Sustainable production processes: what can we do?

The world’s focus is shifting. Materials, processes and choices have the potential to be greener, more sustainable and more ethical. The demand for automation is increasing. Standard solutions do not offer the desired outcome and do not match the specific production process. Instead, the aligned communication between machines and the creation of a flow ensures the effective use of people, materials and energy. In this article we look specifically at the fresh produce industry and use this sector as an example of the possibilities for making automation in production processes more sustainable.

As labor scarcity, skyrocketing inflation and logistical factors intensify the pressure on automation, sustainable awareness in the corporate world is increasing. Together, we simply have an obligation to the next generation and planet. Still too few organizations take a critical look at the choices made in terms of raw materials, packaging, transportation and waste handling. Together with the customer, Freshtech identifies where the opportunities lie, but especially how this effectively fits into their production process. What are the possibilities for sustainability? To what extent can we make the product circular? How do we create a purpose-driven solution?

A sustainability drive must take place in a cost-effective manner. The pressure on supply chains is so high that it is not easy to achieve sustainability without additional costs for the end product. These are costs that are often not (or cannot be) passed on to the end consumer. Therefore, it is important to make smart investments. In the case of Freshtech’s solutions, the sustainability and automation efforts often even yield an extra margin for producers. This is calculated by comparing the total labor costs and the degree of automation with the current situation.

Fresh produce industry: demanding a short Return On Investment

In the Netherlands, the fresh produce industry is a relatively large sector. However, compared to other sectors, opportunities for innovation are very limited. Production activities are usually not continuous, unlike in other food industries, in which working shifts of eight to sixteen hours are not uncommon. Hence, the ROI in the fresh produce industry requires to be much shorter. As a result, many sustainable solutions are not yet attractive or not feasible enough.

Therein lies the challenge for Freshtech’s engineers. How do we create a non-standard solution that meets the sustainability requirements and is also financially attractive for this complete and dynamic sector? When margins are small, the drive for sustainability is not strong enough, no matter how high the level of sustainable awareness. We therefore, together with the customer, always look for efficient, flexible, targeted and cost-effective solutions.

The banding machine is an example of a machine that eliminates the use of plastic and is a suitable solution for the fresh produce industry. The foundation of the banding machine is fixed, and with some modifications we can still offer a customized, targeted and efficient solution that also fits your budget. This is how we think along, while keeping Freshtech’s DNA noticeable: where standard solutions stop, we just start.

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