Collaborating for Decarbonization
Partnering With Local Belt Manufacturers Minimizes the Carbon Footprint
By Niels van den Boogert, Vice President/General Manager, Conveying Solutions at AMMEGA
The logistics and packaging industries have seen great benefits from automation and robotics. From production lines to warehouses and distribution centers, almost all packaged goods move along conveyor belts at some stage. This reliance on conveying makes the reliability of the belt an essential ingredient for operational efficiency and productivity. Beyond standard linear product movement, conveyors rotate, sort, reject, merge, and inspect products for a variety of industries. From food processing to cosmetics and household goods, to medical devices and pharmaceuticals, reliable, high-quality conveyor belting keeps business moving forward.
However, conveyor belts don’t just move business forward, they also drive businesses towards their sustainability targets. Sustainability has increasingly been the focus across industries. This renewed and magnified focus – partly fueled through U.S. legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – has companies re-examining all avenues to reduce carbon footprint. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Manufacturing Industry Outlook, forming external partnerships is one of the key strategies manufacturers are implementing in decarbonization efforts.
Therefore, aligning yourself with like-minded partners who prioritize the same values in business, ensures a joint collaboration that can reduce environmental impact. For example, expanding our investment in localized expertise and conveyor belt manufacturing capabilities is cutting lead times, shipping distances, and as a result, lowering carbon emissions.
Aligned Commitment to Sustainability
Belting solutions are a great starting point to help manufacturers drive toward a more sustainable future. Belts made of recyclable materials, energy-efficient belts, low-noise belts, and belts with lower material consistency, are all examples of avenues for improving sustainability targets. Working closely with a local partner that can design and manufacture customized conveying solutions serves to shorten lead times and drastically lower the carbon footprint due to the shorter shipping distances.
The Ecovadis Gold Certification is an example of an industry recognition that is given only to top 5% of sustainability-focused companies, and it vouches for a dedication to sustainability through using recyclable materials, creating durable products and adhering to green processes. Beyond that, it also guarantees partners’ commitment to sustainability and continuous, incremental innovation to ascertain it.
Material Science to Minimize Replacements and Waste
It is important to focus on material science to create products in an energy-efficient way using environmentally friendly materials. This philosophy not only revolves around using sustainable materials upfront, but also ensuring less waste in the long-term by minimizing replacements and ensuring belt longevity. This holistic approach is also reflected company-wide when organizations track various initiatives and practices, and report performance in an annual sustainability report.
Supporting Worker Well-Being
While precision and speed are important, this must never be done at the expense of human safety. As part of Industry 5.0 and sustainability initiatives, it is also crucial to design belts and machinery that coexist with workers and minimize injuries or straining. In belting particularly, there are “pinch points” where workers’ hands can get caught between moving components. Minimizing this exposure, alongside lowering noise levels, are some of the considerations when assessing employee safety in the workplace. Dampening noise levels to improve employee comfort and decreasing the main hazards present in belt manufacturing (which include exposure to chemicals and risks involving heavy machinery) are all crucial to actualizing sustainability goals.
Conveyor belting companies should aim to not only customize solutions to fit business needs, but also increase accessibility of solutions that are safe, reliable, and create comfortable work environments. The definition of sustainability is “the ability to maintain a process continuously over time” while considering ecological, human, and economic aspects which can only be done by touching on all five different pillars, according to the United Nations, which equally recognize: planet, prosperity, peace, partnerships, and people.
About the Author
Niels van den Boogert is the Vice President/General Manager of Conveying Solutions at AMMEGA, a global leader in belting and conveying solutions. Ammeraal Beltech, a brand of AMMEGA Group, customizes solutions to fit business needs and reach sustainability targets, while prioritizing safety, reliability, and a comfortable environment for workers. To learn more about conveyor belting, please visit Ammeraal Beltech, a brand of AMMEGA Group. To learn more about AMMEGA’s sustainability initiatives, visit https://www.ammega.com/esg-strategy/.