Improve Supply Chain Sustainability by Using Bio-Based Rubber
For the manufacturing industry, the adoption of sustainable practices is no longer an option. Manufacturers have to consider sustainability as an integral part of their production and supply chain strategy if they want to reduce waste, improve the effectiveness of their production processes, cut down manufacturing and delivery cost, lower energy consumption and ensure a green environment. And they need to embrace it now to avoid regulatory penalties in the future.
Sustainable manufacturing, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), means using economically sound processes to manufacture products, which reduces the impact on the environment and lessens the consumption of natural resources and energy. For sustainable manufacturing, one needs to tap into bioplastic, recyclable materials and renewable energy sources.
In the manufacturing industry, finely tuned supply chains are needed to produce and deliver goods to end-users. They facilitate the transfer of raw materials for transforming them into finished products and then their effective distribution. Responsible manufacturers ensure that sustainable practices run through their supply chains.
Sustainable practices help keep the environment clean; otherwise, it is very well known that industrial activities, which emit the most carbon, are among the largest contributors to global climate change.
Significant Impact on Environment
The supply chain of a manufacturing unit has a far greater impact on the environment than its production process, as it usually involves energy-intensive production and transportation. A report published by McKinsey noted that the supply chain of a consumer company accounts for “more than 80 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions and more than 90 percent of the impact on air, land, water, biodiversity and geological resources.” That impacts the environment and the profitability and growth of a business.
If manufacturers want to be known for their sustainable practices, they should start by changing their supply chains. First, they need to identify areas that need improvement and then set sustainable goals, adopt sustainable practices to achieve them and regularly monitor sustainability throughout the supply chain.
Steps to Improve Sustainability in Supply Chains
If businesses want to move toward sustainable supply chains, they need to make some basic changes by following these steps.
Sustainable Sourcing of Raw Materials
Manufacturers must have a sustainable sourcing of raw materials policy that involves ethical, social and environmental factors. This type of sourcing lessens the negative impact on the environment and humans.
Increased Use of Recycled Materials
Using recycled materials instead of virgin materials also ensures sustainability in supply chains. For example, collecting the used packaging material and recycling it to package new products.
Engaging With Responsible Suppliers
Responsible manufacturers must engage with responsible suppliers so that all of them have the same mindset. So that there is a uniform sustainability vision, strategy, expectation and performance — the harmonization of financial, environmental and social objectives — throughout the supply chain.
Bio-Based Rubber for Automotive Applications
Vehicles transport raw materials to the manufacturing plants and then finished products to the end-users. They are major contributors to air pollution. To reduce their impact on the environment, bio-based rubber can be used to create sustainable parts for transport vehicles.
The automotive industry uses bio-based rubber to develop interior parts and tires for vehicles. Such rubber is biodegradable, biocompatible and can be disposed of easily without impacting the environment. Components made of bio-based rubber have strong tensile and tear strength, and they also reduce the weight of vehicles, which lowers fuel consumption and emission.
Achieve Supply Chain Sustainability Goals
Supply chain sustainability offers long-term social, economic and environmental value and benefits to everyone involved in the manufacturing and delivery processes. The use of transport vehicles featuring bio-based plastic components can enable manufacturers to achieve their supply chain sustainability goals.