Addressing the challenges

Implementing sustainability in manufacturing is not a simple or easy process. It requires commitment, innovation, and collaboration from all stakeholders involved. Manufacturing companies face various challenges and concerns when trying to adopt sustainable practices in their operations and products. In this section, we will identify the top six challenges and offer some solutions and strategies for overcoming them. Challenge 1: Cost Sustainability investments can be expensive and have long payback periods. But they also bring long-term benefits like lower energy consumption and reduced waste. To address this, companies should:

Seek external funding sources, such as grants, subsidies, loans, or tax incentives, that support sustainability projects and initiatives.

Engage in partnerships and collaborations with other companies, suppliers, customers, or research institutions that share similar sustainability goals and can provide expertise, resources, or support.

Challenge 2: Lack of awareness Many companies don't realise the environmental and social impact of their operations. This makes it hard to adopt sustainable practices and communicate their value. To address this, companies should do the following:

Conduct a sustainability assessment that evaluates the current state and impact of the company's operations and products on the environment and society and finds gaps and areas for improvement.

Create and distribute sustainability materials and resources, such as reports, newsletters, webinars, workshops, or podcasts, that inform and educate the company's employees, customers, suppliers, and investors on sustainability issues and initiatives.

Challenge 3: Resistance to change Manufacturing companies may face resistance to change from within or outside the company. Employees, managers, or shareholders may be reluctant or hesitant to adopt new technologies, processes, or practices. Overcoming resistance to change is essential for ensuring the smooth and effective implementation of sustainability in manufacturing. To address this companies should:

Communicate the vision, benefits of sustainability, and value it can bring to the company and its stakeholders.

Provide training and education on sustainability to the stakeholders to help them to adopt and adapt to the new technologies and processes.

Challenge 4: Regulatory compliance Manufacturing companies may face regulatory compliance issues when implementing sustainability practices due to different laws and regulations. Compliance may be costly, but it's an opportunity to show commitment and gain credibility. To address this, companies should do the following:

Conduct a regulatory scan that finds and analyses the relevant laws and regulations that affect the company's operations and products in different markets and areas.

Seek external verification or certification from reputable and credible organisations that confirm and certify the company's sustainability performance and practices.

Challenge 5: Supply chain challenges Implementing sustainable practices in manufacturing requires collaboration with suppliers, which can be complex. Suppliers may have different levels of awareness, commitment, or capacity for sustainability. To address this companies, need to do the following:

Develop and communicate a clear and consistent sustainability policy and code of conduct for suppliers that defines the company's expectations and requirements for sustainability.

Provide support and incentives for the suppliers to improve their sustainability performance and practices, such as training, education, technical aid, or preferential treatment.

Challenge 6: Lack of metrics Measuring the impact of sustainable practices in manufacturing can be challenging due to the lack of agreed-upon frameworks, indicators, and data. However, it's important to show the value and outcomes of sustainability. To address this, companies should do the following:

Adopt and adapt a recognised and relevant sustainability framework or standard for manufacturing, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), or the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Select and define a set of relevant and meaningful sustainability indicators or metrics for manufacturing, such as environmental, social, economic, or governance indicators.