Developing a Sustainability/Decarbonisation/ Circular Economy Strategy.

The Situation

The furniture manufacturing business needed to develop Sustainability / Decarbonisation / Circular Economy strategy.

The Objectives & Challenges

Evaluate resource consumption – fossil fuel (scope 1), electricity (scope 2), water, waste, packaging

• Convert fuel and electricity values to their CO2 equivalents

• Set targets, identify decarbonisation opportunities, reduce operational costs

• These opportunities are both short and long term and typically include:

1. Efficiency and Optimisation

2. Equipment Upgrades

3. Renewable Energy Investment

4. Procurement of Renewable Energy

5. Procurement of Carbon offsets

The Actions

Demand management – Look at overall energy usage, peak loads, excessive usage during low production times

•       Refrigeration – Cost/benefit of upgrading old in efficient refrigeration

•       Motors – Cost benefit of replacing old motors with new motors that are up to 60% more efficient

•       Lighting – Replace with LED lighting

•       Packaging – Reducing packaging waste to lighting punnets and replacement of peat casing with more greener waste

•       Solar/Batteries – Will establish cost/benefit of putting in solar through a desk top study

The Outcomes

•       7 projects identified

•       Estimated 25% reduction in energy consumption,

•       Avoided annual energy spend of €132,050, and

•       Estimated 89% reduction in scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions