The process of reusing and recycling materials such as plastic and cardboard is nothing new. Businesses and consumers have been recycling for decades to help reduce carbon footprints. The bigger change is factories have been popping up that specialize in manufacturing raw materials from previously unusable material, especially materials that are difficult for the average consumer to recycle. California, for example, is a state that invests heavily in such manufacturers, with many of its cities focusing on energy independence and resource protection through recycling. Here are a few ways recycling manufacturers benefit themselves, the industry and more.
- Reduces mining – The more scrap metal pulled from old buildings or products, the less metal needs to be mined from natural sources. This cuts down on any harmful chemical use as a byproduct of the mining process and saves those natural sources for bigger, more important mining needs.
- Reduces production costs – Factories that produce aluminum packaging such as cans can save time and money on processing if recycled cans are used. Less raw materials need to be fully pressed and shaped, and lower overall production time means more finished product can be sent off to consumers more frequently.
- Protects the environment – It’s not just scrap metal that can be recycled. Finished products with harmful chemicals or metals can be cleaned, stripped of said metals and chemicals, and repurposed in new products such as batteries or mobile phones. This keeps landfills from filling up with materials that can’t naturally degrade and end up harming local water tables.
- Develops a new line of jobs – A facility focusing on recycling manufactured goods not only repurposes previously unusable goods, but it creates a whole job stream in the process. Take children’s playgrounds, for example. As little as 20 years ago, nearly every playground featured a ground of sand, mulch or pebbles. By collecting and repurposing old tires for playground bedding, companies created an entire new line of manufacturing jobs. The same can be said of lumber facilities reclaiming and cleaning old wood from buildings.
- Simplifies the logistics chain – Building off #2 on our list, a manufacturer focusing on recycling goods for its own use or that of other businesses helps to simplify and shorten the logistics chain. Raw materials can either be sourced in-house or be shipped to a facility with some of the processing work complete, which potentially removes a few steps in the overall process and saves money.
The growing scarcity of resources is leading more companies to explore renewable supplier options and has given birth to a new branch of the manufacturing industry and saved natural resources for larger scale production in the process. What are some ways your facility uses recycled materials to create new products or save on costs? Share with us in the comments below and be sure to visit www.gesrepair.com or call us at 1-877-249-1701 to learn more about our services. We’re proud to offer Surplus, Complete Repair and Maintenance on all types of Industrial Electronics, Servo Motors, AC and DC Motors, Hydraulics and Pneumatics. Please subscribe to our YouTube page and Like Us on Facebook! Thank you!