Coimbatore: "In addition to its economic performance, a company must also account for and focus on its environmental and social performance to be truly sustainable. In simple words, Sustainability is the intersection of People, Planet and Profit", said Shyam Prashad Rajasekaran at CMA's Monday Musings here on December 30.
Coimbatore: "In addition to its economic performance, a company must also account for and focus on its environmental and social performance to be truly sustainable. In simple words, Sustainability is the intersection of People, Planet and Profit", said Shyam Prashad Rajasekaran at CMA's Monday Musings here on December 30.
At the weekly thought leadership session held by Coimbatore Management Association (CMA), Shyam Prashad Rajasekaran, Founder and CEO of TwirlTact Technology Solutions Private Limited who was the Keynote Speaker for the day, held an elaborate discussion on Green Manufacturing and ways to achieve it.
Shyam Prashad began his speech on explaining why manufacturing sector is becoming more environmentally conscious. He questioned the audience, Is your company trying to cope with increasing environmental regulation? Are your customers demanding better environmental performance and data?
Do you want to lower your energy and materials costs? Are you interested in producing and marketing greener products?.
"It can be overwhelming to think about all the work that would be required to make your company more sustainable.
However, there is a spectrum of efforts that can drive towards sustainable manufacturing. Some involve more effort and investment than others", he added.
He opined that through process optimisation, a notable amount of sustainability can be achieved. Process optimization involves changing your manufacturing process to minimize waste, conserve raw materials, and capture and reuse waste materials.
Citing an example of Texas Tile Manufacturing LLC, a vinyl flooring manufacturer who through process optimisation were able to save approximately $213,000 yearly on natural gas costs, Dr. Shyam noted that by adapting newer technologies and looking out for substitutes for raw materials, aming others, sustainability becomes an easier task.
Recalling the past decade, Shyam Prashad said that "For many years, the main environmental focus with regard to manufacturing was pollution abatement— preventing the pollution that has been created from getting into the environment. However, the attention has shifted to cleaner production and pollution prevention. With cleaner production, there are many opportunities for cost savings and other financial benefits for companies."
"Sustainable manufacturing practices can range from very simple process improvements to large investments in new technologies, product redesign or introducing clean technologies like environmental protection, assessment, compliance with environmental regulations, pollution control and prevention, waste management and others", he explained.
He noted that many clean technologies can be used to green the manufacturing process and are therefore important to sustainable manufacturing.
"A green product can be any product that is designed to reduce its environmental impact. A key concept is that environmental concerns and impacts are taken into account from the beginning of the product design process. There are no accepted standards for what constitutes a “green product". Green product design can have the same benefits as other aspects of sustainable manufacturing, including improved resource efficiency", he informed.
He also threw light on “Lean and Clean” manufacturing. He informed that companies could save up to 30% more by implementing lean and clean methods.
The Keynote Speaker concluded by saying "Sustainability is a Journey, not a Destination. The goal should be continuous improvement – making constant advances in your company’s overall sustainability performance."