Sustainability. It’s not a choice. Especially since, according to World Bank Open Data, manufacturing causes 20% of global carbon emissions. What sustainability looks like will vary from industry to industry, but a common concept is circularity. British manufacturing has circularity high on its agenda to help achieve government net-zero targets. But what changes are we likely to see from this initiative?

Goodbye to ‘take – make – dispose’

The concept of ‘take – make – dispose’ should become a thing of the past. We know that extracting resources from the Earth can destroy habitats, cause erosion and contaminate soil/water.  Equally, the concept of disposing makes many of us think of toxins leaching into rivers, wildlife being strangled by plastic and landfill sites emitting greenhouse gases.

Reduce, reuse, recycle is now a household mantra that is also key to how manufacturing operates with circularity.

Reducing resources

In manufacturing the ‘reduce’ element typically focuses on driving efficiency and using less to make more. This might focus on using less energy or maintaining equipment properly so it doesn’t need replacing so often. With so much more data available through in-house systems and wider data sharing initiatives, inefficiencies are now much easier to spot. We can understand where they lie in processes and can even quantify particular product’s carbon footprints.

Reuse as a concept

Reuse in manufacturing produces some inspirational examples. We’ve seen car life spans being extended by having their combustion engines removed and being turned into electric vehicles. Product life cycles are now considered a lot more. This explains why we’re seeing a rise in the manufacture of products that can be rented, re-sold and re-manufactured.

Pre- and post- production recycling

Recycling manifests itself in two ways. Firstly, with responsible sourcing of materials that avoids raw materials wherever possible. Secondly, by recycling any industrial waste that is produced. Thankfully, innovation now means many more products can be recycled. However, there isn’t yet a full suite of recycled products that equals their virgin alternatives in terms of cost and price. More work needs to be done.

Digital and technological advances

It’s a comforting thought that across the world there are teams of entrepreneurs and scientists looking for breakthroughs to help manufacturers reduce, reuse and recycle. We are keeping our eyes peeled.

Interestingly, it’s not always about the new – sometimes traditional methods make a resurgence. Certainly, we’ve had a lot of recent interest in gravity conveyors which use no electricity, simply gravity to transport items between different floors.

Want to see how green we can make your operations?

Get in touch for an efficient conveyor, with a long life ahead of it: future-proofed by replacement parts and servicing options.