Sustainable manufacturing is important in reducing harm to the environment. Natural materials and the reduction of waste are key to sustainability.
Introduction
As climate change continues to cause changes all over the planet, manufacturers are realising that it is necessary to minimize negative environmental impacts. Sustainable manufacturing uses processes and materials that cause less damage to the environment. The methods by which sustainable manufacturing reduces its environmental impact are through energy efficiency, using sustainable materials, and sustainable practices, such as creating less waste. Manufacturers are finding that these methods do not necessarily increase the cost of doing business and it is expected that the manufacturing industry will introduce more green processes as technology continues to develop better ways of producing energy and more efficient manufacturing processes.
What is sustainable manufacturing?
Sustainable manufacturing is the creation of products using processes which, although economically sound, minimise harmful environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. Also known as green manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing uses fewer natural resources, and reduces pollution and waste through the reduction of harmful emissions and recycling and reusing products and materials.
Companies that are involved in green manufacturing tend to think of the long term effects of what they are doing. At every stage of production, they look at the benefit or harm that may be the outcome of their production processes.
Sustainable manufacturing uses new technologies to ensure that they can reduce or even stop the production and emission of pollutants. When they can’t avoid creating waste products, they will ensure that they are disposed of in a responsible manner. The use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, is crucial to sustainable manufacturing. In addition to this, green manufacturers ensure that no harm is done to wildlife and their habitats are conserved. To find out more, read Goodwin University: What is Green Manufacturing and Why is It Important?
“The natural environment sustains the life of all beings universally”
Dalai Lama
Why is sustainable manufacturing important?
In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about climate change and the importance of reducing carbon emissions in order to reduce the risk of irreversible damage to the planet. We know that glaciers are melting and plants and animals can be found in new areas due to the changing climate. Sea levels are rising and the weather is becoming more unpredictable. The effects of Climate Change will be felt all over the world, and it is important for us to try to minimize the damage.
Sustainable manufacturing initiatives are one of the ways that we can combat climate change. If manufacturing companies can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, we may be able to limit global heating to just 1.5° Centigrade. If the earth’s temperature increases more than this, sea levels will rise much more quickly with many coastal areas at risk of flooding. While sustainable manufacturing is only one of the ways that we can work to reduce emissions, it is a very important one, resulting in environmental improvement for present and future generations.
What are sustainable materials?
By using sustainable materials, manufacturers can limit harm to the environment as these materials occur naturally and can be disposed of at the end of their lives. Materials like wood and cotton are biodegradable, but not all natural materials are biodegradable. Other natural materials like stone and clay are not organic but do not cause any harm to the environment when they are disposed of.
Sustainable materials come from renewable sources that can be regrown or infinitely recycled. Sustainable materials come from renewable sources. Wood is an important sustainable material. Responsibly grown wood from sustainable forests can be beneficial for the environment in many ways. The trees themselves use and store carbon dioxide (CO2), helping to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Products made from stainless steel can be used for many years and is fully recyclable. In recent years, many people have started to replace their plastic water bottles with stainless steel ones because it is durable and can be recycled many times.
There are many sustainable materials that can be used in manufacturing. For more information, see MindsetEco.
How can manufacturing be made more sustainable?
There are a number of ways that manufacturing can be made more environmentally friendly and many reasons to do so. For information about how one company was able to benefit from changing to more sustainable manufacturing, go to Sustainable manufacturing: Making your OEM Operation more Eco-friendly. Not only is green manufacturing good for the environment, but it can also be good for the company.
The use of renewable energy has been shown to reduce carbon emissions and as an added benefit to companies, it can reduce energy costs. In addition, manufacturers can replace their machines with ones that use less energy.
More sustainable manufacturing involves replacing raw materials with more sustainable ones. The materials used should be either natural or recyclable. In addition to the use of renewable energy, manufacturers should track their use of energy as well as their use of water and their carbon emissions.
As more manufacturers turn toward environmentally friendly practices, new technologies will be developed. In order to make manufacturing more sustainable companies should aim to keep up with best practices and embrace new technologies as they become available. For more information and details about the ways in which technology is changing manufacturing processes, read Sustainable Manufacturing: Principles, Applications and Directions.
What is a sustainable product?
A sustainable product is one which is environmentally friendly through its entire life. It uses raw materials that are either natural or permanently renewable. Sustainable products may be made from recycled materials instead of using new materials. Materials that can be recycled more than once are generally more sustainable than those that cannot be recycled again. The products should not use toxic chemicals that damage the environment.
What are some sustainable manufacturing examples?
There are many examples of sustainability initiatives in major companies and organizations. Some of these are listed below:
By removing waste plastic from the ocean and using new technologies, Parley Ocean Plastic has created plastics to be used to make fashion and sportswear. For example, in partnership with Adidas, the Parley Ocean Shoe has been made from discarded fishing nets.
Automotive companies are becoming more sustainable as they move away from fossil fuels and produce electric vehicles. These vehicles are emission-free and help to reduce the production of greenhouse gases such as CO2.
HP uses recycled materials in the production of ink and toner cartridges. It is attempting to limit its environmental impact to allowing its customers to give them old printers, computers, and ink and toner cartridges to be used again. HP is making computers that are made from up to 90% recycled materials, making their products more sustainable.
Samsung has achieved the goal of having all its worksites using renewable energy. Samsung uses solar and geothermal energy for its factories in Korea. In India, it uses wind and solar power. Samsung is also using recycled materials in some of its products and has developed a solar-powered remote control, eliminating the use of batteries that cannot be recycled. Samsung has also won awards for using fewer greenhouse gases in products such as refrigerators, and for making energy-efficient appliances.
While it is only a small step in the move towards sustainable manufacturing, Coca-Cola is now introducing bottles with caps that stay attached to the bottle. Although the bottle caps can be recycled, Coca-Cola was aware that they were not always being recycled. In order to solve this problem and make the disposal of bottle caps more efficient, they came up with this new design that will ensure that the caps will be recycled with the bottle.
You can read a number of case studies about sustainable manufacturing at Diversitech. Global.
“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world”
Howard Zinn
Conclusion
The move to sustainable manufacturing is growing. As climate change becomes more of an issue and as governments realise that we must make changes to the way we do things, it is only to be expected that sustainable manufacturing will continue to develop. Manufacturers are finding that reduced waste and efficient energy use are leading to savings in the manufacturing process. New technology continues to find ways to use raw materials more efficiently. As a result, sustainable manufacturing will be important in combating climate change and reducing its effects. As more companies use sustainable manufacturing principles and processes, new technologies will be developed in order to minimize damage to the environment.
