It’s Gigaton time!
On Wednesday, Walmart announced the introduction of Project Gigaton, a new plan to meet its commitment to help sustain the world’s climate. The goal is to remove 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from its supply chain by 2030. The company will focus on the actions of its suppliers, offering an online toolkit to help them better manage energy and waste, and stop deforestation. Designs with a lower environmental impact will also be explored, such as LED light bulbs and products that are washable in cold water. 250 of Walmart’s top suppliers will take part in the project, with the aim to gain more participants in the future.
Greenhouse gases in the supply chain can make up to 80 percent of an organizations emissions. Walmart began addressing this problem back in 2005 and has kept up on its commitment ever since. Project Gigaton focuses on Scope 3 emissions, those that Walmart does not have direct control over. In the past, the company focused on its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (those owned by the company and the consumption of purchased energy). Therefore, this new project will target its remaining mass of emissions.
To find out more on Walmart’s project, click here.
Will fast fashion get… faster?
Amazon has been awarded a patent allowing the creation of an on-demand manufacturing system. The system allows rapid production of clothing, as well as other products, only after they have been ordered by the customer. It includes a series of textile printers, cutters and cameras which analyze the individual product for quality of production and provide information of possible alterations for future items. The goal is to increase efficiency in production and order fulfilment. It will also aid in reducing waste of raw materials and finished products by truly matching the demand.
This type of system further adds to the growing trend of ‘fast fashion’ seen recently in stores such as Zara and H&M. Many factors can affect the equipment and processes all associated with manufacturing. Through the use of this kind of system, risks usually arising from multiple suppliers and manufacturers can be minimized.
More information on Amazon’s system can be found here.
Beckoning efficiency
UPS has announced its plan to install electronic beacons in its package cars. ‘Preload Smart Scan’ uses Bluetooth-enabled beacons to identify wrongly placed packages in vehicles and notifies the loaders immediately. The technology is estimated to reduce ‘mis-loads’ by 70 percent. Subsequently, time and money will be saved through the avoidance of taking unplanned routes to correct mistakes. It will help to increase efficiency, as well as improve customer service by helping to stick to its service commitments.
By the end of 2017, UPS plans to install the technology in over 300 U.S. locations, totaling 47 percent of the company’s U.S. vehicles. If the technology is a success, it will expand the beacons to its facilities internationally. It had previously tried off-the-shelf beacons, but found them inadequate to its operations due to a broad signal range creating inaccurate information. UPS believes its technology could benefit similar delivery firms, as well as companies that require precise location-based services.
Read more about UPS’s new technological addition here.
Have a great weekend!
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