Find Out Why Government Regulations Aren't the Only Incentive for Ditching Waste
A focus by the Biden administration on furthering clean energy initiatives and pursuing net zero carb emissions has many businesses exploring their options when it comes to meeting new regulations that could be on the horizon. Government regulations, however, are not the only reason why businesses should explore ways to decrease adverse environmental impact. Cutting waste is, oftentimes, a more cost-effective way to make business practices greener. “We have always supported the idea that businesses should limit their impact on the environment and implement practices that are more environmentally friendly, particularly when those are driven by the market and not regulation,” said SCL General Manager Travis Becktel. “We exist to support the reduction of waste or excess usage in every instance that involves operating machinery. Time is money, downtime is money, and excess operating time is money. If you’re decreasing waste, you’re reducing your impact on the environment, which is positive, and you’re positioning your business to run more efficiently.” Here are a few ways you can reduce waste and improve efficiency while also decreasing environmental impact:Optimize drain intervals
Extending the time between service intervals not only saves money; it decreases waste. One way to do that – without compromising OEM recommendations – is to explore premium products. Most recently, on the advice of SCL, one company switched from a less expensive lubricant to one that offered greater benefits and more protection, resulting in a 45% year over year savings.
“For some customers, ‘extending drain intervals’ can equate to going beyond OEM specifications, but that is not the case with our recommendations,” Becktel said. “In reality, you can work within OEM specifications to find a product that will better protect your machines and allow them to perform at peak condition for longer, all while using less product. That’s a win for the budget and it results in less waste.”
Improve fuel economy
Identifying opportunities to improve fuel economy is another dual win as it both benefits the budget and reduces environmental impact. The SCL fuel calculator allows fleet customers to get a broader and more accurate picture of potential savings that could come with a switch from 10W-30 over 15W-40 viscosities, as well as different outcomes for three 10W-30 viscosities. Taking into account fleet size, average annual miles per vehicle driven, and the average miles per gallon truck, companies can save anywhere from 1% to 2.5% in fuel economy annually. The larger the fleet, the greater the savings.
Fine tune your maintenance plan
Preventative maintenance itself is “green” because nothing is “dirtier” than needing to manufacture and install an entirely new engine due to catastrophic failure. Creating a comprehensive maintenance plan can also help your fleet adhere to warranty requirements in the event of disaster. Incorporating oil analysis as part of that plan can help you diagnose potential problems before they occur, minimizing down time and increasing the productivity and health of your machines.
Explore environmentally friendly products
Renewable Lubricants offer a more direct path to curbing adverse effects on the environment with lubricants, greases and cleaners derived from vegetable oil or synthetic ester. Before using renewable or biodegradable lubricants, be sure to check OEM requirements for your equipment, paying close attention to viscosity and oxidative stability.
Institute cardlock programs
Cardlock programs can help supply data that help companies analyze fuel usage and improve upon it. That could mean revising routes to make them more efficient, taking a closer look at vehicles that stand out from a fuel economy perspective, or altering driver behavior. They also provide consolidated billing for efficiency and a greater flow at physical stations, which means less down time per vehicle.
“All of these strategies are green in nature because they are constantly improving inefficiencies and overall waste,” Becktel said. “We have never been a status quo organization that simply pushes renewable products – we want to help companies look at their entire business and attack their waste or inefficiencies from several different angles. Our goal is to help our partners increase their efficiency, and we are always in the business of extending a helping hand to make that happen.”