Is component manufacturing going green?
Is component manufacturing going green?
Consumers, governments and climate activists are increasingly putting pressure on manufacturers to make their operations more sustainable. From considering sustainability in their product design to selecting less impactful materials to making their production and distribution processes more efficient, components manufacturers too are making significant changes to the way they work.
As an essential part of the supply chain, component manufacturing isn’t going to go away any time soon. Yet, to thrive in a more environmentally focused world, they’re going to need to adapt to make their operations more efficient while still meeting the needs of their customers. So how are component manufacturers going green and what impact will it have?
This article answers the following questions:
What is green manufacturing?
Green manufacturing, otherwise known as sustainable manufacturing, is when production operations and processes are renewed or adapted to become less impactful on the environment. Manufacturers that are looking to make their business greener may focus on:
- Reducing the waste produced by current processes.
- Using energy and natural resources as efficiently as possible.
- Minimizing their level of pollution and emissions.
- Ensuring their entire product life cycle makes as little environmental impact as possible.
Although the specific green objectives will change from business to business, each manufacturer will be looking to minimize the environmental impact of their processes while continuing to deliver for their customers.
This movement towards greater sustainability has been driven by pressures from environmentally conscious consumers and governments. Indeed, manufacturing has long been one of the most impactful sectors. For example, manufacturers’ carbon emissions have continued to rise, hitting 34.07 billion metric tons in 2020, a 35% increase from 2000.
Now though, investors and legislators are taking action. Governments aren’t just setting ambitious environmental targets, particularly on reaching carbon neutrality, but are directing their spending towards greener initiatives. Spending under the Climate and Environmental Justice plan is predicted to reach $5 trillion by 2050, for example.
However, it’s not just external pressures that are driving manufacturers to make these changes. Some manufacturers are feeling the benefits of increasing their sustainability too. A climate check survey by Deloitte Global found that nearly half of 750 manufacturing executives asked said that improving their sustainability boosted their financial performance.
Whether it’s increasing their overall production efficiency, lowering their energy costs or developing new, innovative products, around 80.2% of members from the National Association of Manufacturers are either developing or have a sustainability policy that can benefit their business. Yet, as component manufacturers seek out a greener approach, there are specific challenges they have to overcome.
What methods of component manufacturing are sustainable?
When it comes to making component manufacturing more sustainable, businesses need to balance the environmental impact of their operations alongside their product offering and customer service.
Whether it’s the cost, quality or production efficiency of their components, manufacturers are constantly balancing their requirements of their customers with that of the environment. Depending on the particular component manufacturing process, this can present specific challenges to businesses.
Below, we will look at the different methods of component production and how manufacturers are working to make them more sustainable.
Blow molding
Blow molding is the process of using compressed air to blow heated plastic into a mold cavity. This makes blow molding ideal for any manufacturer looking to create hollow plastic objects. Depending on the specific design of the component, manufacturers can use different types of blow molding such as extrusion or stretch blow molding.
The main environmental impact of the blow molding process is its high energy usage. Heating up the plastic to an appropriate temperature and the large quantity of compressed air required to create products uses a huge amount of electricity. Finding a sustainable source for this electricity and putting in energy reduction practices, such as adjustable speed motors that automatically switch off power when the machine is idle, are key concerns for blow molding manufacturers.
Compression molding
Compression molding is a process that has been used since the late 19th century. Originally used to mold rubber, it’s still a preferred method for creating small amounts of large components and involves heating and compressing rubber or plastic resin into a desired preform.
Again, energy usage is a concern for compression molders. However, the main challenge these manufacturers face is the high amount of waste the process creates. It is a relatively inaccurate process that often creates large amounts of flash (by-products). Recycling or reusing this excess material is the main way manufacturers can work to make their process greener.
Thermoforming
A relatively simple and cost-effective process, thermoforming involves molding a thin sheet of heated plastic into a new component. To create the product, this plastic sheet can be molded using vacuums, pressure or even draping over a preform.
Similar to other component manufacturing processes, thermoforming uses a large amount of energy and creates significant waste, both of raw materials and molds, which can only be used once. Plus, as it’s a highly complex process requiring many resources and materials, there is lots of potential for errors and waste to occur.
3D printing
3D printing uses specialist machines to create products directly from computer models. This offers manufacturers a range of benefits, including the ability to create complex designs, use a range of materials and produce components accurately without any errors or wastage.
The flexibility of the 3D printing process in terms of material selection means it produces significantly less waste and emissions compared to other components manufacturing processes and can even reuse raw materials that would otherwise be wasted. However, the wide range of 3D printing capabilities has also led to an increase in the number of products which could end up in landfill. This makes end-of-life processes a priority for 3D printing manufacturers.
Injection molding
Injection molding is the process of injecting molten thermoplastic at high pressure into a mold. This is then packed and cooled into the component’s final form. The high efficiency and low cost of this production process alongside the quality of the final products has made injection molding a popular choice for components manufacturers for many years.
However, this doesn’t mean the process is entirely sustainable. As well as using specialized plastics that are produced using limited resources such as oil, gas and petrol, injection molding uses high amounts of energy and, in some cases, can lead to a huge amount of waste.
Yet, one benefit injection molding has over others, is the high level of control manufacturers can have over the process. This means experienced injection molders can optimize the production line to be as efficient as possible.
Is components manufacturing energy efficient?
The energy efficiency of components manufacturing is entirely reliant on the specific process that’s used. For example, thermoforming, which is one of the most energy-intensive components manufacturing processes, uses 6 kWh of electricity for every kilogram of production. In contrast, 3D printers use 0.05 kWh of electricity per hour of printing.
However, there are certain controls that manufacturers can put in place to improve their energy efficiency, for example:
- Automating machinery to turn off when it’s idle or not in use to minimize the amount of electricity use.
- Adjusting the amount of pressure or heat used in the process to ensure there’s no energy wastage.
- Ensuring machinery is maintained well and up to date. For example, many injection molders are transferring away from hydraulic to electric machines which are 80% more energy efficient.
Finding more renewable sources of energy is also a common way for manufacturers to reduce the environmental impact of their processes. Focusing on reducing energy wastage outside of their manufacturing process, such as in their offices or distribution operations, can also help businesses reduce their overall environmental impact.
Are component materials sustainable?
The majority of components are produced using plastics. This, in itself, has a huge environmental impact, both in terms of wastage and the demands it places on natural resources. National Geographic estimates that 91% of the world’s plastic isn’t recycled, leading us to create landfill sites in natural environments and threatening wildlife, particularly in the oceans.
Plus, 98% of single-use plastic products (of which components make a significant proportion) are created using fossil fuels. This doesn’t just place a significant demand on the earth’s resources, but impacts on the world’s carbon emissions too.
There are two main ways components manufacturers are working to reduce the impact of using plastic materials on the environment:
- developing and using plastics that are created from sustainable sources
- recycling or reusing their products or waste plastic wherever possible.
When it comes to recycling or reusing plastic, components manufacturers are focusing on key areas of their operation, including:
- Ensuring production lines are fully optimized to prevent raw material wastage wherever possible.
- Reusing or refeeding raw materials back into the process when possible. For example, some injection molding manufacturers refeed excess plastic back into the process by mixing it with virgin materials.
- Recycling waste products or materials. Whether it’s excess flash or products that have reached the end of their life, putting recycling protocols and processes in place helps manufacturers to reduce their overall impact.
Developing and using plastics from more sustainable resources is also a huge focus for components manufacturers. Significant resources are currently being dedicated to developing plastics that are sustainable, less impactful while also having the material qualities customers are looking for in their components.
Three types of sustainable plastics that are currently under development or being used by components manufacturers are:
- Compostable plastics – one of the biggest impacts that plastics currently have on the environment is taking up space in landfill or damaging natural environments. Compostable plastics are broken down by living microorganisms in a similar way to other organic matter. This means components made from this type of plastic break down in a shorter amount of time i.e. a few months rather than hundreds of years.
- Biodegradable plastics – plastics don’t just take up space in the natural environment, but can release chemicals that are damaging to wildlife, water and soil. Similarly to compostable polymers, biodegradable plastics are broken down by living organisms into natural, safe elements such as carbon dioxide and water. This means microplastics don’t build up and cause damage to the environment.
- Bioplastics – these are plastics that are made from renewable or sustainable raw materials. Unlike fossil fuels, these plastics are developed from natural components such as sugar cane, corn starch, vegetable fats and oils or microorganisms. This not only means they demand less from the earth’s resources but can often be disposed of sustainably via recycling or reuse.
Although currently many of these plastics are in prototype stage, significant research and development is being put into creating polymers that are renewable, less impactful and have desirable material characteristics such as durability and strength. This means components manufacturers could be using more environmentally friendly polymers to create their products within the next decade.
How is Essentra Components going green?
With a global presence built over more than 65 years in the industry, Essentra Components recognizes that to make its business more sustainable, it needs to take action to become more sustainable. This doesn’t just mean improving the overall efficiency of production operations but taking a wholesale approach to reducing the businesses’ environmental impact across the board.
That said, across its production lines, Essentra Components has set ambitious targets for emissions, including a 25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025 and making any direct operations carbon neutral by 2040. It’s also looking at improving energy efficiency across the business through innovative projects such as machine replacement schemes and by making small changes across sites. This includes installing LED lighting and increasing site insulation.
Waste is also a key area of focus for Essentra Component’s sustainability efforts, including many of its environmental commitments. These include reducing total waste production to 20% by 2030 and ensuring all sites are Zero Waste To Landfill certified by 2030. Plus, wherever possible, production teams work to reduce waste and reuse raw materials by optimizing injection molding operations.
Sourcing more sustainable materials is also a key part of the movement towards less impactful components manufacturing. That’s why Essentra Components has committed to sourcing 20% of packaging and polymer raw materials sustainably by 2025 and has also become a signatory of the European Commission’s CPA. This involves becoming part of a Europe-wide movement to boost the use of recycled plastics in the market to 10 million tons by 2025. Already the company has been able to announce that its LDPE range includes up to 40% post-consumer recycled plastic content.
By recognizing the extent of the challenge and setting ambitious targets, Essentra Components understands and meets its commitment to meeting the expectations of its customers, both in terms of sustainability and product quality.