Different industries produce different levels of carbon footprint — or the number of greenhouse gases or CO2 emissions being generated by their activities. In the United States, around 22% of emissions come from the manufacturing industry. This is why if you’re a manufacturing business owner, you have to make an effort to reduce your footprint. From tapping engineering consulting firms to choosing more sustainable materials, here are eight ways how you can be a more responsible, carbon emission-conscious organization. Read InventHelp review before going further.
Assess your situation. To have a clear picture of where you’re at, you should first undergo a greenhouse gas emissions assessment. This will provide you with information on how much carbon footprint you’re generating and which are the main culprits behind it. This is vital in developing a plan that aims to reduce the levels of your company’s carbon emissions.
Opt for more eco-friendly materials. If you ask engineering consulting firms, one of the most fundamental measures you have to undertake is to look for alternative materials that won’t produce as much carbon footprint. When selecting substitute materials, it’s important to look for something with the same properties as the original but is more environmentally friendly. For instance, instead of plastic, you can use biodegradable polymers.
Remanufacture. If you’re already familiar with the 3Rs (Reduce, reuse, and recycle), you should definitely add “remanufacture” to your carbon footprint reduction endeavor. This entails the reclamation of used materials and remanufacturing them to produce new products.
Consider additive manufacturing. Conventional manufacturing techniques are typically subtractive processes that involve making products from larger source materials. Additive manufacturing, on the other hand, maximizes the use of the input material. For instance, 3D printing allows manufacturers to build a product straight from the required materials without the need for subtractive procedures.
Intensify yield loss reduction efforts. Engineering consulting firms are a witness to how many manufacturing businesses struggle with their yield losses. Yield losses are incurred through equipment failure or breakdown, planned stoppages, and production defects among others. To reduce these losses, you can implement automation and data-driven maintenance strategies.
Boost your facility’s energy efficiency. There are different ways — big and small — that you can improve the energy efficiency of your facility. For example, you can start by replacing incandescent lightbulbs with more energy-saving LED lights. If you want a more drastic change, you can trade non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels for a more sustainable alternative like solar or biomass energy.
Encourage green commuting. The emissions produced by your employees off-site are called indirect emissions. If you want to lower your company’s carbon footprint, you should also put effort into incentivizing your people to switch to green commuting (e.g., biking, carpooling). This won’t only be beneficial for your business but also help reduce traffic congestion.
Enlist help from the professionals. Today, many manufacturers are turning to eco-design engineering experts to create more eco-friendly products. If you want to lower your carbon emissions, you should get help from professionals specializing in this field.
SCS Engineers is one of the top engineering consulting firms today. If you are into manufacturing and need solutions to comply with industrial wastewater or Clean Air Act guidelines, contact us today.