Material efficiency

Good monitoring and management are vital to reigning in energy costs and carbon emissions. Measuring and tracking resource use (energy, water and raw materials) is a key skill that all organisations should master, regardless of size or sector. It can help to identify patterns of wasteful behaviour...

Traditional accounting systems are not routinely designed to provide companies with information about total costs related to the use of resources and generation of waste and emissions. When a company is able to calculate and allocate costs on so-called non-product outputs, it can better monitor the...

The right balance makes a difference Top 20 analysis highlights where immediate energy and materials savings can be made Optimising the software on a heat pump saves about 20 000 kWh of electricity per year HAASE Gesellschaft m.b.H. is a producer of high-temperature, low-sag energy cables and rope...

Look closely and all kinds of savings can be found Top 20 analysis reveals energy-saving opportunities Adjusting compressed air pressure, for example, saves about 19 000 kWh in electricity a year Grain dust (byproduct) recommended for use as biogas fuel Garant Tiernahrung GmbH is an animal feed...

Taking the next step to sustainability Furniture-maker goes a step further to boost its energy and resource efficiency Input-output analysis pinpoints hidden costs in production and beyond Moretti Compact is one of the Italian market leaders in bedroom furniture production. The company had already...

The core goal of a waste-management system is to think of ways to improve a company's handling of non-product outputs (waste with zero or negative market value), and implement measures to minimise waste generation through more efficient use of resources or re-use of materials and to separate waste...

A certified environmental management system (EMS) is a coherent strategy for reducing your environmental impact, complying with legislation and setting continuous improvement targets in a systematic manner. While ISO14001 is the most widely applied EMS in the world, the European Union has its own...

Positive incentives for employees are closely related to information, education and training activities. While information and training are often the first steps, this measure focuses on positive incentives to perpetuate or strengthen environmentally friendly behaviour. Creating incentives around...

Full-scale waste scheme German company reuses steel by-products to reduce waste 100 % of steel scrap is reused Waste that cannot be reused in the factory is sold to other businesses The German company Georgsmarienhütte GmbH operates in the automotive industry. It produces crankshafts, piston rods...

Changing the company business model can involve new services, products and approaches to sourcing resources and dealing with customers. The motivation could be to capitialise on a new value proposition aimed at current or new customers or to enter a totally new market niche. Some new business models...