greenlogistics
BY DAVID MALONEY, SENIOR EDITOR
GREEN EQUIPMENT
Wondering how to make your warehouse
or DC operation more eco-friendly?
Here are some ideas to get you started.
blueprint for
a greener DC
WITH APOLOGIES TO KERMIT THE FROG, BEING
green is looking pretty easy these days—even for
warehouse and distribution center operations.
Environmentally friendly material handling systems
are available for nearly every warehouse function,
and most suppliers are eager to help their customers
figure out how to use their equipment to maximum
green effect. Best of all, many of these products do
not require large investments, just a new way of thinking when it comes to selecting equipment.
What follows is a brief rundown of some areas of a DC
operation that offer easy opportunities to go green. Although
this is by no means a comprehensive list, it may give you some
ideas on simple ways to make your own operation more sustainable.
Waste not, want not
Most distribution facilities create mountains of waste—corrugated cartons from
incoming shipments, paper used to pick and process orders, and even the backing of labels
used in pick operations. Throw in used stretch wrap, old pallets, and left-over packaging supplies, and the volume mounts quickly.
What to do with all that waste? First, reuse the corrugated materials where possible. By shipping products
in their original cartons, you save the cost of new materials as well as the time spent repacking. (But check
with your vendors first to make sure the cartons are sturdy enough for reuse.) All corrugated that you do not
reuse should be recycled. Balers can make it easy to stack and prepare old corrugated for transport to a recycling facility.
Paper, too, can be recycled, but a greener alternative is to eliminate paper altogether wherever you can. More
and more DCs are turning to paperless order processing systems these days. In a paperless environment, warehouse management software relays picking instructions to workers via voice, pick-to-light, or radio-frequency
technology, eliminating the need for paper pick lists. As a side benefit, these systems boost accuracy and productivity, and generally have a fairly short payback period.
If paperless operations are not an option, there are still things you can do to reduce your environmental impact.
For example, if you use paper for pick-to-label applications, look for labels made from recycled materials.
