Our firn's mission is to help manufacturers and distributors create environmentally-sustainable businesses. Our consulting services include: creating corporate-level environmental sustainability visions and goals; re-engineering internal processes to reflect environmentally-sustainable best practices; and  maximizing the environmental sustainability of product supply chains.

 

Our team of professionals is ready to help your business. Please contact us to learn how we might help you. Call 212-343-1006 today.

 

Solar! Today it's created from photovoltaic and thermal collection devices. Photovoltaic device prices have come down over the past few years and it's also often the most available option. Thermal collection is the big gainer in recent large-scale installations. Many states offer rebate programs that offset the cost of the equipment and if you generate enough electricity you can sell the excess back to your power company!

 

 

Of the many environmental threats to our planet (air and water pollution, waste, water quality and availability, climate change, overpopulation), climate change certainly has received the most publicity in recent times. Most scientists agree that man-made "greenhouse gases" ("GHGs," including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and others) have caused significant climate change. The EPA estimates that U.S. industrial activity (including iron and steel production) was responsible for approximately 15% of direct U.S. CO2 emissions in 2006 (source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 - 2006, Table 2-2: Recent Trends in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks) and 12% of energy-consumption-related U.S. CO2 emissions in 2006 (source: Ibid., Table 3-6: CO2 Emission from Fossil Fuel Consumption By End Use Sector). Manufacturing's contribution to climate change is significant.

 

Manufacturers (and distributors) can reduce their "carbon footprint" by first undertaking an analysis of their carbon-producing activities, then developing a comprehensive strategy to address the situation and then re-engineering internal and supply chain processes to reduce carbon output. Easier said than done, of course. Consider the manufacturer who decided to recycle all incoming cardboard packaging in order to reduce waste output only to find out that they had almost doubled their carbon footprint because their waste hauler had to drive 75 miles back and forth to the nearest recycling facility! 

 

Despite the challenges for manufacturers, the important point is to start somewhere (see below for one place to start). Look at your main energy-consuming activities and remember to look both internally and into your supply chain (how far you look into your supply chain is up to you, but some say the best practice is to go two steps up and two steps down). Set some targets for energy-consumption reduction (you may set a corporate-wide target or an activity-based target). Then pick some low-hanging fruit as your first re-engineering activity). Get everyone involved and make them understand that this is part of the company's culture ... from now until forever. Get outside help if you need it. Be persistent and patient. And measure and report your changes; metrics are important.  And good luck!

One of the "easiest" ways to reduce your energy consumption is to replace your metal halide lighting with high efficiency fluorescent lighting (preferably the newer T5 or T8 varieties). The payback on this activity is one of the most-measurable of sustainability-related projects. The exact ROI varies depending often on geography (i.e., it's related to the price you pay for energy in your locality), but payback periods in the 18-month range are not uncommon.

 

And if you want to go a step further in reducing energy consumption, install motion sensors throughout your facility. These sensors act to turn lighting on only when motion is detected. Lights go back off after a pre-determined period of time. Thus, for example, inventory aisle lighting is off unless the sensors are tripped by someone entering the aisle. This saves a lot of energy!

 

There are a lot of other relatively-painless re-engineering projects you can undertake right in your own shop ... or ask your supplier or customer to undertake (e.g., conveyor re-engineering to reduce motor on time). Contact us ... we can definitely help!

 

Here are some sustainability-related events for the coming months that may be of interest to you:

 

Milwaukee, WI, August 7 - 8. NAEM and Rockwell Automation present "Managing EHS Programs Globally," focusing on the development and management of large-scale EHS programs. www.naem.org.

 

Salt Lake City, September 16 - 17. Summer Meeting of the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development. www.usbcsd.org.

 

Chicago, September 23 - 25. Green Manufacturing Expo at National Manufacturing Week. For more information, visit http://www.devicelink.com/expo/gmx08/index.html.