FOR SUCCESS


Lowering the environmental impact of a product is tricky when supply chains involve complex procedures and worldwide manufacturers. Might an understanding of ‘GWP’ be the answer?


6.777KG 27.91KG


27.19KG NOW


0.039KG


0.032KG NOW


2.75KG


1.22KG NOW


0.091KG


0.077KG NOW


0.140KG


0.119KG NOW


DELTA LIGHT We have saved


11.4t tonnes of carbon per annum based on estimated sales. MANUFACTURE


Product Manufacture UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting Publication 2021 Version 1. Scope 3 - Material in use to point of sale.


SHIPPING


Product Sea Freight BSR Business for Social Responsibility 2017 Gobal Maritime Trade Lane Emissions Factors August 2018 Scope 3 - Using Dry 30.5 grammes of


CO² per TEU per km


FREIGHT


UK Road Freight from Port UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting Publication 2021 Version 1. Scope 3 - Freighting Goods Using 100% Laden Articulated 33t @ 0.05913 kgCO²e


DISTRIBUTION


UK Road freight from warehouse to customer UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting Publication 2021 Version 1. Scope 3 - Freighting Goods Using Average Laden All rigids 33t @ 0.20780kgCO²e


CONSUMPTION


In use Consumption UK NationalGrid 2020©


181g CO²e per kw/h based on 8hrs use per day, over 5 days per week with a typical


utilisation of 26 weeks. Total power 36 watts


DISPOSAL


Waste Disposal UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting Publication 2021 Version 1. Scope 3 - Waste disposal


POTENTIAL


HSC's infographic illustrates the Delta light supply chain, and the carbon savings made from 'cradle to grave'. I


n the midst of an already sweltering summer and with unseasonable weather


becoming a worrying norm, the hire sector and the industries supplying it have responded with carbon reduction plans, offsetting activities and other such mitigations. But how far can an organisation go in auditing its supply chain? Addressing this vexed question, the Hire Supply Company has been looking at the ‘GWP’ – the Global Warming Potential – of some of its most popular products.


GWP is likely to become a familiar term as the climate continues to heat up. It is loosely defined as a measure of how much energy a tonne of a gas will absorb in comparison to a tonne of CO2 over a specific period of time – usually 100 years, although you’d hope that’s more of a mathematical extrapolation than the actual schedule. The higher the GWP number, the more environmentally- damaging a gas is. Governments, politicians, corporations and other authorities are then supposed to use this information to make timely and sensible decisions.


In hire-specific terms, it can be seen as how


Coloured handles indicate mains powered, rechargeable or battery back-up.


much greenhouse gas is produced in the manufacture, transportation, storage and distribution of a product – the detailed carbon footprint in the entire supply chain, in other words. Wrangling with this conundrum is HSC Product Development Manager, Robert Sharpe, who has so far looked at the provenance of a pair of its most popular hire items.


The company actually started the GWP ball rolling by changing the refrigerant used in its dehumidifiers and air conditioners, swapping the standard R410 for the more environmentally-benign R290 or R1234YF. Changing the gas is relatively easy, but supply chains tend to extend a lot further – is there a better example, I wondered?


“We started by looking at the GWP of our Elite EH110MK3 heater – obviously, there’s no gas in there, but it takes a lot of CO2 to produce it,” says Robert. “Next we examined how the product is shipped. We used to transport 250 per container from the Far East. However, by giving the heater a removable base we have been able to increase the container volume to 400, which is much more fuel efficient. We also considered the end of life of the product – the heater cassette is now removable, while the casing is made of recyclable High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).


“Now, we’re thinking about how we maximise the manufacture and delivery of our products, as well as how we store and handle them at this end. This is great for us,


24 Executive Hire News - September 2022


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44