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With environment pollution continually on the rise, it has now become important than ever for warehousing and other industrial environments to implement environment-friendly practices in an effort to minimize their carbon footprint and energy costs. If you too are looking to make your warehouse operations greener and want to become socially responsible business, here are a few good eco-friendly ideas for you to try:
Lighting
Lighting in a warehouse environment is considered by many to be their biggest energy expense. Here are a few ways warehouses can reduce the cost of lighting by up to 50%.
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Install lighting that is more natural: Solar panels or skylights reduces our use of electricity, and thereby lowers energy costs considerably.
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Use Motion Sensors: By utilizing motion sensors in low traffic areas, you can ensure that the lights are only triggered when the area is being used.
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Choose Fluorescent Lighting: These lights use far less energy for the same amount of light, as well as providing uniform light distribution, and better color rendering.
The 3 R’s - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
We do this at home, so why not at work - here are some ways you can get started:
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Use Recycled Packing Materials: You should use recycled packing materials - like bubble wrap, shipping boxes or recycled paper - wherever possible as it is not only environmentally friendly, but also very cost effective.
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Do not Throw It Away: The life of your packaging can be increased by reusing and recycling your packaging materials. Simply place a recycle bin in your warehouse and instruct your workers to recycle paper, cardboard and plastic materials to make their operations more eco-friendly.
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Purchase reusable Plastic Pallets: Reusing your pallets is another great way to be environmentally friendly, and subsequently, save precious dollars. According to statistics, around 54% of wood pallets are disposed of right away after one use. By replacing your wood pallets with reusable plastic pallets, you help keep wood pallets out of our landfills, as well as many other benefits. To learn more about the benefits of using plastic pallets, click here.
Equipment Energy Consumption
The cost to operate material handling equipment is another large expense for warehouses due to the amount of energy used. You can reduce the amount of electricity used by upgrading to energy-efficient equipment such as conveyors, sortation units, AS/RS, etc., that utilize high-efficiency motors, or retro fit existing equipment, whenever possible, with more efficient, variable-speed motors.
