How to Take Your Manufacturing Company into a More Sustainable Direction

Julie Starr • February 25, 2022



When it comes to sustainability in the manufacturing industry, there are a lot of things to think about. From reducing energy consumption and waste production to ensuring that your products are environmentally friendly and recyclable, there are many ways to make your manufacturing company more sustainable. This blog post will discuss some of the most important steps you can take to make your manufacturing business more sustainable. You’ll also find some tips on how to get started!

#1 Evaluate your manufacturing process

The first step to making your manufacturing company more sustainable is to take a close look at how you’re currently operating. Are there any areas where you could be more efficient? For example, are there ways to reduce energy consumption or waste production? Once you’ve identified some areas for improvement, you can start working on making changes.

If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of resources available online that can help you assess your manufacturing process and identify areas for improvement. One helpful resource is the EPA’s Energy Star program, which provides guidance and resources for businesses looking to improve their energy efficiency.

#2 Implement energy-saving measures

Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, it’s time to start implementing some energy-saving measures. There are a number of ways to do this, and the options will vary depending on your manufacturing process. Some common energy-saving measures include:

  • Installing LED lighting
  • Upgrading to more efficient machinery or equipment
  • Replacing older appliances with newer models that are more energy-efficient
  • Making changes to your production process to reduce energy consumption

By implementing just a few of these measures, you can make a big difference in terms of reducing your company’s energy consumption. And since electricity is one of the most expensive costs for manufacturers, reducing your use can save you a lot of money in the long run.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to energy-saving measures, there are plenty of resources and guides available online. The Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program offers a range of resources for businesses looking to improve their energy efficiency, including case studies, best practices, and technical assistance.

#3 Reduce waste production

In addition to reducing energy consumption, another important way to make your manufacturing company more sustainable is to reduce waste production. This can be done in a number of ways, including:

  • Reducing packaging and shipping materials
  • Recycling or repurposing scrap materials
  • Converting waste products into new products
  • Implementing green logistics practices

All of these measures can help you reduce the amount of waste your company produces, which will not only save you money but also help protect the environment. In addition, there are a number of resources and programs available to help businesses reduce their waste production. For example, the EPA’s WasteWise program offers resources and assistance for businesses looking to implement waste reduction programs.

#4 Use environmentally friendly materials and processes

One of the best ways to make your manufacturing company more sustainable is to use environmentally friendly materials and processes when Vacuum forming your products. This not only helps protect the environment but can also save you money in terms of reduced energy consumption and waste production. There are a number of different ways to go about using environmentally friendly materials and processes, so it’s important to find one that will work for your business. Some common options include:

  • Switching to biodegradable or compostable materials
  • Using recycled or reclaimed materials
  • Using renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power
  • Implementing green chemistry practices

All of these measures can help reduce the environmental impact of your manufacturing process. And by using environmentally friendly materials and processes, you can also improve your company’s reputation and attract new customers. Sustainability is an important consideration for any business, but it’s especially critical for manufacturers. By making a few simple changes, you can take your manufacturing company in a more sustainable direction and help protect the environment while saving money in the process.

#5 Educate your employees

One of the best ways to make your manufacturing company more sustainable is to educate your employees about sustainability and how they can help. This includes educating them on the importance of reducing energy consumption , waste production, and using environmentally friendly materials and processes. There are a number of ways to do this, including:

  • Holding workshops or training sessions on sustainability
  • Creating an online resource center with information on sustainability measures
  • Including sustainability topics in employee training programs

By educating your employees about sustainability, you can help them understand how they can contribute to making their company more sustainable. And by involving your employees in the process, you’ll create a team of advocates who will be instrumental in helping you achieve your sustainability goals. This will allow your company to move into a more sustainable direction much quicker seeing as everyone will be working together towards the same goal.

#6 Partner with other companies that practice sustainability

Another great way to make your manufacturing company more sustainable is to partner with other companies that practice sustainability. This can help you learn from their best practices and also improve your company’s reputation as well as get the word out there about your business’ new sustainable stamp. There are a number of ways to find companies that practice sustainability, including:

  • Searching online directories such as Green Business Network
  • Attending trade shows or conferences focused on sustainable manufacturing
  • Asking suppliers if they practice sustainability

By partnering with other companies that practice sustainability, you can learn from their example and take your own business in a more sustainable direction.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for businesses, especially manufacturers. There are several simple changes you can make to take your manufacturing company in a more sustainable direction. By reducing energy consumption, waste production, and using environmentally friendly materials and processes, you can save money while helping to protect the environment. And by educating your employees and partnering with other companies that practice sustainability, you can further improve your company’s reputation and bottom line.

 

Earth Day is a Moment. Sustainability is a Journey.

By Julie Starr • April 7, 2025
Every April 22nd, Earth Day reminds us of our shared responsibility to care for the planet. It’s a powerful moment for reflection, recognition, and renewed commitment to environmental stewardship. But for companies like Taiga, Earth Day is not just a day—it's a checkpoint in a journey that spans all 365 days of the year. Beyond the Day: The Power of Year-Round Storytelling While Earth Day is an excellent opportunity to spotlight your company's environmental efforts, the true impact lies in consistent, transparent communication about your sustainability strategy. Customers, investors, employees, and partners are increasingly interested in how companies plan, act, and improve over time. To build trust and inspire action, companies should: Share clear targets: What are your goals for emissions reduction, circularity, or biodiversity? Make them specific and time-bound. Report results honestly: Celebrate wins and be candid about setbacks. Progress, not perfection, is the story. Connect efforts to impact: Highlight how your initiatives benefit ecosystems, communities, or supply chains. Leveraging Earth Day as a Strategic Moment Think of Earth Day as a milestone that anchors your broader communications. Some ideas: Launch or preview new initiatives that reinforce your long-term strategy. Tell human stories: Showcase employees, community members, or suppliers contributing to sustainability. Host interactive events: Webinars, volunteer days, or innovation showcases invite people into the journey. Publish a sustainability snapshot: A visual, engaging recap of the past year's progress. Engaging Stakeholders Year-Round To keep the momentum going beyond April: Create a sustainability content calendar to share updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and educational content. Invite feedback: Use surveys or listening sessions to understand stakeholder priorities and ideas. Collaborate: Partner with NGOs, academics, or startups aligned with your mission. Recognize champions: Celebrate employees and partners who go above and beyond. Bringing It Together: A Continuous Narrative Earth Day is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness, but lasting impact comes from building a continuous narrative. At Taiga, we see sustainability not as a series of campaigns but as a shared journey with our stakeholders . When we connect the dots between moments like Earth Day and the year-round work behind the scenes, we not only deepen engagement—we accelerate change. So this Earth Day, let’s celebrate progress and recommit to transparency, collaboration, and bold action. The planet needs more than promises. It needs a plan. And it needs all of us.

Greener Clicks: How to Reduce Your Environmental Impact with Sustainable Digital Marketing

By Julie Starr • March 31, 2025
In the race to decarbonize our world, one area often overlooked is digital marketing. While it might seem inherently clean compared to print or physical campaigns, our online activities have a real and measurable environmental footprint. From servers powering your website to emails filling up inboxes, every click, stream, and scroll contributes to carbon emissions. At Taiga Company, we believe digital strategies can be powerful and low-impact. Here’s how to get started. Optimize for a Low-Carbon Web Why it matters: Websites and digital ads are hosted on servers that consume electricity, often powered by fossil fuels. Every time a user loads your site or ad, it uses energy. How to reduce your impact: Host green: Choose web hosts that use renewable energy or offset emissions. Clean up your code: Streamlined, efficient code reduces load times and energy use. Compress and reduce images: Smaller files mean faster pages and fewer emissions. Limit heavy media: Videos and animations are carbon-intensive; use them mindfully. A faster, leaner website isn’t just better for the planet—it also boosts SEO and user experience. Email Marketing with Intention Why it matters: Every email sent, received, and stored requires energy. Multiply that by millions of sends, and the impact adds up. How to reduce your impact: Clean your lists: Remove inactive subscribers to avoid waste. Segment wisely: Only send emails to those who will truly benefit. Use plain-text when possible: It’s lower in data and often more accessible. Reduce frequency: Send fewer, higher-quality emails with genuine value. Intentional emailing reduces not only emissions but also improves deliverability and engagement. Sustainable SEO and Content Strategy Why it matters: Search engines crawl, index, and serve up billions of web pages daily. Thoughtless content and bloated sites add to the load. How to reduce your impact: Create evergreen content: Focus on high-quality pages that stay relevant longer. Streamline your site structure: Fewer clicks to find content = less energy use. Use minimal plugins and scripts: Especially ones that load on every page. Green your CMS: Some content management systems are more resource-efficient than others. Sustainable SEO isn’t just eco-friendly—it’s good strategy. Fewer, better pieces often perform better than content mills. Rethink Marketing Automation Why it matters: Automated emails, ads, and data syncing can create a lot of digital clutter. That clutter eats up storage and energy. How to reduce your impact: Audit regularly: Retire old workflows and outdated automations. Optimize syncing: Reduce how often and how much data is transferred. Segment with purpose: Better targeting means fewer wasted sends. Use expiration dates: Don’t let outdated content or assets live forever. Efficient automation can reduce emissions and improve performance. Digital marketing isn’t going away—and it shouldn’t. It offers powerful tools for connection, education, and growth. But like all tools, it can be used more sustainably. At Taiga Company, we’re committed to helping organizations lower their environmental impact without sacrificing reach or results. Sustainable digital marketing is not only possible; it’s essential. Ready to make your marketing aligned with your company's corporate sustainability plan? Let’s start the conversation.
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