What Is Sustainable Manufacturing?
Sustainable manufacturing, also known as green manufacturing or sustainable production, is the process of creating goods with a primary focus on reducing negative environmental, societal, or economic impacts. This includes efforts to eliminate manufacturing waste sent to landfills, reduce water consumption, and integrate renewable energy sources to meet factory demands.
Manufacturing business leaders and plant managers may also aim to achieve net-zero or zero-carbon manufacturing, in which operations do not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. This is usually achieved by sequestering any potential greenhouse gases generated during production.
The Importance of Sustainable Manufacturing
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the industrial sector accounts for 23 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the US and as much as 30 percent when factoring in indirect emissions from energy used to power equipment and facilities.1 As governments globally work to halt and reverse the environmental degradation of climate change, manufacturing is a prime candidate where concerted efforts can have a huge impact.
There’s broad consensus on the need for greener, cleaner manufacturing. In a recent sustainability analysis from Deloitte, 85 percent of C-suite executives say they have increased sustainability investments, and 79 percent of stakeholders (including customers, employees, and shareholders) are pressuring companies to increase action on climate change.2
How to Achieve Sustainable Production
Per a recent Intel analysis, 77 percent of senior IT leaders in manufacturing agree that technology innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI), will play a significant role in their organization’s transformation to a sustainable business.3 Many of these innovations fall under the category of Industry 4.0, a broader industry initiative to transform legacy manufacturing processes with new levels of connectivity and automation. Industry 4.0 solutions can help businesses measure and reduce their emissions while integrating renewable resources, optimizing supply chains, and curbing water and energy use.
Many local and national government agency programs are available to help manufacturers jump-start their corporate sustainability initiatives. These programs typically offer grants or tax incentives to encourage sustainable business practices.4 Manufacturers can learn what financial resources are available by visiting agency websites or contacting agencies directly.
Benefits of Sustainable Manufacturing
In addition to protecting the environment and local communities, prioritizing sustainable manufacturing can be profitable for businesses. The latest technologies, such as machine vision–enabled defect detection, can help improve output volume and quality to ultimately reduce waste. Additionally, more-efficient facilities leveraging capabilities such as predictive maintenance can help reduce downtime and operating expenses.
Businesses that champion sustainable practices also earn credibility and loyalty from their customers. A recent joint study from McKinsey and NielsenIQ found that consumer goods marketed as sustainable grew 8 percent faster over a five-year period compared to goods that were not.5
Challenges of Achieving Sustainable Manufacturing
The Industry 4.0 technologies that make sustainable manufacturing possible are complex, and integrating them into legacy environments can be even more challenging. Many existing manufacturing environments lack reliable wireless networks to connect systems. In addition, the industrial edge is a harsh environment that subjects devices to shocks, vibrations, and electromagnetic interference. Specialized, industrial-grade hardware is often a requirement, as are real-time systems that can help ensure the predictable performance needed to run conveyor belts, robotics, and AI smoothly, safely, and efficiently.
Sustainable Production Technologies and Tools
Manufacturers should work with their technology providers to assess their environments and plan an Industry 4.0 implementation that will support their sustainability goals. The technologies and tools that support sustainable manufacturing include:
- Edge devices: Devices and equipment designed for harsh environments form the foundation of a sustainable transformation. Look for real-time-capable hardware that pairs high energy efficiency with the performance to support advanced AI and robotics workloads.
- Private 5G networks: Smart manufacturing systems that support sustainability need a reliable, robust private 5G connection that’s free of interference from public networks and enables comprehensive coverage compared to Wi-Fi alone.
- IT/OT convergence: Traditionally, information technology (IT) systems in the office are siloed from operational technology (OT) equipment on the factory floor. By converging IT/OT into a unified infrastructure, businesses can more efficiently analyze production data and track progress toward sustainability targets.
- AI for automation: Automated manufacturing processes such as AI-enabled defect detection or asset tracking can help deliver consistent results, reduce waste, and increase output.
- AI for sustainability: AI presents opportunities to analyze supply chains and factory floor processes to discover new ways of simplifying workflows and operating more efficiently.
- Digital twins: Digital twins are virtual replicas of real-world environments and equipment, informed by real-world data inputs. Plant managers can use digital twins to simulate changes to the factory environment to help streamline workflows and reduce pollutants.
The Future of Sustainable Manufacturing
A fully realized sustainable manufacturing process will strive to use renewable energy sources across all operations, eliminate waste sent to landfills, and achieve net positive water returned to ecosystems. However, organizations need help bridging the intention-action gap to bring this vision for a sustainable future to life. Sustainable intelligence is a promising strategy that leverages AI to help break down siloes between digital transformation and sustainability efforts. With the right partnerships and the right technology, sustainable intelligence can help propel organizations into a tech-positive, zero-carbon space.