Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Entrance, Internal, Sliding & Bi-folding Doors Therefore, investing in new electric alternatives for key onsite equipment, such as forklift trucks, can have a dramatic effect in terms of emissions reductions and bottom line. Elsewhere, there are simpler but equally effective ways to reduce haulage emissions. For example, simply the act of reducing wasted space on pallets has helped us to maximise load capacity and reduced the number of annual trailer journeys from the Penrith site by 14,000 miles each year, equating to a 14-tonne reduction in annual CO2 emissions. Going full circle As anyone operating in the door industry will know, a key part of any sustainable strategy is to carefully manage existing resources to ensure products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible to preserve raw materials and minimise waste. For instance, at our Penrith Site, as part of our ambitious target to eliminate all landfill waste by 2024, we have already been able to achieve an 80 per cent waste reduction. A critical area in achieving this was a factory-wide focus on the increased circularity of materials, with every team member playing a role in everything from establishing waste sorting and identification to optimising processes and reducing transportation. Where we aren’t able to reuse waste timber at the factory, it is sent off-site for recycling, ensuring that it is filtered back into the supply chain and avoids landfill. This was the case for 2,740 tonnes of A-Grade wood waste last year, significantly reducing our environmental impact. Pass on plastic Plastic recovery also remains a major focus in this, especially in terms of reducing single-use waste by swapping plastic packaging for cardboard. We’ve replaced all glazed door packaging with FSC-approved, recyclable cardboard. As a result, more than 104,000 doors per year no longer have plastic shrinkwrap applied, and 17 tonnes of plastic wrap has immediately been removed from the supply chain. In addition, we save 246,000 kWh per year in energy as the equipment used to heat seal the plastic is no longer needed - saving 57 tonnes in CO2 emissions. Now or never As we look ahead to the escalating climate challenge, there can be no questioning that across the industry, it is ‘now or never’ to reduce our carbon footprint. With many of the solutions already on hand to charter the course, the recommendation is manufacturers leverage these today to make the biggest impact on our future. With benefits that go beyond sustainable performance to include reduced energy costs, energy security and smarter operation, those who do so will remain ready and primed for a future where it’s likely to be ‘survival of the greenest.’ 99 THE door industry journal summer 2023
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