FEATURE Automated warehousing
An effi cient warehouse for sustainable operations
Hans Jongebloed, Senior Postal and Parcel Expert at Prime Vision, looks at sustainability challenges facing warehouses and ways how they can reduce their environmental impact
A
good place to start on the journey to a sustainable warehouse is the facility itself. Solar panels, modern insulation
and choosing a renewable energy supplier can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of operations.
Placement is another factor to consider. A giant warehouse in an area of outstanding natural beauty is obviously undesirable from an aesthetic and ecological viewpoint, but logistics also play a part. Locating a compact warehouse in an optimal area for local deliveries, with good road connections, away from nature hotspots, minimises environmental damage and traffi c pollution.
Sustainability also applies to people. Thankfully, the days of warehouse workers walking miles carrying heavy loads week in week out are almost behind us. With robots and other material-handling solutions, personnel are no longer subjected to this level of manual labour, ensuring a happier, healthier workforce.
While these sustainability goals can be achieved, warehouses can further improve to reduce their environmental impact.
Point of no return? Returns are a big sustainability issue for e-commerce. It is estimated that in the UK more than a fi fth of all clothes bought online every year are returned, while in the
US, one logistics company said that the CO2 cost of returning e-commerce purchases was similar to the output of three million cars. First, the item needs to travel back to a distribution centre (often diff erent from where it came from). Then, it is a long, cumbersome manual procedure to identify the product, check its condition and sort it properly, which involves personnel. If an item can’t be recycled or resold, it ends up in landfi ll, producing unnecessary waste. Needless to say that in the era of unlimited free returns, all these processes can also create extra costs for sellers. This is clearly an area for improvement. However, enhancing the effi ciency of the
36 September 2023 | Automation
process fl ow off ers a solution not just for returns, but for any warehouse operation. Automation can improve effi ciency and have a positive impact on sustainability. Using the returns example, being able to quickly check products with computer- vision systems, transport goods to appropriate areas for resale or recycling with robots, and identify areas where processes can be improved with analytics software will greatly expedite operations. Furthermore, it requires fewer personnel. By harnessing renewable energy to power automated equipment, warehouse operators can also mitigate the impact of electricity demand, delivering these effi ciency benefi ts sustainably. Automating warehouse processes in this manner allows fulfi lment and returns to be conducted in a reduced timeframe, within a more compact site, all the while minimising emissions, energy consumption and eff ectively lowering the operating costs. This means that sustainability goals can be met at every level of operations.
Sustainable approach to automation Prime Vision is working to not only provide products that enable effi cient, sustainable running of warehouse operations, but is also reducing the carbon cost of the its solutions, too. Prime Vision also focuses on reducing the impact of maintaining robots. Repair rather than replace approach improves sustainability, but when a robot is
irreparable, Prime Vision rescues as many parts as possible to be used as spare components. Localised repair facilities further ensure that spares and maintenance personnel can reach customers without generating excessive carbon emissions. Software is another area of focus. Maintenance can be carried out remotely, so nobody needs to drive to a site to carry out updates. Prime Vision also continually optimises its software to run more effi ciently, which reduces the number of servers required. Expanding the hardware, helping customers to collate facility computing power in an optimal, well- monitored space can save additional energy during installation and operation. Prime Vision applies new IT developments too, such as hyper-converged infrastructure. Such cloud-style solutions with high scaleability and effi ciency can eliminate the need for large quantities of servers on-site, allowing customers to downsize infrastructure whilst adding fl exibility. Ultimately, to save the planet, the whole supply chain must work together to achieve the most sustainable logistics operations. This includes cooperation between warehouses and the companies that supply automation solutions to them.
CONTACT:
Prime Vision
www.primevision.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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