Sustainable warehouses – it’s this easy!

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What makes sustainable warehouses special

A sustainable warehouse is unlike other warehouses in that it operates in a way that pays equal attention to its ecological, economic and social responsibilities. Let’s take a look at what that means in more detail:

• Environmental friendliness: A sustainable warehouse focuses on protecting the environment and reducing the number of resources it consumes. This includes things such as having energy-efficient lighting systems installed, using renewable energy sources and optimising transport routes.
• Social responsibility: A sustainable warehouse looks after its employees and fosters a positive company culture. This includes things such as practising occupational health and safety, creating fair working conditions and promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Economic efficiency: A sustainable warehouse is efficient and economical in how it operates. This includes things such as optimising warehouse processes, avoiding waste and reducing operating costs.

And it’s not just the legislators who are demanding to see transparent reports on all the processes involved in the supply chain (under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains [Lieferkettengesetz], for example) – more and more customers are, too. So with that in mind, having a sustainable warehouse can also be a way to convince new customers to buy a company’s products and services, as well as improve its reputation among existing customers and business partners.

Our tips for creating a sustainable warehouse

Be energy efficient

If you’re looking to reduce the amount of energy your warehouse consumes and lessen the damage it does to the environment, then installing energy-efficient technologies, such as LED lights, automatic light switches and motion sensors, is a good place to start. You can also use renewable energy sources such as heat pumps and solar panels to minimise the amount of carbon emissions your warehouse generates and at the same enjoy the economic benefits these systems provide. An energy management system (EMS) can help out here by monitoring and analysing energy consumption in the logistics centre. The data it collects on electricity and gas consumption, for instance, can be used to identify where there is potential to make savings, as well as to optimise heating and cooling systems. Continuously monitoring and reviewing energy consumption is a vital part of achieving your savings targets, which means an EMS is a key component in any sustainable warehousing strategy.

Use resources carefully

Sustainable warehouses make use of water-saving technologies such as dry flush toilets, reusable water containers and rainwater treatment systems. What’s more, you should opt for materials that are long lasting, environmentally friendly or can be recycled. You should also reduce waste to a minimum. Composting organic waste, recycling paper, cardboard and plastic, as well as reusing packaging are all great ways to do this.

Optimise transport

A sustainable warehouse optimises how goods are transported so as to lower emissions and reduce the amount of fuel consumed. This can be done through optimising routes and managing how vehicles are utilised. For example, avoid empty runs at all costs for more than just economic reasons. Where a warehouse is located also plays an important role. Detours produce harmful greenhouse gases and should only be taken as a last resort. Our partner BigMile is here to help if you want to calculate your own carbon footprint or are required to do so under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains. You can find more information here

How to have your warehouse certified

There are a number of different certifications that a sustainable warehouse can obtain, including ISO 14001 Environmental management systems and ISO 50001 Energy management systems, which describes the requirements an energy management system needs to meet in companies and organisations.

Companies must meet the following energy management requirements when it comes to warehousing:

• The company must set energy targets
• Energy consumption must be recorded and analysed
• Measures to improve energy efficiency must be defined and implemented
• Progress must be monitored and measured
• Energy management must be assessed as to how effective it is
• Continuous improvements must be made to the energy management system

Sustainability is something that warehouse operators should care about, as it’s not just good for the environment, but it also provides economic benefits, too. It is becoming more and more common for customers and business partners to look at a company’s sustainability strategy when assessing whether they want to do business with them or not, and companies will have to deal with this if they want to stay competitive. On top of that, sustainable management also allows companies to save operating costs, as they can reduce the amount of energy and volume of resources they consume. In addition, utilising transport routes efficiently and reducing emissions also helps warehouse operators build a positive image and reinforce their company’s social responsibility. What’s more, legal requirements, such as the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains, are getting stricter and also impact warehouse operators, who should take their responsibility for ensuring they have a sustainable supply chain seriously.

One warehouse for every situation

No matter whether you decide to opt for a sustainable warehouse or a regular one, there’s no escaping the fact that warehouse space is hard to find. That’s why it’s crucial for you as a business to utilise a network of warehouses rather than simply rely on a single partner. which is something the Routes & Costs application in the TIMOCOM Marketplace can help you with.

One of the most important parts of the service that a modern company provides to its customers is delivering products quickly and reliably. However, they can’t keep that promise if the product is stored far away from the customer. That’s why it’s wise to look for warehouse space in the vicinity of potential customers. This strategy not only allows you to react quickly and flexibly, but it also allows you to save on transport costs while reducing your ecological footprint:at the same time.

TIMOCOM’s warehousing exchange helps you do just that. It provides access to over 9,000 warehousing and logistics spaces across 46 European countries. Search for available warehouse space just like you search for information in search engines, at precisely the locations that make sense for your business. You can also filter your search by the number of square metres, the type of storage or any special equipment you need, so you can find the perfect warehouse for your requirements.

Discover the TIMOCOM warehouse exchange today and test out TIMOCOM’s Marketplace to optimise and secure your supply chains.

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