only do these improved practices reduce the environmental impacts of manufacturing, but they also can enhance business performance and improve a company’s bottom line.
As a driving force of the American economy, we as manufacturers should carry a torch for the environment by serving as leaders of sustainability in a new, greener industry.
This article is sponsored by Hudson Technologies.
