The world is expected to generate 74.7 metric tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) by 2030.
And sadly, it’s not hard to see why.
As populations have grown and electronics consumption has risen, shocking amounts of products like mobile phones and TVs have gone to landfill, where they release toxic substances that are harmful to human health and the environment. But it doesn’t have to be this way…
Whilst consumers can help limit e-waste by recycling where possible, electronics manufacturers have the power to foster a more sustainable manufacturing industry altogether by adopting more eco-friendly policies and limiting the carbon footprint of their operations. Which is exactly what we’ve been doing at EMS!
Our current policies
To prevent materials from needlessly entering the waste cycle, EMS is committed to taking every opportunity to recycle — whether that’s in our offices or on our production lines.
Our staff recycle everything from materials used in foodstuffs, like plastic bottles and paper towels, to office paper, as well as any recyclable packaging that the components we order from our suppliers arrives in.
Still, we know that there’s more to waste reduction than recycling. So, we’ve worked hard to increase employee awareness of conscious consumption and encourage teams to only print documents when necessary.
We also take care to ensure hazardous materials are disposed of correctly where applicable — never throwing electronics equipment in the general waste.
Sustainable manufacturing isn’t just about putting the right things in the right bins, though. As such, we reduce EMS’ energy consumption by informing staff about the implications of poor energy usage and using ultra-efficient LEDS in our office spaces.
Implemented in partnership with Low Carbon Workspaces in 2021, these eco-friendly lights helped us save a staggering 4.2 tonnes of CO2 in just 12 months, which has been crucial in our journey towards being a more sustainable electronics manufacturing solutions provider.
Like many other organisations, we’ve also set ourselves a target of becoming net-zero by 2050 — something consolidating shipments and localising supply chains is helping us achieve.
To hold us accountable for our efforts towards meeting this ambitious goal, we’ve obtained the future Net Zero (FNZ) Carbon Accreditation, which certifies and benchmarks our carbon footprint.
Year after year, FNZ will award us with a CO2 certificate as part of the accreditation, which gives us a concrete CO2 emissions figure to show to our employees and customers how much progress we’re making.
Plans for the future
We’re proud of all the steps we’ve taken so far to combat e-waste and protect the planet. However, we know we can do more to support a more sustainable manufacturing industry.
Right now, EMS is working on finding more eco-friendly packaging solutions like reusable pallet systems, implementing more recyclable packaging where appropriate and making select processes paperless to minimise waste.
We also don’t currently have an environmental management system, which provides a formal framework to ensure organisations introduce the right policies to identify, manage and monitor their environmental impact. As such, we’ve got our sights set on ISO 14001.
This global standard sets out the criteria for effective environmental management systems, making it a valuable tool in helping businesses constantly improve their sustainability credentials and meet and exceed their regulatory requirements.
Whilst minimising e-waste and eradicating our greenhouse gas emissions won’t be easy, we believe it’s our duty to help rectify the electronics industry’s environmental issues and ensure clients can make eco-friendly choices amid today’s climate.
So, here’s to our journey towards sustainability; we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us…
If you’re looking for a sustainable electronics manufacturing solutions provider and would like to know how we could support your project, contact us at +44 (0)1635 588 871 or sales@emsolutions.uk.com.
