Extensive material and energy consumption are among the main factors leading to unsustainable manufacturing. They also greatly influence the cost of the finished product. Optimizing both areas can reduce expenses and contribute to a more environmentally friendly production process.
Sustainable manufacturing can be defined as a production method that minimizes waste and reduces environmental impact. The method focuses primarily on eliminating waste from materials and other resources during different stages of the manufacturing process.
In practice, achieving sustainability goals within plant premises requires adjustments in material and energy use. Due to the growing global need to reduce pollution, manufacturing plants must pull their part of the weight with more eco-friendly strategies. Luckily, there are cost-effective ways to improve sustainability levels during the manufacturing process.
Material consumption
Within labelling and packaging, the two main sustainability issues revolve around the type of material being used and material wastage. We strive towards eliminating these issues here at Skanem Africa and have put measures in place to ensure more sustainable manufacturing:
- Undoubtedly, the greatest contemporary challenge is the need for alternate, sustainable materials. Cost is a large part of that equation and can be a major obstacle. Fortunately, all prime label stock suppliers today are committed to sustainability and are working towards environmental goals. With more alternate materials available, price reductions will follow.
Providing sustainable choices involves being sensitive to the customer’s voice. That’s why we strive to collaborate with suppliers and customers to test and validate sustainable product options that best suit the packaging. - Reducing or eliminating material wastage should be implemented in all stages of the manufacturing process. It is essential for achieving higher sustainability levels. There also needs to be a focused approach toward reducing print setup wastage and defects generated while printing. Combining these measures ensures optimal use of materials.
- Last but not least, a primary sustainability goal for any manufacturing plant should be segregating and recycling different wastage types generated during production. Although this can be challenging, having the right converters and suppliers on board will make it easier to reach the set sustainability goals.
Read more: How monomaterials in packaging increase recycling and circular economy
Energy consumption
Due to changes in the supply-demand ratio, energy costs are increasing annually. Reducing energy consumption is, therefore, not only a cost-effective measure but also a means of reserving energy for the future.
In an effort to minimize energy consumption, Skanem Africa has invested in a new IFC EDGE-certified factory in Kenya. Additionally, we have identified the following energy-saving opportunities for the manufacturing process:
- Switching to LED lights for all lighting is one way to go. However, it is possible to take this one step further and apply LED curing systems for printing technologies as well. This is a considerable move toward sustainable manufacturing! At Skanem, we have already installed many LED-ready curing systems in the recent past and are now ready to take on this sustainability goal.
- Rooftop solar power is another significant energy-saving measure. Solar power provides heaps of green energy, contributing to more sustainable manufacturing. Our goal at Skanem is to set up a solar unit to meet at least 50% of the total energy requirement.
- Automatic switching of devices and power factor optimization contribute toward cumulative energy savings. Although these measures may be less significant on their own, they work wonders when implemented on a larger scale. Our engineers at Skanem are now working on these types of projects to ensure that the production of labels and packaging is as green as possible.
- Switching to LED lamps on printing presses can significantly reduce power consumption.
Read more: 3 ways to boost productivity with an automated labelling machine
All in all, to achieve a sustainable manufacturing process, we need to reduce the high material and energy consumption levels. By leveraging existing opportunities, we can pave the way for more eco-friendly and cost-efficient options in the near future.
We continuously strive towards greener manufacturing at Skanem Africa to ensure sustainability for your product’s packaging and label. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how you can optimize material and energy usage.
