Green Supply Chain

Everyone uses “going green” as a catch phrase these days. Many companies use it to stay en vogue as much as they do to protect the environment. I have even heard of one story where a tile company was touting themselves as green because they had tile that looks like wood instead of using real hardwood floors. Meantime, to make the tile, the grout and thinset they were promoting was much worse for the environment than cutting down a few trees. Obviously they are not very green at all. So many companies are using the green terminology in their marketing now that it has almost become cliché.

So what does it really mean to go green in your supply chain? Just as there are many different aspects of the supply chain, there are also several ways of going green in your supply chain. For starters, you can begin to consolidate in your logistics and try not to rely on the bigger offenders of pollution. This includes checking out companies that make claims about being green. Look for companies that have
more recently updated their equipment since much of the environmentally friendly technology is more recent. You can also reduce product waste in your manufacturing and try to recycle as much as possible.

If you look at the complete cycle of the supply chain you can find many of these ways to reduce your company’s carbon footprint. Even looking at which shipping line or trucking company you are using can greatly affect your company’s environmental impact. This has become increasingly important in order to keep our environment safe for generations to come.