The benefits of “going green” when it comes to your industrial practices are no longer in dispute. Not only can green initiatives save you money and protect the environment, but they also signal to your customers that you are community-minded and that you care about them and the world in which we all live.
Today’s consumers have unique insights into the way businesses run their companies thanks to the information available through digital means and they want to know they can feel good about the companies they make their purchases from. That’s why more and more companies today are seeking LEED certification in their facility design.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification comes from the U.S. Green Building Council and lets your customers know that you care about sustainability. LEED certification does not apply just to retail stores or factories, but also to sustainable warehouse design as well.
Green warehousing practices are no harder to implement than green manufacturing or sales practices, and warehouse green initiatives can be just as valuable when it comes to cost-effectiveness, public relations and ethical considerations.
Green Warehousing Trends
So what are some of the emerging green warehousing trends? Here are three:
- Lighting: Controlling lighting is one of the best and easiest ways to conserve energy in a warehouse. There are a number of ways to implement green lighting solutions. One is daylighting, or designing your facility with apertures that allow the sun to get in and effectively light the facility during the day. If you perform warehouse duties around the clock, there are also solar batteries and light-activated motion sensors that can help dramatically reduce lighting costs.
- Insulated Overhead Doors: A tremendous amount of heat or cool air can escape from your warehouse loading doors even when they are closed. Replacing them with insulated doors can block heat transfer, lowering cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter.
- Recycling, Reusing and Repurposing: So many items can be reused or made from recycled materials in a warehouse, dramatically reducing waste. Plastic pallets and other plastic containers can be designed to be used over and over again and then recycled so they never have to end up in landfills. Your storage container costs will also drop. Salvaged wood and recycled steel are other effective ways to keep your warehouse going strong while saving money and protecting the environment.
These are just a few of the many ways you can take steps to have a greener warehouse facility, and with some creative strategic planning you should be able to come up with many more. If you’re interested in starting with reusable, recyclable storage products, Polymer Solutions International Inc. can help. We are a leader in sustainable, reusable plastic bottled water racks and plastic pallets, which are the perfect way to start making your facility greener and more environmentally friendly.
For information about PSI ProStack® sustainable plastic pallets and bottled water racks, call 610-325-7500 or contact us online or via live chat on our website now.