Turning a carbon reduction ask into an opportunity to increase efficiency
Global brand owners such as Reckitt are seeking to reduce the environmental impact of their value chains. Here’s how a MENA home and personal care manufacturer, turned this ask into an opportunity.
Going the extra mile: Aligning with customer climate targets
A manufacturer of home and personal care products, the supplier has undergone a big transition from powder detergent supplier to hi-tech, multi-process contract manufacturing for leading brand owners, such as Reckitt.
In 2019, Reckitt reached out to the supplier in MENA, and other suppliers to reduce carbon and further environmental impacts of its supply chain. As part of its 2030 sustainability strategy, improving supplier performance was (and still is) a strategic imperative for Reckitt.
Reckitt shared it had partnered with Manufacture 2030 (M2030) to help its suppliers to reduce environmental impact through a Supplier Environmental Performance Program. We felt it crucial to align with our customer and combat climate change together.
Building and implementing an environmental reduction roadmap
In 2019, the supplier used the M2030 platform to develop and share an environmental reduction roadmap, having completed 31 actions to date with 37 more underway. Activities are focused on three core areas: energy, water, and waste.
Simple solutions, such as installing a smaller secondary compressor to run on days the site is closed in place of its larger 24/7 compressor, have had a significant impact. In fact, this change resulted in 1,200kWh energy reduction per day the site is not open. Overall, the manufacturer's climate action plan is helping the team to meet and exceed their energy and water reduction targets year-on-year.
The M2030 platform has given us a great starting point for our impact reduction plans and activities. We have built a climate action plan quickly and easily. The fact that we can forecast the impact of the changes we make gives us more confidence we will continue to meet our targets, maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, and keep improving our business operations.
Since 2019, the supplier has continued to share reduction achievements and measurements to enrich on-site audits and performance discussions.
Increasing operational efficiency with automation
Before, analyzing the impacts, calculating the financial benefits and working out ROI timelines was challenging. Now, with the platform in place, it is easier for the team to identify opportunities and communicate the potential impacts across their site.
Proving the business case for environmental sustainability
Having installed resource metering and monitoring, the data gathered is used
to build the business case for further improvements. Previously, this was done using spreadsheets. Today, the platform analyzes the impact of changes made.
Building knowledge to reduce environmental impact further
With access to hundreds of action-based projects and one-to-one support through the M2030 platform, the supplier's team are improving their knowledge and skills on environmental impact reduction, ready to drive further improvements at scale.