Boost the Sustainability of Your Manufacturing Operations

By Sasha Ilyukhin
Jan 11, 2022 10:00 AM ET
woman looking at milk container
It’s not enough for businesses today to think about sustainability as a license to operate — they need to shift their mindset and identify opportunities to make their manufacturing operations more sustainable in order to survive. Image courtesy of Tetra Pak.

Originally published on GreenBiz

As businesses invest in improvements to the sustainability profile of their products, they’re looking at all aspects of the value chain — from material sourcing to packaging and end-of-life. While each of these areas is important, brands can sometimes overlook a key opportunity within their manufacturing operations to reduce climate impact. And the conclusions from the recent COP26 meetings have made it even more clear that brands have a key role to play in innovations that usher in climate solutions.

Boosting the sustainability of your manufacturing operation reduces climate impact and makes good business sense. Tetra Pak’s data suggests that almost half — 48 percent — of a product’s carbon footprint comes from the manufacturing process alone. Because manufacturing is an inherently resource-intense process — from energy to water to material — reductions in resource consumption minimize costs.

Consider these best practices to strengthen the sustainability of your manufacturing operation.