Let’s talk going green.
Making the transition to ‘go green’ is an investment warehouses are finding worth the effort, even though the initial upfront costs might be a little daunting, years after initial implementation they are benefiting from continued cost savings and a clearer conscience. Reduced utility bills, increased sustainability, giving employees an eco-friendly business to be proud of and reducing your carbon footprint are all great reasons to go green.
If your business is eco-minded and your warehouse needs some improvement to bring it in line with business initiatives, then our suggestions on how to make your warehouse greener are a good starting point.
Don’t go out, go up.
Building up with a single, two or three tier mezzanine to maximise the space you already have, using up less horizontal space. Often a warehouse relocation is considered the only choice but a major consideration should be a mezzanine installation, if you have the capacity to build up. Overall, it is a financially and environmentally better option.
Warehouse Layout – optimise and maximise your layout
You will know what your fast-moving products are, by making these more accessible you can cut down on travel time throughout the warehouse, saving labour and energy costs. A well thought out warehouse will reduce the time it takes to stock shipments and fulfill orders, which improves labour efficiency and boosts sales and customer relationships through better service delivery.
Go electric!
Switching to electric forklifts and other machinery in your warehouse means improved employee health and less impact on the environment as electric forklifts eliminate tailpipe emissions which are produced by gas forklifts.
Get the ‘cool’ roof option.
Did you know your warehouse roof can help your business go green? Well, it can! By painting your roof a bright, reflective colour it reflects the suns rays rather than absorbing them – this lick of paint can reduce your cooling costs during the summer and is an easy way to make a start at getting your warehouse greener.
Insulation, insulation.
We all know the effects of bad insulation, increased utility bills! Keeping your warehouse insulated to help keep climate control inside the building. The use of insulation will also reduce wear and tear on your HVAC system and reduce energy bills – and most important, you will have happy and comfortable staff!
Keeping lit.
The most obvious simple change, make the switch (see what we did there!) to LEDs. There is, of course, an upfront cost to replace traditional lighting and install LED lights but data shows that LED lighting will offer a saving of over 80% compared to traditional lighting technologies. LEDs do not require replacing as often and so you will benefit from reduced maintenance costs.
These are just a few suggestions to get you started – other things you can implement across your warehouse and office facilities include:
- A recycling system
- Paperless office
- Switch to more energy efficient electronics and switch them off when they are not in use
- Consider installing solar panels
- Employ water saving initiatives
We would love to see your energy efficient warehouses, please feel free to follow us on Twitter or Instagram and tag us in posts of your green warehouses.
