As businesses look for strategies to balance productivity with environmental responsibility, integrating sustainable resources has become a popular approach for achieving long-term success.
By harnessing the power of energy-efficient machinery, tapping into renewable energy sources, and adopting cutting-edge waste management technologies, manufacturers can not only reduce their ecological footprint but also achieve long-term operational efficiencies.
Here are three pivotal resources that can help your manufacturing business invest in a more sustainable future:
Energy-efficient machinery and equipment that consume less power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions can be
Examples of common energy-efficient machinery in manufacturing settings include:
Look for machines with high Energy Star ratings or those that utilize advanced technologies to minimize energy use. By choosing energy-efficient options, you can lower operational costs and contribute to a more sustainable manufacturing process.
In Brazil, General Motors uses wind energy to power its manufacturing plant. A wind farm near the Ramos Arizpe plant provides a significant portion of the electricity the plant needs while reducing the automobile manufacturer’s carbon footprint and operational costs.
Last year, the company updated its energy supply agreements to include renewable electricity at certain facilities, taking its Brazilian operations to 34% renewable electricity.
Wind turbines can be an effective way to generate renewable energy for manufacturing sites located in areas with consistent wind patterns. Wind energy systems can range from small turbines that provide supplemental power to large-scale turbines that can supply significant portions of a facility's energy needs.
In addition to wind energy, several other renewable energy sources can help boost the sustainability of your manufacturing operations.
Installing solar panels on the rooftops of manufacturing facilities or on adjacent land can harness the power of the sun to generate electricity. Solar energy systems can significantly reduce electricity costs and provide a reliable source of power. Any excess energy produced can often be sold back to the grid, generating additional revenue.
If your facility is near a water source, hydropower can be a viable option. Small-scale hydropower systems can generate a steady and reliable flow of electricity. These systems can be particularly beneficial in regions with abundant water resources and can be designed to have minimal environmental impact.
Biomass energy utilizes organic materials, such as agricultural waste, wood chips or other plant matter, to produce heat or electricity. Biomass systems can be a sustainable way to manage waste while generating energy. This approach can also help in reducing landfill use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Geothermal energy harnesses heat from within the Earth to generate electricity or provide direct heating. Manufacturing facilities located in geologically active areas can benefit from this consistent and sustainable energy source. Geothermal systems typically have low operating costs and a small physical footprint.
Implementing renewable energy solutions not only makes good environmental sense but also provides tangible economic benefits. It represents a forward-thinking approach to manufacturing that aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and promotes a sustainable future.
Manufacturing facilities generate significant amounts of waste, and managing this waste can greatly impact your operations' sustainability.
Companies that generate spent solvents and waste that can be converted into alternative fuels have a unique opportunity to improve their environmental impact through sustainable waste management technologies like solvent distillation and waste to energy.
Many solvents, including aliphatic, aromatic, halogenated hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, and esters, can be recycled,
This process separates the solvents from other substances through the application of heat, causing the solvents to vaporize. The vapor is then condensed back into a liquid form, resulting in the separation and recovery of the solvent.
Here’s a closer look at how a solvent distillation plant operates in four steps:
Solvent recovery reduces the need for virgin solvent production, reduces the amount of hazardous waste that is generated and conserves valuable natural resources.
Waste-to-energy is a process that converts non-recyclable waste materials into usable forms of energy, such as electricity, heat or fuel, through various treatment methods like combustion, gasification or anaerobic digestion.
At Samex, our waste to energy plant has a capacity to prepare up to more than 40 tons of alternative fuels per day by recycling hazardous solid waste.
This safe process recovers the energy value of waste streams generated by manufacturing facilities. Waste materials that can be converted into alternative fuels include items that are contaminated with paints, solvents, resins, oils or grease. For example, here are a few items we typically receive at our waste to energy plant:
Creating alternative fuel also reduces combustion and emissions while reducing the amount of solids sent to landfills.
If solvent distillation and waste to energy are strategies you are considering adding to how you manage your waste, it’s important that you choose a plant that not only offers these services, but prioritizes sustainable operations itself.
Solvent distillation and waste to energy plants should embrace energy-efficient technology. An example of this is at Samex, our solvent recycling process minimizes environmental impact by using energy-efficient technology that increases recovery volume.
Our state-of-the-art solvent distillation technology is designed to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions while enabling the recycling and sustainable processing of chemicals.
Samex also operates a wastewater treatment facility that works together with our solvent distillation and waste to energy plants to create a more sustainable process. Wastewater that can be treated includes acid water, alkaline water, water with hydrocarbons and water with heavy metals.
After going through the various treatment processes, the result is commercially clean, nonhazardous water that is repurposed to brick manufacturing. There is no discharge to the sewer system, and any solids recovered in the filter press are directed to the waste to energy section of the plant. Everything is used, nothing is wasted.
Investing in sustainable solutions like these above spurs innovation and accelerates the creation of cleaner technologies, ultimately resulting in more resilient and environmentally responsible industrial practices.