Sustainability and eco-friendly practices are quickly becoming the norm for most industries, and the digitalization of warehousing and logistics are no exception, as the trend of going “green” advances yearly. However, as a warehouse operator or manager, you may wonder how to make your business operations environmentally friendly.
Warehouses consume massive quantities of resources to create and deliver goods, keeping the supply chain continually moving, consuming vast amounts of energy. You could change that by adopting and implementing various solutions, which would reduce waste, lessen carbon and energy consumption, and ultimately save you a lot of money in the long run.
Here are several ways to make your warehouse green.
Control Heating And Cooling Systems
If you know how to control your warehouse’s heating and cooling systems properly, you could save a lot of money and reduce energy consumption. Hire professionals such as an HVAC specialist to inspect the temperature controls of your warehouse storage. You could also invest in high-quality insulation to keep heat inside the structure during winter.
Proper climate control would keep working conditions consistent throughout the day and maintain temperature-sensitive inventory in check.
Go Paperless
Reduce the amount of paperwork your company produces by going digital. You could digitalize processes that involve using physical documents such as pay stubs and payrolls. This would also increase security, as it is less prone to forgery. Paperless solutions would also make your job easier and more efficient.
Invest in Energy –Saving Lighting
Replace traditional bulbs with brighter eco-friendly LED bulbs that use less energy. Switching to LED lights could cut power consumption for lighting by as much as 80 percent compared to older options. It would require less amount of lighting with LEDs than conventional lighting in the same area.
LED lights also last longer, meaning you save money from always having to change bulbs. Another option would be to use skylights that would allow sunlight to illuminate the interior of the warehouse. Natural light would also improve the mood of your workers, increasing their efficiency.
Minimize Water Wastage
There are several ways to minimize your warehouse’s environmental impact, such as reducing and reusing water waste. Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators for flush valves. Collect grey water and treat them to reuse them for purposes such as landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. You could also start storing rainwater above or below ground.
Implement Lean Operating Solutions
Maintain a lean methodology in operating your warehouse to reduce waste of any kind and only keep what you need. A lean warehouse cuts material handling time and decreases the loading and unloading times of any vehicle. This also increases reliability, conciseness, and flexibility to adapt to market changes, simplifying processes and reducing costs.
Consider Using Green Packaging
Use reusable or biodegradable packaging alternatives instead of single-use plastics or materials, which largely contribute to global pollution. There are emerging green packaging trends you could explore which require less energy to make and dispose of.
Reuse And Recycle
Warehouses consume vast amounts of resources that you have the capability to reuse and recycle. You could hire specialty companies that provide recycling services for warehouses. Collecting and recycling waste could also make you money as the materials are made into other products.