Over the past decade, leading kitchen manufacturer, Moores, has prioritised its commitment to the environment, and has recently announced series of new initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint at all stages of production.
Established 75 years ago, during World War 2, the Moores manufacturing facility has needed substantial investment to make the buildings more energy efficient. By making the switch to an external solar farm, Moores will now generate up to 20% of the electrical power needed to run the factory through solar energy, producing up to 1 GWh (gigawatt hours) of clean energy locally, saving the equivalent of 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2e) annually.
There are also plans to relocate one of the off-site buildings to the main manufacturing site. The building currently uses gasoil heating and has no insulation, but the move will mean it can be heated with the biomass boiler which will save the company over 40 tCO2e annually. Moore’s biggest expense to date came in 2021, with the installation of the £2m boiler, which repurposes 140,000 tonnes of waste wood from the production line each year.
Machinery will see a significant upgrade in 2025. The factory will welcome a new compressor, which will provide more efficient pneumatic energy to power some of the machinery, equating to an annual energy saving of 30 tCO2e. The hogger will also be replaced to allow Moores to use more wood-based waste from the production processes to heat the factory. The new hogger can break up more types of wood-based waste at a faster rate, meaning it does not have to be transported off-site to be processed elsewhere and saving up to 10 tCO2e associated with road transport each year.
Improved fuel efficiency for distribution
Not only are Moores making tracks to ensure the site is operating more sustainably, but over the past 18 months, the manufacturer has started to upgrade its delivery and forklift fleet with electric models at a cost of over £520,000. These upgrades have dramatically improved the company’s fuel efficiency, with Moores now also in the process of changing the car fleet to hybrid or fully electric vehicles which will be supported by car charging bays on site.
In terms of product, Moores is making the switch from using solvent-based paints to water-based alternatives. Water-based paints emit fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, reducing the risk of air pollution and its associated health problems. They are also less likely to contaminate water sources, reducing the risk of water pollution, so, not only is it a more environmentally friendly choice, but it protects the health of employees. Moores will also be de-listing all plastic wrapped doors, moving away from medium-density fibreboard (MDF) to more sustainable melamine faced chipboard (MFC).
Guy Tooth, Operations and Supply Chain Director at Moores, comments: “As a business, one of the biggest challenges faced is the financial hit that comes with making these sustainable decisions, but we are firm believers that short term investment leads to long term benefit. We have adapted our thinking to understand that green business is good business, which will help towards futureproofing the company. Our vision at Moores is to continue to invest heavily into our sustainability strategy, setting SMART objectives and ensuring our people understand how they can contribute. This way we will create a culture where sustainability underpins everything we do.”
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