Global industries rely on warehouses to keep international supply chains running, but the essential logistics components can also hurt the environment. Warehouse teams can improve their operations with sustainably minded improvements.
If you know which issues are most concerning, you can implement warehousing sustainability plans to help the planet without disrupting daily workflows.
How Warehouses Contribute to Global Warming
Research shows that warehouses produce 11% of the logistics industry’s carbon emissions, which occurs in multiple ways. Teams rely on gas-burning equipment to move and refrigerate goods.
The buildings also have to maintain specific temperatures through HVAC units that use electricity day and night.
You’ll also see various forms of waste at warehouses. Overstocking can lead to excess materials that get thrown out alongside packing or production supplies.
Employees can hurt the environment without meaning to, as well. Every time you throw a recyclable soda can in the garbage or rely on single-use paper towels to dry your hands, you’re contributing to landfills.
Once people understand the the ways warehousing activities hurt the planet, they can make purposeful changes to stop the damage. Their efforts may even result in more revenue.
Will Consumers Support Green Warehousing Efforts?
Warehouses exist so companies can make money. If the teams operating those spaces make sustainable changes, the business’s revenue could increase.
The results depend on if consumers learn about the changes through marketing efforts.
Think about the retail industry. Experts found that global e-commerce sales totaled nearly $6 trillion in 2024, which is a significant revenue stream from significant product production. Warehouses store and ship those products, but they could become greener with revised management strategies.
Since 78% of consumers want to buy from environmentally friendly enterprises, advertising green warehousing upgrades could increase those retail sales and revenue in other industries.
8 Strategies to Make Your Warehouse More Eco-Friendly
When you’re ready to improve warehousing sustainability in your workplace, start with some leading strategies. You’ll make the most effective changes and see green progress in your environmental impact.
1. Use an Energy Management System
While minor changes like using energy-efficient warehouse appliances can reduce how much electricity your team needs for daily operations, an energy management system (EMS) may provide bigger long-term results.
Industrial EMS platforms are software programs that track power usage, project management and automation output through easy-to-learn dashboards. Using one will result in trackable data, resulting in more accurate warehouse improvements.
Picture a facility shipping black seed oil for consumers who want to improve their athletic performance with nutritional supplements. The warehouses may consume extra electricity to keep the oil in temperature-controlled storage spaces.
If those facilities had an EMS program, they could note which refrigeration units are using the most and address the causes behind surges, like refrigerant leaks. The detailed information could reduce consumption and inform your sustainable upgrades without disrupting operations.
2. Add More Building Insulation
The HVAC units moderating the internal temperature of a warehouse are likely working around the clock. Keeping employees comfortable and in a safe working condition is crucial. The process also requires constant energy usage, which contributes to emissions local power stations generate.
Adding more insulation to warehouse structures could reduce each HVAC system’s workload. If the building retains the cold or warm air more efficiently, the units won’t work as hard to maintain the thermostat settings. The simple project can happen quickly, especially for smaller structures.
3. Start Circular Waste Practices
You’ve likely seen the physical waste that comes from standard warehouse operations.
Excess cardboard, wooden pallets and break room trash contribute to local landfills without proper disposal. Management leadership can arrange circular waste practices to reduce environmental pollution.
Local recycling centers can pick up reusable materials from packaging lines and break room waste containers. If teams primarily store goods for shipment, reusable storage containers could make a significant difference in the facility’s planetary impact.
Circular systems also extend product life cycles with repairs. Teaching your team members how to fix machinery or seemingly single-use supplies could extend their usage. You’d avoid purchasing more mass-produced products that fill landfills otherwise.
4. Install Reflective Roofing
When the sun gradually warms rooftops in hot climates, the heat transfers inside the buildings. Warehouses may rely more heavily on their HVAC units and consume excess electricity during the hottest parts of the day.
Reflective roofing materials like modified bitumen or metal sheets reduce that issue. They’re also robust materials that can handle foot traffic, so any activities on flat warehouse rooftops won’t damage your investment.
5. Participate in Renewable Energy
Flat roofs are excellent places for solar panels because the technology can capture sunlight from any angle. Anyone interested in warehousing sustainability should consider how their building can participate in renewable power sources.
Solar electricity is popular among homeowners, but entire sectors are adopting it as well.
Major brands like Walmart and Amazon incorporate it into their sustainability strategies by using solar panels for their warehouses. The long-term solution reduces grid dependency, resolving issues of excessive carbon emissions from high electricity dependency.
You could also consider partnering with a wind energy provider. Renewable energy companies can integrate structures into their production by sending their green electricity through existing grids.
The best choice depends on what’s available near your warehouse and which provider has the most seamless transition process for your building.
6. Implement an Inventory Management Software Program
Inventory rosters have a sneaky way of contributing to environmental pollution. Well-meaning team members might restock materials as necessary but accidentally order too much of a particular supply.
The excess could get thrown out into a landfill. Even if your crew never uses the materials, they likely used limited natural resources during production.
Inventory management platforms could help your team avoid those forms of waste.
AI-powered tools will track everything you typically restock and let your team know when they’re running low. You’ll maintain a more accurate account, reducing your chance of overstocking or throwing out unneeded supplies.
7. Shift to Electric Fleet Vehicles
Some people might think electric fleet vehicles are for shipping teams driving cross-country, but models also exist for warehouse teams.
Electric versions of forklifts, order pickers, pallet jacks and tow tractors are available through numerous manufacturers. They don’t require fossil fuels and can become even greener if your building gets electricity from a renewable source.
Your workers might only need minimal training if you decide to transition your fleet.
Electric forklifts still have many standard operational parts you’ll recognize. Most models will use industry-standard locking pins to keep the lift in place between shifts. If already certified employees have time to familiarize themselves with the new electric equipment, they’ll feel confident about using it on the job quickly.
8. Establish Sustainability Reporting
Making a one-time change could improve a warehouse’s environmental impact.
Your team will know if you’re maintaining that green difference with routine reporting. Outline key performance indicators you’ll use for ongoing measurements.
If you’re installing solar panels, you could draw monthly reports for how much power they’re generating compared to what you’re pulling from the grid as backup.
You’ll know your investment was worth it if the reports show your efforts are staying strong with continual usage. Set up reminders to review your selected reports at least once a month. Some software programs might even generate them automatically.
Tips to Start Workplace Changes
Adjusting how your warehouse operates might seem intimidating. You don’t have to worry about disrupting operations if you plan your changes with straightforward strategies.
Let Teams Know Early
When you’ve selected at least one green improvement for your workplace, let any affected teams know as soon as possible. They should have time to absorb the news and ask questions. Addressing their concerns will put everyone at ease, so they’re more ready to learn new tools or procedures that could affect their daily responsibilities.
Develop a Considerate Timeline
Your implementation timeline may stretch longer than you originally anticipated. Your crew needs time to train with the updated equipment or review upcoming operations they’ll need to learn.
You can also install any new software or gadgetry during slow periods. If an upcoming holiday will have fewer workers on the clock to account for slower production, that could be the best time to add your upgrades to the warehouse environment.
The most crucial detail is taking your time. If you make changes too quickly, mistakes could disrupt operations or lead to injuries. Take things slow, no matter your sustainability upgrade.
Track Before-and-After Metrics
You’ll know if your warehouse is still adversely affecting the environment if you compare your results with measurements drawn prior to your upgrade. If you’re trying to make your HVAC units run less often, log how many hours their fans currently run each day.
Complete the same process after installing more insulation or new roofing. You’ll easily see how much of a difference your efforts have made and adjust those strategies as necessary.
Improve Warehousing Sustainability With Fresh Ideas
Warehousing experts can help the environment by making their everyday operations greener. Sustainable warehousing practices support team efficiency, save money, and improve the planet if you invest time and resources into making the changes.
Coordinate timelines for the strategies specific to your warehouse’s most pressing environmental concerns to make the most effective changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five Cs of sustainability?
The five Cs of sustainability are clean, community, care, culture and corporate governance. Some are easier for individuals to manage, like caring for the planet and keeping it clean. Others are more useful in professional environments, like corporate governance plans using sustainability strategies similar to those listed above.
What are the environmental issues of warehousing?
Warehousing can have multiple environmental issues, depending on the facility’s size and operational rules. The building may emit excessive greenhouse gas emissions, produce waste or use lots of water. Each warehouse will have different environmental impacts that teams can resolve with sustainable strategies similar to the above list.
How do you reduce the carbon footprint in a warehouse?
You can reduce the carbon footprint in a warehouse with eco-friendly changes like the strategies mentioned above. Switching to renewable energy, creating recycling programs, using electric fleet vehicles and maintaining the internal warehouse temperature more effectively can all make the property greener.
References:
National Retail Federation: Consumers care about sustainability — but will they pay more?
