How to Foster a Culture of Sustainability in Your Manufacturing Company

More and more companies in the UK are looking to realign their business models with sustainability goals. This comes from both government-led initiatives and an overall desire to improve conditions for the planet.

Manufacturing is one sector where it’s been proven that sustainability can be a force for good. According to Make UK, the Manufacturers’ Organisation, a recent report found that manufacturers focusing on sustainability were more competitive and showed an increase in profitability.

That’s why this month at Brown Recycling, we’ve got six tips to help you foster a culture of sustainability in your manufacturing company

Set clear sustainability goals

Setting clear, challenging, yet achievable sustainability goals will ensure you have targets to work towards. This makes it more than just words. However, you should first begin with a sustainability audit to identify areas where there is room for improvement.

Examples of goals you could set for your manufacturing company include:

• Net-zero carbon emissions
• Reducing waste
• Water conservation
• Eliminating single-use plastics
• Segregating and recycling different waste streams
• Optimising packaging designs

It’s worth breaking these down into steps and achievable goals to make them less daunting if you’ve never previously factored sustainability targets into your work. If you’d like to know more about how professional waste management can help you meet your goals, contact our team for more details.

Provide education for your team on sustainability

It’s one thing for your core leadership team to understand sustainability goals, but it’s a different matter for your team. It’s a good idea to get everyone involved from the start to explain the reasons and the benefits, as well as to hear their ideas, so that you can get employees to buy into the culture from the start. Make sure you give specific examples of how they can contribute so that you move forward as a whole company.

Focus on energy efficiency in everyday processes

Your focus on improving energy efficiency should see you adopting smarter technology. From simple LED lighting upgrades to HVAC systems that can monitor and adapt in real time, you can lower the amount of energy used in everyday processes and for essential site operations. 

But energy efficiency doesn’t always mean purchasing new equipment at a cost — you can help to keep energy consumption low by maintaining and optimising your current systems if they’re still functional. 

Create a sustainable supply chain for procurement

Making your supply chain more sustainable can be achieved in a number of ways. Consider the following if you’d like to make your manufacturing more eco-friendly:

• Source materials locally – this reduces emissions from transportation and supports local suppliers.
• Check environmental credentials – anyone you partner with should be adhering to best environmental practices and operating ethically.
• Work together – find other areas where reductions can be made, such as minimising packaging and consolidating shipments, to create a more streamlined chain for everyone.

Monitor, report and improve

Let the data drive your internal culture of sustainability. Through regular auditing of your waste and energy consumption, you can identify the areas that are ripe for improvement. 

Capabilities when it comes to sustainability are always changing and growing, so reviewing the best practices can help you close in on your goals. Making a handful of changes but not staying current with the latest techniques and technologies will only mean that you eventually fall behind again.

Celebrate your successes

Make sure you celebrate any success regarding sustainability, whether that’s recognising individual contributions from your staff or sharing milestones you’ve hit with the wider industry. This will show partners and clients that you take the matter seriously and can encourage a sense of pride within your company. In turn, this may make your employees more likely to engage in future sustainability initiatives.

At Brown Recycling, we’re leading the way in sustainable waste management across Staffordshire and South Cheshire, helping businesses deliver on their sustainability agendas through our zero waste to landfill target for waste processed at our sites. Whether you want advice on how to dispose of your waste in a way that offsets your carbon footprint or help with segregating your waste at source in your manufacturing facilities to ensure effective recycling, our professional team is here to help.

Let us help you generate a culture of sustainability with your business waste today by getting in touch. Call our expert team today on 0808 196 6093.