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Why Sustainability is Essential in Manufacturing and How Green Business Benchmark Can Help

Consumer and supplier expectations are rising for greener practices and greater transparency. See how manufacturers have begun to integrate sustainability into operations, leading to improved efficiency, stronger brands, and new market opportunities.

Green Business Benchmark°

Published

July 31, 2025

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Min

Why Sustainability is Essential in Manufacturing and How Green Business Benchmark Can Help

In this article

Adaptability and resilience are built into its foundation of the manufacturing industry - producers are constantly updating processes to incorporate the newest technological innovations and market demands. As consumer and supplier expectations rise for greener practices and greater transparency, manufacturers have begun to integrate sustainability into operations leading to improved efficiency, stronger brands, and new market opportunities. Still, manufacturers often face challenges as they pursue these initiatives, from high upfront costs to supply chain complexities and organizational resistance to change.

This blog addresses how manufacturers can overcome these difficulties through integrating sustainability and related performance management tools into production processes.

Why Sustainability is Good for Manufacturing

Save Money and Operate Efficiently

While the upfront investment required can be intimidating, sustainable initiatives have the potential to deliver measurable financial value and return on investment. Many GBB customers have experienced these benefits firsthand as they take meaningful steps toward sustainability in their organizations.

Take Volm Companies as an example whose journey highlights how practical action can turn planning into measurable ROI. Struggling to build a sustainability plan and culture across its multiple locations across the US and Canada, Volm turned to GBB to organize and implement its efforts. The company leveraged GBB unique functionality to manage each specific location - conducting a comprehensive energy audit and integrating energy management practices across its operations. This move not only improved overall efficiencies, but also led to a significant reduction in annual energy costs.

The impact of sustainability can extend beyond energy savings as well. For instance, organizations that prioritize waste reduction often encounter initial hurdles, such as evaluating new technologies and encouraging staff participation. Hit Promo is a good example. Despite early struggles with finding suitable technologies and gaining employee buy-in, Hit Promo remained committed to its goals. The company was able to reduce post-manufacturing waste sent to landfills and associated waste disposal expenses, highlighting the tangible financial benefits that can come from sustained environmental initiatives.

Green Business Benchmark helps manufacturers overcome challenges with its benchmarking and tracking tools, guiding decision-makers toward high-impact improvements. The platform also has hundreds of initiatives demonstrating best practices and a network directory which allows you to see how peers are implementing these efforts. These features make it easier to craft business cases and gain executive support.

Improve Your Brand’s Reputation

Manufacturers with a sustainability certification boost trust and loyalty across employees, customers, and investors. Leading electronics companies (e.g. Apple) have launched take-back and refurbishment programs for devices, positioning themselves as more environmentally and socially responsible. However, expanding these programs often requires alignment across many departments and clear metrics to prove impact.

In cases like this, Green Business Benchmark supports manufacturers with streamlined sustainability certification processes and communication templates that help share achievements both internally and externally. GBB empowers teams to track progress and celebrate successes, helping to maintain momentum even in the face of change resistance.

Access New and Growing Markets

Customers and supply chains are demanding more sustainable practices from businesses, introducing opportunities to innovate and differentiate themselves. For instance, packaging manufacturers that have been able to achieve ISO 14001 certification have unlocked opportunities with global distributors requiring environmental management credentials. Meeting these evolving standards can challenge manufacturers, though, especially when dealing with multiple certifications or ensuring supplier compliance across borders.

Green Business Benchmark’s sustainability tracking makes it easier for businesses to stay on top of the latest requirements, centralize documentation, and streamline reporting across operations. This not only supports ongoing compliance, but positions companies to pursue new contracts with confidence.

Mitigate Risks and Build Resilience

Sustainable operations help manage risks tied to resource scarcity, climate events, and shifting market expectations. Some manufacturers may choose to diversify their energy sources with on-site solar and backup battery systems, reducing vulnerability to power grid disruptions. Others may develop closed-loop recycling processes with suppliers to minimize material shortages and price volatility. Unfortunately, it’s often simpler said than done; mapping risks across complex supply chains can be time-consuming and may reveal gaps in internal expertise.

With Green Business Benchmark, manufacturers can assess risk and leverage their sustainability to their advantage, enabling more proactive decision-making and helping prioritize the most urgent needs across different operational sites.

Steps to Get Started

While manufacturers often report uncertainty about where to begin or how to sustain momentum, transitioning doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Consider these simple actions:

Stay on top of compliance requirements with GBB’s initiatives aligned with global standards and frameworks.
Engage employees and partners to foster a shared commitment, as seen with companies that offer green training programs or incentives for sustainability ideas on the production floor. The platform’s collaborative features help educate teams and recognize contributions.
Leverage technology for better data and decision-making, such as installing IoT sensors to monitor waste and energy use in real time. Benchmarking software integrates with these technologies to centralize and analyze data, using GBB’s initiatives to focus on what matters most.
Earn certifications to demonstrate credibility and meet market demands, following the example of manufacturers who increased market share by promoting eco-labels on products. Green Business Benchmark’s certification support guides firms through the process and helps showcase progress.

Final Thoughts

Embedding sustainability into manufacturing is a powerful lever to create enterprise value and build a more resilient business. Manufacturers face challenges - like cost, complexity, and change management - but with the right technology, guidance, and tools, these obstacles become surmountable. Green Business Benchmark is designed to support manufacturers every step of the way, from early assessments to ongoing compliance and recognition.

Companies that act now will benefit from lower costs, stronger brands, and new growth opportunities, all while helping to shape a more sustainable economy.

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