Sustainable Manufacturing - The future of tomorrow

by Renny Koshy Thomas

Manufacturing processes often require large amounts of energy and water and can often produce harmful waste and other by-products, so sustainability initiatives are becoming an increasingly important factor in today’s modern manufacturing. Nowadays, consumers are more environmental conscious than ever before and governments also continue to implement regulations to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. As a result, manufacturers are mitigating the impacts of climate change by pushing for carbon neutrality and minimizing their carbon footprints.

Sustainability means using products or services in a way that does not damage the future generations' resources. Sustainable manufacturing (also called sustainable design or green design) is the creation of manufactured products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. Companies engaging in sustainable manufacturing aim to reduce waste, conserve resources and minimize the use of harmful substances by using renewable energy sources, adopting circular economy principles and implementing eco-friendly production processes. Some examples of sustainable production methods are implementing practices that optimize the use of resources like energy, water and raw materials. This can include using energy-efficient machinery, recycling and reusing materials and reducing water consumption. Implementing predictive maintenance techniques and investing in energy-efficient technologies can also help in reducing energy consumption and emissions. Prioritizing efficient and eco-friendly manufacturing processes over the conventional ones contribute to sustainability, increasing operational efficiency by reducing costs and waste, reach out to new customers, increase competitive advantage, protect and strengthen brand & reputation and build public trust, these are some of the reasons why companies are pursuing sustainability.

Recycling is the most basic and also the simplest process. An effective recycling system can help companies reduce waste, reduce cost and have a positive environmental impact. As individuals also we can make a splash by inculcating the habit of recycling in our day-to-day activities. This in turn will help us to make our planet a better place for the coming generations to live & progress.