2 Tips To Help You Develop A Sustainable Supply Chain
More and more corporations are beginning to worry about the potential negative impact their business activities could have on the environment. If you are hoping to make your own company more environmentally-friendly in the future, it can be beneficial to start developing a sustainable supply chain to help you access the raw materials needed to manufacture the products you sell on the open market.
Here are two tips you can use to help you begin developing a more sustainable supply chain for the future.
1. Communicate your expectations to your suppliers.
If your company purchases in volume from a particular supplier, it's likely that this supplier will not want to lose your business in the future. One of the first steps you should take when deciding to develop a sustainable supply chain is to communicate your expectations to your major suppliers.
Letting suppliers know that you will only be purchasing from companies that adhere to environmentally-friendly production practices will give your suppliers the time they need to alter their activities to reflect a more sustainable business model.
Setting clear expectations allows you to determine which suppliers are willing to become sustainable alongside your company, and which suppliers will need to be replaced with more like-minded producer in the future.
2. Map your supply chain to see how far raw materials are traveling.
Shipping in raw materials from your suppliers could be taking a toll on the environment. Trucking goods over long distances requires the use of fossil fuel, and can contribute to the number of pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere.
By mapping out your supply chain, you can determine exactly how far your raw materials are traveling before they arrive at your manufacturing facility. To create a more sustainable supply chain, look for suppliers that are located in close proximity to your company.
Eliminating the number of miles that raw materials are shipped can be a simple way to reduce your company's carbon footprint and develop a sustainable supply chain that will continue to benefit the environment well into the future.
Taking the time to evaluate your supply chain can be beneficial when trying to make your company's business activities more sustainable. By having a serious conversation with current suppliers about your expectations when it comes to sustainable business activity, and sourcing raw materials close to your company's manufacturing facility, your company can do its part to help reduce its negative environmental impact in the future.
