8 Ways To Make Your Warehouse More Environmentally Friendly

Photo by Adrian Sulyok on Unsplash 

Industrial warehouses typically require lots of electricity to power their lighting and machinery, so managers must be conscious of switching off plugs overnight and reducing emissions. To save money and support the planet’s health, here are eight ways to make your warehouse more environmentally friendly.

Industrial warehouses typically require a significant amount of electricity to power their machinery and lighting, so more attention has to be paid to reduce emissions, save money and protect the planet. Industar is on a mission to help warehouse owners to save their planet, so have detailed eight ways to make your warehouse more environmentally friendly. 

1. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

In 2020, plastic accounted for 3.7 metric tons of waste in the UK. 4.9 million metric tons were put on the market in total. Unfortunately, around ¾ of all plastic produced for sale ends up in landfills. More must be done to avoid unnecessary plastic packaging and single-use plastic. 

In a warehouse environment, you will regularly come in contact with unnecessary plastic packaging, so it’s important to do your research and see where changes can be made. Zero waste bulk cleaning supplies are available, meaning you can keep your warehouse clean without contributing to the problem. Any packaging that can’t be avoided, for example, packing peanuts in your shipments, should be reused or recycled wherever possible if they aren’t biodegradable. 

2. Insulate The Premises

Central heating can increase your utility bills, but a drafty warehouse can cost hundreds a month to keep at a regular temperature. Proper insulation in your walls and roofs means you require less gas and electricity to regulate the temperature. Less gas and electricity means less harmful emissions are being released into the environment. Loose-fill cellulose is an excellent option to protect your floor and walls, composed of recycled papers or denim.

Roof cavities and wall cracks are the first places you should look to treat, while underfloor insulation can be beneficial too. Thin aerogel blankets will be the most effective insulation for walls and flooring of refrigerated warehouses, thanks to their low thermal conductivity and frost resistance. Aerogel is environmentally friendly and unaffected by heavy loads.

3. Permanently Ditch Forklifts

Diesel, petrol and gas-powered forklifts emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while running. Carbon dioxide emissions on mass contribute to global warming, which is having a significant increase in the melting of polar ice caps. If you changed one forklift, it might not seem like that big of a change. However, considering how many forklifts are used in every warehouse around the country, it soon adds up. You should consider electrical options if you’re looking to lift heavy loads. 

An electric tow tug could be the perfect solution for your warehouse. Battery-operated tow tugs don’t emit pollutants or emissions! You can use your machinery indoors or outdoors without fear of inhaling harmful gas, and you can still lift weights reaching 40,000kg. Better still, tow tugs aren’t subject to LOLER regulations.

4. Minimise Water Usage

You might actually be surprised about the amount of water held in a warehouse. Water is a necessity to run operations, from washing machines, plumbing pipes and kitchen facilities. Wherever possible, recycling your water and minimising usage will help reduce water bills. There are simple changes that can be made. Turn taps off if you notice they’re dripping, and turn off your central heating overnight or during holidays. 

Overusing freshwater in the running of your business means there is less available for livestock, which in turn will put a strain on the environment. A rainwater harvesting system is easy to install and equally convenient as your standard plumbing. You can use stored rainwater for commercial operations. This can include rinsing tanks and landscape irrigation. Freshwater is still required for human consumption, but it will involve little waste. 

5. Change Your Lighting

Unsurprisingly, using energy-efficient LED bulbs in your warehouse will save you money and benefit the environment! Switching from CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) to LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) can half your carbon dioxide emissions. LEDs also use half the electricity of a CFL bulb. While energy-efficient bulbs are more expensive initially, they last longer and are cheaper to run.

Occupancy sensors are a great way to save hundreds on your energy bills each year. They react to movement in a room and turn the lights on, meaning unoccupied rooms aren’t using unnecessary electricity! Using the sensors will automatically save you energy rather than relying on staff to turn off the lights.  

6. Create Warehouse Zones

During production, you use a lot of different areas of your warehouse. It will pay to work out which areas need to be accessed at which points during the day so you know when they need to be illuminated and heated. By splitting your warehouse into zones, you can rotate the gas and electricity through your premises as each department gets used. Your carbon footprint will reduce significantly.   

Some items, including freezers and machinery need to be powered constantly, but don’t need to be illuminated. If your machinery can run without people operating them, the rooms don’t need heating or lighting. Consider how you can prevent gas and electric waste around your warehouse with a zone system.    

7. Carefully Choose Suppliers

Environmental consciousness is rarely cheap. However, it works out more cost effective in the long run. The Government is starting to introduce expensive taxes on international shipping. Choosing a material supplier local to you in the UK may seem more costly initially than importing from China but it will cause fewer emissions. 

Supporting local businesses benefits the environment, but it also improves your reputation within the UK. Your money remains circulated in the local economy by choosing an English company such as Industar for equipment, for anything from tow tugs to industrial hoovers.  

8. Invest In Shelving

Naturally, your inventory will increase over time especially as you get busier. One of the best ways to keep stock of your inventory and remain organised is through vertical storage solutions. Build storage units upwards rather than expanding outwards and needing to increase your warehouse’s surface area. Invest in plenty of shelving for your warehouse and use all he space you can afford. You can add ladders so that employees can reach high ledges. 

Warehouse extensions can be expensive! If you can avoid pricey building work, your annual profit will be higher. And in turn you’ll spend less time and money maintaining your warehouse. Smaller, more efficient spaces are much more economically and environmentally friendly.     

The Conclusion On Eco-Friendly Warehousing

An environmentally friendly and conscious warehouse benefits the environment obviously but also proves cheaper overall for business owners too. A reduced energy bill means less cost and less harmful emissions into our atmosphere. Contact Industar to discover eco-friendly lifting solutions that are guaranteed to help manage heavy loads across your warehouse.