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Driving Change: The Sustainable Trajectory of CARBOGEN AMCIS Manchester

Driving Change: The Sustainable Trajectory of CARBOGEN AMCIS Manchester

Tuesday, 13 February 2024

Environmental, Social, Governance and green initiatives have been difficult tasks to address for the chemical industry for many years. Single-use plastics are wide spread, large volumes of hazardous waste are an inevitable by-product and high energy consumption a necessary part of running a production plant. However, CARBOGEN AMCIS is determined and committed to play its part in contributing to a more sustainable future for all.

From the start of our customers’ journey with us, we are always looking to optimize processes and make them as sustainable as possible. We have a dedicated team who assess proposals and from the outset look to use greener solvents and more environmentally friendly reagents where possible. Our purchasing team are committed to driving the engagement for sustainable procurement through the development of a supplier sustainability questionnaire. This aims to ensure that not only ourselves at CARBOGEN AMCIS but also the companies we work with are dedicated to a more sustainable future.

In addition to our work with customers and suppliers, the team at CARBOGEN AMCIS Manchester started an internal programme of efficiency improvement in May 2021. The aim of the project, through education on tools and techniques for continuous improvement, was to deliver sustainable outcomes and to design a roadmap for a greener future.

Whilst difficult at times, there are increasing opportunities to apply recycling and adopt circular economy principals in chemical manufacturing. Building this into the process flow of activities and identifying the right specialist partners to work with helps integrate this approach into a new way of doing business without difficulty. Applying in practice requires some logistical planning but the rewards in terms of sustainability improvement and economic productivity are significant.

The site had a challenge with management of solvent waste which was taking up valuable space and was costly to dispose of. A close collaboration was formed with Tradebe Chemicals to support solvent recycling projects and with local company Recon Packaging Ltd to support recycling of IBC containers used to ship liquid waste.

These initiatives combined to deliver the following results by March 2023:

  • Production Plant Capacity increased by 50% with zero capital investment,
  • Productivity increased by 75%,
  • Waste inventory reduced by 84%,
  • Solvent waste recycling improved from 0% up to 61% and is increasing.

The hard work of the team was recognised in June 2023 by The Chemical Industries Association when it awarded CARBOGEN AMCIS Manchester its Manufacturing and Resource Efficiency Award. The award recognises demonstrable process improvement and best in class performance. The CIA award was not the only recognition the team achieved in 2023.

The site achieved its silver EcoVadis status, again demonstrating its commitment to sustainability initiatives.

Building on the successful two year program that lead to the CIA award, the team has turned its attention to improving the energy efficiency of the site. The team is working with an external company, SLR Consulting, to devise a 5 year plan in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and minimize the financial implications of the soaring cost of energy. Areas under consideration include moving away from the use of diesel as a fuel source and on site heat generation obtained through the incineration of solvent waste. Through optimizing our own internal systems and overhead costs we can offer our customers the most efficient and optimal service.



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