MHD MATERIALS HANDLING
SUSTAINABILITY BUILT INTO MATERIALS HANDLING Combilift has been ramping up its sustainability objectives over the past several years – from increasing its range of electric equipment to its own sustainable manufacturing facility. Chris Littlewood, Country Manager Australia for Combilift, explains how.
C
hris Littlewood, Country Manager Australia for Combilift, says that implementation of sustainability into the company’s operations is not simply a matter of corporate social responsibility. “Yes, we do take very seriously our obligations to the environment and broader society,” Chris says. “But it’s more than that. Sustainability is actually fundamental to our value proposition as a business.” He notes the powerful follow-on benefits that materials handling equipment can have for sustainability. “When you think about what Combilift do, we provide materials handling solutions that can increase your storage by up to 50 per cent or more,” Chris says. “This of itself can reduce an organisation’s footprint massively. When you reduce your physical footprint, you are reducing your carbon footprint – by reducing your energy cost as well as other associated costs such as
Sustainability features were built in to Combilift’s new production facility, built in 2018.
48 | MHD OCTOBER 2021
heating, lighting, and maintenance. It all adds up and makes a big impact.” Combilift’s focus on sustainability starts at the core of its operations – as evidenced by its new factory in Ireland, officially opened in 2018. Chris says that sustainability was a paramount consideration during the design and build of the facility. “Everything from biomass fuel in our paint lines to minimise gas usage and take 473 tonnes CO2 out of our production in doing so; to generating 10 per cent of our total daily energy requirements from solar panels which – by the way – in Ireland is saying a lot.” Chris adds that the facility also engages in rainwater harvesting and that 30 per cent of its roof space is covered in skylights to minimise electricity usage. “Sustainability is also literally built into our machines,” he says. “You could, if you wanted, recycle 95 per cent of a standard Combilift machine.”
BY POPULAR DEMAND Chris says that Australia is unlike most of the other 85 markets in which Combilift operates in that it demands relatively little on a regulatory level to push businesses to adopt more environmentally friendly machines. The demand for more sustainable equipment is spearheaded by the customers themselves, rather than by the Australian government, and is testament to the growing culture of eco-awareness among many businesses. Further benefits of electric power are reduced maintenance costs and longer service intervals, as there is no longer need to check and top up fluids, lubricants, coolants or oils. Noise pollution is also no longer an issue – and drivers, the workforce and visitors on site also appreciate the quiet operation, as do neighbouring residents and businesses, particularly in urban areas. “Around 50 per cent of the machines we manufacture for Australia are now electric,” he says. “We now offer our multidirectional forklifts in electric up to 12-tonne lift capacity, combining emission free operation with powerful performance; we manufacture electric straddle carriers which have the capacity of lifting 35 tonnes; and nearly 100 per cent of our warehouse equipment range – including the Aisle Master articulated reach trucks and our pedestrian reach and counterbalance stacker – are electric.” The uptake of lithium-ion battery electric units has gathered pace this year, Chris says. “Our new Aisle Master OP or Aisle Master Order Picker comes lithiumready as standard, and customer demand
