Material Efficiency Audit for industrial operations
A practical tool to gain economic and environmental savings
Material efficiency audit targeted for industry operations is a practical tool to boost company’s profitability, control their material streams and reduce their environmental impacts. It can be widely used for all industrial sectors. This study is an excellent example of responsible and sustainable business: as a result, economic and environmental savings are gained.
This audit helps to identify process stages in which the use of materials and energy, unnecessary work, environmental harm and the amount of waste can be reduced. At the same time, significant economical benefit can be gained when the alleged waste becomes visible. As a result of the audit, concrete actions are proposed to achieve these improvements. The benefits of these actions and potential savings are evaluated and based on them, recommendations for further examination are proposed.
AFRY has several qualified auditors for material efficiency audits, and our professionals can help with possible follow-up projects.
AFRY's comprehensive deliverables include the following:
- Material and cost balances
- List of the improvement points that create savings and environmental benefit
- Long list of the actions to the identified improvement points
- Evaluation of actions: feasibility and saving potential (e.g. €/a and kg/a)
- Further recommendations
The audit is completed with Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) method based on ISO 14051 standard. With this method, the direct and indirect costs related to the material use can be traced and the economic savings can be assessed. After the audit, further actions and improvements can be implemented systematically.
The audit typically takes 3-6 months. The duration depends on the size of the company/unit, the field of industry and the level and accuracy of available data. Typically, the audit includes one site visit, two workshops and interviews of the key persons.
AFRY has carried out several types of Material Efficiency Audits for different industrial sectors. AFRY has been involved in material efficiency audits and developing the method together with Motiva Oy since 2008. AFRY has several qualified auditors for material efficiency audits and our professionals can help with possible follow-up projects.
In one example audit 50 proposal actions were achieved, from which half got the best implementation rate. The priority was to reduce material waste, since it formed 70% of the manufacturing costs. The TOP-3 improvement areas were quality, energy use and handling of raw materials and products. The saving potential of all improvement proposals were 270.000 €/a
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