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This week our friends from the Compactor Management Company are contributing to our blog. The Compactor Management Company is a company that “has been providing all types of businesses with industrial trash and garbage compactors and balers.” They provide this service to businesses “in an effort to reduce their monthly garbage bills and generate the highest rates of recycling revenue.” Given their knowledge of waste management, we were more than happy to accept their proposed blog post. So, with further ado, here is their guest blog on material handling.

With the ever-increasing competition in the global market, it is natural for manufacturers and suppliers to focus on practices that yield high output at minimized costs. However, while employing practices to save cost and increase productivity, many companies fail to tap into benefits that effective waste reduction techniques offer. 

Not only does waste reduction keep the environment clean. It also creates new revenue streams, improves operational efficiency, helps businesses remain compliant, and improves brand image. So, here are a few ways businesses can reduce waste in the supply chain. 

Examine Product Design

Before the production process begins, examine the product design and identify the raw materials that may result in a lot of waste. After that, figure out if those raw materials can be replaced with materials that cost lesser and are less wasteful. By examining the product design, you can also decrease the amount of excess raw material and the use of hazardous material. Do both of these things to lower the quantity of waste generated. 

Review the Production Process

Who better to identify process inefficiencies than the production staff? So, talk to your staff and gather information on how waste material can be minimized. Moreover, brainstorming with the production staff may help you understand how to eliminate or replace materials that cannot be recycled. 

This will not only give the staff control over their job but will also motivate them to add value to the overall objective. 

Create a Preventive Maintenance Schedule

Wear and tear is normal in any production process. But excess wear and tear of the machines can lead to increased waste production. So, ensure that the machines are kept in good shape by having a regular maintenance schedule in place. This would not only reduce the waste produced but will also reduce the breakdown prevention costs and prove more beneficial for the budget. 

Practice Closed-Loop Manufacturing

A closed-loop manufacturing system helps you keep track of the inventory and utilize the recycled materials as raw materials in the production cycle. This system conserves the resources and also diverts waste from landfills. Also, in addition to reducing manufacturing wastage, a closed-loop system helps businesses lower their production costs.  

Put Quality Control in Place

If the supply chain lacks quality control, the waste production can go beyond the tolerable amount. Defective raw materials can affect the whole production process and result in more waste. Moreover, without a quality check, the final products can turn out to be defective and are more likely to be returned by the end-user. And even if the rejected product is recyclable, the cost of recycling it would be higher. 

Reduce Packaging Materials

Packaging produces a lot of waste. Hence, review the packaging design and analyze how you can minimize the use of packaging material. Focus on incorporating recyclable packaging material such as corn-based packing peanuts, air packs, paper and cardboard, biodegradable plastic, etc. 

Though waste reduction should be of great importance in a supply chain, how the waste is treated plays a significant role too. Hence, you must consider lucrative processing of scrap material through industrial balers. 

An industrial baler is the most sustainable solution that handles waste by compacting it and making it into small bales or bundles. Moreover, balers are designed to help businesses conveniently sort waste materials and prevent contamination of the waste. Other benefits of an industrial baler include: 

• Savings on landfill tax and other disposal costs
• Freed up space for other purposes
• Improved health and safety at the premises
• Extra revenue from recycling companies

Each level in the supply chain offers plenty of opportunities to reduce waste. So, start creating monthly and weekly reports to compare and identify ways to better the waste reduction process. 

Author Bio

Erich Lawson is very passionate about the environment and is an advocate of effective recycling. He writes on a wide array of topics. He informs his readers on how modern recycling equipment can be used by industries to reduce monthly wastage bills and increase recycling revenue. You can learn more about environment saving techniques by visiting his blog on Compactor Management Company.

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Today’s supply chain is one that caters its practices and operations to customer demands as precisely possible. In turn, few things rank more highly on the list of customer concerns than sustainability. Not only that, but the need for sustainability is also being driven forward by governments around the world, with numerous penalties and incentives for companies that are more or less compliant with their regulations and guidelines. As such, companies are quickly making a transition to ‘green’ supply chains. Supply chains that are less wasteful, use materials that are recyclable, leave a smaller carbon footprint, and more.

However, making that transition is far from easy and requires a holistic change in the way that supply chains are operated and managed. Essentially, companies need a new operating model. This is where the concept of a circular economy and circular supply chain comes into play. These concepts mark a paradigm shift; a novel way in which companies can design their supply chains for sustainability going forward.

This article by Morai Logistics explains what a circular supply chain is, how it works, and why its significant.

What is it?

A circular supply chain is a supply chain that is geared around reusing its ostensible waste materials as well as its returns. It aims to take these materials and returns and convert them into new products that they can sell once more. Thus, it marks a shift for supply chains. A shift in which waste as its traditionally known no longer exists or is kept to a bare minimum. Naturally, this also means near-perfect sustainability.

An article by Trade Ready elaborates further on the nature of circular supply chains and what they look like,

A circular economy is alternative to the traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value while the product is in use. When the product has reached the end of its life-cycle, then core materials are recovered and regenerated. The circular economy is waste-free and resilient by design.

Why is it Important?

It is a new model for supply chains because, by its very nature, it fulfills a need companies are desperately trying to meet. That being the above mentioned need for sustainability. It flips many previous intuitions on their head. In a circular supply chain, there’s value in waste. Where waste is normally seen as a source of weakness, a circular economy makes it a resource. A resource that’ll translate into more products.

Moreover, its not only a forward-thinking model in terms of its outcomes, but also in its management. Crucially, it marks another step towards the marriage of technology and supply chain practices, as digitization is key in enabling a circular supply chain. With that in mind, perhaps the next big thing in supply chain technology could be an all-encompassing system that enables companies to ‘go circular” as currently they have to adopt several technologies to do so.

A recent post by Supply Chain Digital emphasizes both the points above,

“The circular economy creates an ecosystem of materials,” commented Sarah Watt, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “What was previously viewed as waste now has value. However, those ecosystems are complex and include many interdependencies and feedback loops. Digital technology has the potential to provide visibility and enable improved decision making when it comes to raw materials and services”…study showed that there is no ‘all purpose technology’ that will enable an organisation to develop a circular economy, it is a combination of technology that leads to this.

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Sustainability is quickly becoming a necessity rather than a choice. This isn’t only for regulatory reasons, though avoiding fines and penalties certainly is important to companies. Rather, companies are recognizing that making their supply chains environmentally friendly also has positive results on their reputation and customer satisfaction.

As such, it’s more critical than ever for companies to have a game plan when making their transition towards sustainability. With that said, this game plan needs to be multifaceted and comprehensive but still realistic. Going green doesn’t have to be the monumental task it seems if such a strategy can be enacted.

This ebook goes over the main steps companies are taking to make their supply chains greener and the key considerations that coincide with those measures.

What are Companies doing to ensure that Sustainability is Central to their Supply Chains?

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In recent years the expectation for companies to have supply chains that are sustainable has grown considerably. As a result, many have started making pledges and commitments outlining their transition to greener supply chains. Major companies like Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Unilever have all done so to varying degrees already. Other businesses will soon have to do the same if they’re to stay competitive in this environment.

As a recent article from Supply Chain Digital explains,

It’s clear that the ‘war on plastic’ is gaining momentum. As the world becomes more focused on the environmental impacts of plastic pollution, you should examine your supply chain and see how you can eliminate it.

With that said, converting a supply chain to zero waste doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. And, in turn, if handled the right way, it can be useful beyond just meeting market demands.

This article by Morai Logistics highlights a realistic path to a zero waste supply chain and why having such a supply chain can be advantageous.

What is a Zero Waste Supply Chain?

A zero waste supply chain, just as the name suggests, is a supply chain that produces no waste. This means ensuring every step within the supply chain is sustainable—the materials are either reused or recycled, so that there is no trash. In turn, what this amounts to is no waste ending up in landfills or incinerators.

Such a goal might sound highly ambitious, verging on unfeasible, but that isn’t the case. Rather, it’s a necessary objective that companies like Unilever are already making a reality. Keep in mind that, for example, in the United Kingdom a majority of consumers are willing to pay more for products that don’t use plastic packaging. And that’s just plastic, only a single component of green supply chain. The demand is there. It’s up to companies to meet that demand.

Why is it Beneficial?

An entirely sustainable supply chain is beneficial for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s great for efficiency. Since zero waste supply chains cannot afford to be excessive in any way, that means they have to be careful with processes and materials that they are using. This leads to extreme efficiency. This efficiency leads to cost reduction, since less has to be spent on materials and superfluous operations.

Moreover, a sustainable supply chain is good for the environment. This isn’t just a feel-good benefit. It also means companies are likely to receive government incentives, while avoiding sanctions. Thus, it’s not only a good thing to do, it’s also a business friendly move. Additionally, it’s good for a company’s image, which in turn can attract more business.

How can Supply Chains Make a Transition to Zero Waste?

Making the switch to zero waste isn’t as challenging as it might seem. Like with any other major change, the first thing to do is come up with a strategy. In this case, a sustainable supply chain strategy. Then formulate reasonable goals as benchmarks on the route to the ultimate objective of zero waste.

Furthermore, it’s important to have key indicators that you can examine to see if you are being successful with those goals. Essentially, the transition is about starting broad (the strategy) and getting increasingly granular and specific until it’s ingrained into your company mindset and culture.

Finally, there are the four R’s as outlined by Unilever.

Unilever credits its four ‘R’ approach to achieving zero waste. The four R approach encompasses: reducing, reusing, recovering and recycling. Viewing waste in this way – as having various potential alternative uses – can be introduced across all businesses.

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Sustainability is a word that’s growing more prominent in the world of supply chains. And for good reason. Not only does it make environmental sense, but is also makes business sense. Whether it’s a result of customer demands or governmental regulations or minimized costs and waste, sustainable supply chains have a competitive advantage in the long run. Conversely, not incorporating sustainability into supply chains can be a considerable shortcoming for companies.

According to Mckinsey,

One condition that can slow a company’s growth is poor sustainability performance, as measured in environmental and social impact. To make and sell goods, consumer businesses need affordable, reliable supplies of energy and natural resources, as well as permission from consumers, investors, and regulators to do business.

As such, this week’s article by Morai Logistics lays out 5 integral steps for companies to adopt to help them move towards sustainability in their supply chains.

Plan

The first thing any company has to do when moving towards sustainability is to put a plan in place. This is where they should review every aspect of their supply chain, leaving no stone unturned. Through this review they can identify where their chain is weakest in terms of the sustainability of its operations. In turn, this will allow the companies’ leaders to strategize and create an overview of the changes that need to be made.

Keep Your Expectations in Check

As important as it is for companies to be ambitious with their transition to sustainable supply chains, they still need to be realistic. By setting goals that are unattainable, the whole endeavour can feel deflating and ultimately a failure. Rather, leaders should make sure to communicate to all along the supply chain that having a greener supply chain can take time. Furthermore, that some of the benefits of a sustainable supply chain can take some time to become evident. With that said, this is no reason to not hold any actor along the chain entirely responsible for maintaining sustainable practices.

Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Like with any business undertaking, goal setting is critical. Companies need to gather data, reports, and other forms of feedback on sustainable supply chains so that they have hard numbers to compare themselves to. Through this feedback, supply chain managers can formulate metrics through which they can assess success and failure. It is only through these KPIs that they can know whether their sustainability effort is heading in the right direction.

Train and Educate

Whenever any kind of transition or evolution in business practices takes place, education and training has to follow. Thus, if a supply chain is going to successfully go green, it has to have training and education programs in place. Sustainable practices are going to be different. With that in mind, even the more seasoned professionals along supply chains may need assistance when making adjustments.

Evaluate

The final step for companies to have an optimal transition to sustainability is for them to make sure they are continually evaluating their results. Trial and error is part of any adjustment period. It’s up to supply chain managers to incorporate flexibility into their supply chain sustainability plans. This is so that they can make changes to their chains without being disruptive. Moreover, it’s through constant review that companies can establish best practices while discarding or adjusting the practices that don’t work.

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In addition to achieving transparency, flexibility and speed, supply chains must also consider sustainability as a top priority. SCS encompasses the economic, social, legal and most importantly, environmental features of a supply chain. It helps reduce an organization’s carbon footprint, and also ‘builds brand awareness, mitigates risk and develops long-term profit opportunities’.

As Omni-channel transportation relies on a variety of transportation methods that release emissions, skeptics may argue that it’s very challenging for a holistic supply chain model. However, statistically “almost 90% of CEOs believe that sustainability is important to their companies success.”

This eBook by Morai Logistics, takes a comprehensive look at supply chains sustainability and identifies the benefits it provides organizations.

Integrating Sustainability Into Logistics and Supply Chain

That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? Interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider? Then don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.

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National governments and international governing bodies are also showing their support. The United Nation’s (UN) 2013 Global Corporate Sustainability Report looked at the “actions taken by companies around the world to embed responsible practices into their strategies, operations and culture.” The largest effort to date is the Paris Agreement, or Paris Accord.

The UN agreement had 195 countries sign it in December 2015. Member countries agreed that global warming is a threat and pledged to stop global surface temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius. Experts warn that if temperatures go over 2 degrees Celsius, it would lead to catastrophic and irreversible consequences for the environment.

Unfortunately, the US pulled out of the agreement in 2017. The White House stating that such an agreement hurts their nation’s economy and sovereignty. While this action has been discouraging, many businesses have been doing their part to continue to further sustainability efforts.

In this e-book, we’ll be exploring sustainability best practices for two key areas of a supply chain, warehouse and distribution, and transportation.

Sustainable Supply Chain Best Practices

A misconception among many businesses is that they need to be big to adopt a sustainable model. While its true companies like McDonald’s, L’Oréal and Apple are all spending millions to billions on green technology, that doesn’t mean everyone must.

Smaller supply chains can take gradual steps towards building a more socially, economically and environmentally aware supply chain. Beginning the process is as easy as mapping the existing supply network, identifying inefficiencies and eliminating them. A simple packaging change or better recycling process are examples. Every business has ways to run quicker, cleaner and better.
As Inc.com writer Gabrielle M. Blue put it:

Building a sustainable company is a task that must be taken on from all sides. The collective and collaborative efforts of the supply chain industry, with the support from the government, is crucial.

What happens to the environment affects everyone, which is why we all need to do our part to protect it.

If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.

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If there’s an item synonymous with shipping, its shipping containers. Whether they are moved through land, air or sea, shipping containers play a crucial role in supply chains. In 2014 alone, the number of these containers moved globally was estimated at 560 million. That’s around 1.5 billion tons of cargo moved all together according to science magazine Nautilus.

There is one not so little problem however. With the increasing complexity and growing level of global integration of supply chains, their numbers keep increasing. Because of the demands of frequent travel, each is built to last. So, what do you with the ones that need to be retired?

Fast Facts About Shipping Containers

Shipping containers are an industry staple, they can carry anything from clothes to cell phones. Key commodities like petroleum, coal and various metals are regularly occupy these containers when they need to be shipped.

Some interesting trivia from Billie Box shows how ubiquitous shipping containers have become for transportation.

• The life of a shipping container can last between 18-25 years provided it’s well-maintained.
• A standard 20′ shipping container can hold 1,170 cubic feet and the max gross weight is 30T with a tare weight of 2.2T. A 40′ high cube contains 2,700 cubic feet and the max gross weight is 32.5T with a tare weight of 3.8T.
• 95% of the world’s cargo is moved by ship.
• Around 10,000 containers are estimated to be lost at sea annually. Of this number, many incur damage from waves and sink quickly. The problem is when they float just below the surface of the water. When this happens, they pose a danger to sailing vessels.

Repurposing Old Shipping Containers

Photo Credit: Noah Sheldon/The Wall Street Journal

Many used containers are finding a new purpose as building materials this Wall Street Journal article explains. Shipping container architecture, also referred to as ‘cargotecture’ or ‘arkitainer’, is growing in popularity, showing up in restaurants, homes, theme parks and even prison cells.

According to the article, about 1 million containers are sold annually for inland use. 70 thousand containers were sold by Maersk Like alone. That number is double what it was in 2015.

Industry leaders cited in the article claim that building with containers can be 20% cheaper and 40% faster than using traditional building materials. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean all the buildings in your neighbourhood will be replaced any time soon. Costa Paris writes:

Containers must be cut when stacked to widen the living space or to create windows and doors, and need to be insulated from the inside and reinforced with steel beams in multistory structures. And after they are put together, conversions or expansions are difficult and expensive

Shipping containers won’t replace traditional building materials, but they are filling an important niche. As supply chains become more complex, the number of containers that need to be retired will also grow. Thankfully, across the world they are providing alternative housing, storage and venue solutions.

That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.

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It isn’t just any old sails that the company will be testing. These sails are special “rotor-sails”, which measure nearly 100 feet tall and look like giant rotating cylinders.

This is the latest attempt by the shipping industry to reduce its reliance on fuel and create a sustainable alternative. What makes Maersk’s test different is that the 245—meter tanker will be the biggest object to-date moved with wind power.

Future Cost of Fuel Driving Innovation and Revisiting Wind Power

For the last few years, shipping companies have been trying to find ways to cut marine fuel use. This is because as of 2020, new pollution laws will take effect which will require the use of more expensive, lower sulfate fuel for shippers.

Cargill Inc. for example, is exploring the possibility of using a giant kite made of special fibers to tow a vessel with wind power. Solar powered sails are another avenue of renewable energy being looked into by several different companies to combine both wind and solar energy.

Technology Details

The basis for Maersk’s innovative technology isn’t new. The sails are an updated version of the rotor created by German engineer Anton Flettner, almost a hundred years ago. At the time, they were too heavy to be effective. Thankfully, these new sails are made from lightweight carbon-composite materials making them much more cost-effective.

This article by the Financial Times, quotes Norsepower’s CEO Tumoas Riski about how the sails work:

They harness the wind by using the Magnus effect, the physical force that makes a tennis ball swerve when hit with topspin. A motor sets the cylinders spinning and when wind blows, the airflow speeds up on one side of the sail and slows down on the opposite to create a pressure difference that generates lift, propelling the vessel through the water.

The sails have already been tested and installed on a Dutch shipping ferry in 2014. Bore, the company operating the ferry, reported that the results exceeded expectations with up to 6% fuel saved when there’s good wind.

What to Expect in the Future

The final decision as to whether Maesk Tankers will roll out the wind powered tankers won’t be made until 2019.

However, the company’s is very optimistic about how technology will cut fuel costs. About $2.1 billion U.S is spent annually on marine fuel. Maesk expects that price could be cut by 10% with the new sails.

Maesk is also hedging it’s bet on the sails by investing in other sustainable alternatives. This includes special paints that go on the hull of a vessel that reduces drag by resisting microorganism and ale colonization. And, specialized delivery drones to replace barges to deliver ship supplies.

It’s both strange and heartening to see wind powered propulsion make a return to shipping after its over 100-year absence. Modern innovations technological advancements have made Maesk’s sails, and similar projects possible sustainable solutions to an industry that needs them.

That’s it for us this week! If you liked this blog post, why not subscribe to our blog? If you’re interested in what we do as a 3rd party logistics provider, don’t hesitate to check out our services (as expressed above, we are very pro finding you the lowest total cost!). We’re also in the twittersphere, so give us a follow to get the latest logistics and supply chain news.

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