of low carbon materials by partnering with new and existing suppliers who might have additional innovative materials we can substitute into manufacturing processes,” Minne says. Educating and engaging suppliers so they understand and can reduce the carbon footprint of their operations and materials is a critical step in reducing the environmental impact of Interface’s supply chain, Minne adds. Recycling Energy CarbonQuest, a carbon management company, enables buildings to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) generated from their heating, power, and other building systems. It then uses the recycled CO2 product in environmentally beneficial ways.
For example, it may sell liquified carbon dioxide to concrete manufacturers who use it in their products, says Anna Pavlova, senior vice president, strategy, market development, and sustainability. New ways to use CO2 to replace petroleum continue to emerge, as well. Few building managers are familiar with this carbon capture technology, which makes education critical, Pavlova says. For instance, facilities professionals may not realize that many buildings can be retro-fitted to incorporate carbon capture solutions. The solutions are modular and can be installed indoors and/or outdoors, and will fit in most basements, rooftops, and/or on pads outside a building. With some larger installations that currently use heating systems like
CHP (combined heat and power) or fuel cells, a carbon capture solution can be one-fifth to one-tenth the cost of electrification, Pavlova says. The solution often can bolt onto fuel cell or co-generation solutions. To match the carbon that has been captured with potential users, Pavlova and her team have built extensive partnerships with CO2 users and distributors. When determining which use case makes sense for a particular CO2 capture, she considers the volume and the organization’s CO2 needs. She also factors in the distance to deliver the product, as the goal is to remain as local as possible. Carbon Quest then engages its partners to jointly develop a program for the offtake. n
In 2021, to help determine its five-year sustainability goals, Jabil surveyed internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers and customers. “The two areas stakeholders were focused on were climate and circular economy,” says Cassie Gruber, director of business solutions. This information prompted Jabil to set a goal of engaging in 10 circular economy projects across various industries by 2026. The company’s progress is audited by a third party and publicly disclosed in its annual sustainability report. In 2023, Jabil acquired Retronix, an electronic component reclamation and refurbishment company, to help it manage products that reach the end of their lives. “Retronix can remove soldered or embedded chips and components from printed circuit boards (PCBs) that still have value,” Gruber says. The chips and components might be redeployed back to the customer or liquidated in the secondary market, prior to the board being recycled. Retronix also can refurbish the reclaimed chips and components through reballing, retinning, and testing. When a chip or component re-enters the market, it is prepped and ready to go directly back onto manufacturing lines. “That adds an additional layer of value and reliability for electronics brands looking to prolong the product’s lifespan, reduce the need for new products, and decrease carbon emissions,” Gruber says. JABIL BUILDS A CIRCULAR SOLUTION
For large cloud customers, Jabil developed a circular solution for data centers that have reached the end of their lives, and after all reuse options have been exhausted. The boards are shredded and milled to be recovered for precious metal value and recirculated into supply chains. This Design-to-Dust solution can be deployed on-site anywhere in the world. Because the boards have been converted to powder, there is no risk of data extraction. Some customers approach Jabil seeking a circular economy, but the type of circularity varies. Some prefer items not go back out into the supply chain, or they don't want it back themselves. Then Jabil must find a place for it elsewhere in the value chain. The nuances to creating a circular economy that’s right for a company vary, due to regulations, organizational policies, and what’s feasible economically, among other factors. “When it comes to circular economy, none of it is cookie- cutter,” Gruber says.
32 Inbound Logistics • June 2024
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