Here are six ways that the manufacture of your Hyster® lift trucks contribute to sustainability goals.
1. New green Hyster manufacturing facility
The plant in Craigavon, UK, where many popular counterbalance lift trucks up to 8-tonnes are built, such as the Hyster Fortens forklift trucks and electric Hyster XN and Hyster XNT electric forklifts, has a new 60,000 square foot extension, which is being fitted out to the highest environmental specifications.
Light and heating features contributing to reduced CO2 emissions include LED lighting, 100% more daylight panels than the construction industry standard, LUX sensors, high efficiency direct air blow heaters, the highest quality insulated speed doors, and cladding increased to 80mm.
The site has been accredited with ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 50001:2018, which both relate to environmental practice and is on track to reach the goal of reduced Carbon emissions by 30% by 2026. Its environmental performance has also been recognised as among the best in Northern Ireland.
2. Sustainable Urban Drainage System installed
A key green initiative at the newly extended Hyster manufacturing site in Craigavon was to ensure that drainage created from the new building extension would go through a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS), which mimics a natural drainage system, using soil banks and vegetation to slow water running from the site.
The vegetation and soil reduce the chance of pollution incidents and allow natural infiltration, while the chances of flooding are reduced, and increased vegetation provides more wildlife habitats.
This complements existing measures to encourage biodiversity, which has even resulted in rare species being found on site!
3. Making Hyster lift trucks with lower energy consumption
Energy is not just something considered when designing a low-emission Hyster lift truck or a zero-emissions Hyster lift truck, it is also considered during the manufacturing of Hyster equipment too.
Of course, energy is required to create powerful Hyster products, so efficient energy management is vital. Energy consumption for Hyster globally is decreasing, with a transition toward a less carbon-intense energy mix, and energy conservation initiatives.
For instance, a 1.5 MegaWatt, biomethane-fuelled, CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant at the Craigavon Hyster truck manufacturing site is planned to be operational by the end of 2022. It will generate 80% of the electrical load and the heat can be used free of charge, leading to significant annual savings.
4. Eliminating waste and increasing recycling
One key sustainability goal is to achieve zero waste to landfill across all sites where Hyster products are manufactured, by 2026.
Previously, the largest contributor to landfill from the Craigavon plant, for example, was shot waste, with an average of 100 tonnes being sent to landfill yearly. Now most of the shot waste from manufacturing Hyster lift trucks at Craigavon is reused by a local engineering firm that manufactures tractor weights!
Initiatives like this mean that the amount of waste sent to landfill from the Craigavon plant in 2020, was 43.44 tonnes less than the previous year.Plus, 97% of waste produced during the manufacture of forklift trucks at the site is now being recycled.
Additional waste reduction initiatives include food waste segregation, reusable tableware and paper takeaway bags in the Craigavon canteen, and increased recycling, reduced subscriptions to paper magazines, fewer printed materials, and water refill stations.
Similar initiatives are in place at other Hyster manufacturing sites too. For example, the facility developing and making Hyster Big Trucks in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, is now sending zero waste to landfill.
5. Reducing and reusing raw materials
Sourcing, selection, and management of raw materials directly impacts the environment. Did you know that a Remanufacturing Program enables customers to exchange used Hyster parts for remanufactured items? This optimises use of raw materials and enables valuable resources to remain in circulation for multiple lifecycles.
A Returnable Packaging Program also increases packaging lifespan, diverting waste from landfills and reducing operating costs. Transitions from wood crates to returnable racks for engine packaging, and returnable stillage for door packaging has resulted in less miles, and less landfill each year. Packaging design is also constantly under review to minimise material used and incorporate more recyclable elements.
6. Green truck design innovations
The complete range of Hyster forklift trucks, container handling trucks and warehouse handling equipment, is under continual innovation and development. New power solutions are being added frequently, so that trucks can do more to support businesses’ own sustainability goals.
Whether customers are looking for fuel cell applications, lithium-ion battery powered products, or low emission IC engines, there is a Hyster truck designed to suit their specific application needs and achieve significant carbon reduction goals.
Learn more about green initiatives from Hyster
For more information visit www.hyster.com.
