The Greening of American Manufacturing: 10 Steps to Reducing Costs While Saving the Environment

The concern about global warming has produced a new green awareness among consumers throughout the world. Increasingly, green products have moved to the forefront of the hot-seller lists as people become more aware of environmental concerns and more companies seek to ride the trend toward environmentally friendly products.

Some companies, such as General Electric, have implemented programs devoted to green products. Sales of its Ecomagination

brand products have grown 4 percent faster than all its other products combined. “Natural” and “organic” have become buzzwords as more consumers become health conscious. Manufacturers can capitalize on this trend by implementing a supply chain management program that increases profits by becoming greener.

The following are 10 steps your manufacturing business can use to become more sustainable and green while reducing your costs and increasing your profits:

1. Adopt a Sustainable Business Strategy

Your strategy should begin by creating a green supply chain management that fits sustainability into your core business strategy. Sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It represents the means by which your business can achieve reduced costs and increased profits. Commit to building your business green from the inside out by redefining your goals so that they incorporate sustainable thinking into every aspect of your supply chain, from purchasing to production. If you commit to an informed sustainability strategy, it can be a catalyst for innovation in your business model.