Toward sustainable cash with green factories

Number 9 on the list of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals is unambiguous: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.”¹ Better-designed and more sustainable factories and other buildings that are crucial to industry – logistics installations, data centers, and the like – are key to the realization of this goal.

Innovation is a key term in this context. The rapid advances in technology have hastened development in nearly every facet of our lives. The architecture and fabrication of our industrial infrastructure should reflect this as well.

Within the cash cycle, this includes everything from printworks to cash centers. Companies engaged within the cash cycle should take the planet – and the communities that live on it – into consideration when planning new buildings, or refurbishing older ones. Keeping certain principles in mind while planning such projects can have a positive effect on sustainability across the cycle. Such gains are good for the environment, and also good for business. “What we’ve learnt is that sustainability isn’t a net cost to business,” said Dr. Wolfram Seidemann, CEO Currency Technology at G+D. “Aside from reputational gains and meeting consumer and employee expectations, sustainability has demonstrable value in terms of cost savings and other efficiencies. It makes good business sense to be green.”

While we are talking in the context of companies that operate within the cash cycle, it should be noted that the principles governing the design and building of sustainable or “green” factories work across industries. What makes a cash center sustainable should work, at least in theory, for any other installation.

But first, let’s consider the reasons for building eco-friendly factories and other installations.

Knowing why there’s a need for green factories is one thing. Constructing a carbon-neutral building is quite another. Let’s discuss the principles that guide the design of such a facility.

Principles of green factories

Sustainable factory design can be grouped under a few pillars, including building and construction, waste management and recycling, more efficient machines and plant processes, increasing energy efficiency, and paying attention to logistics and site location.

It is important to consider each of these as part of a whole. Buying lower-emission machines is good. But putting those machines in a building with high energy costs that is spewing carbon into the air is clearly counter-productive. Using long-life machines is also a good thing, but the gains from such a move are lost if the waste being generated is not disposed of in the best way.

When applied together,² these principles can drive a more sustainable architecture, part of a more sustainable industrial design. Nor does this have to be at an extra cost, stressed Monika Speckmaier, Global Vice President, Solutions Central Bank and Printworks, G+D, echoing Dr. Seidemann. “Cost efficiency and sustainability are not at odds with each other,” she said. “Solar panels and other means of renewable energy may cost money to begin with, but they work together to deliver advantages, including cost efficiencies, over the life of that building or process. At the end of the day, you save money by being sustainable.”

Logistics and location

Let’s look at how these two factors influence green factory design, as they have particular implications for the cash cycle. Cash’s central role in a society’s stability depends upon its availability. Planning a new printworks with the supply chain in mind is more important than ever before. It minimizes transport distance, which has the knock-on effect of decreasing emissions, while rendering the whole cycle more efficient.

Equally, planning the most efficient transport network is key to how green a factory actually is. Sustainability doesn’t end at the gate: it should be delivered to the consumer. Consider route optimization: it shortens transport times, delivers on cost in terms of fuel savings, and delivers sustainability gains in terms of lower emissions.

Quick and sustainable gains

Recent technological advances have enabled software to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive even more sophisticated modeling of demand, inventory, and route optimization. In addition to building the greenest factories with the best materials, it is important to plan the most eco-friendly processes to go with it.

Following globally acknowledged certifications is another way to deliver sustainable gains. As already mentioned, the movement toward sustainable norms is a global one. Keeping them in mind when building a factory and its processes is important.

Finally, it is important to find partners who not only have the expertise to deliver on these goals, but also share them with you. G+D has chosen to put sustainability at the heart of its corporate strategy. Cutting emissions, lowering water consumption, and lessening waste at our own facilities puts us in a good position to help others achieve the same goals, especially in new projects.

We believe that sustainability isn’t a cost that must be borne. Rather, it is an essential part of being in business, one with clear advantages to enterprise, and it should be seen as such.