Metalube’s sustainable journey

Introduction

At Metalube, we have always thrived by thinking ahead. Thinking ahead means being aware of our environmental impact and exploring how, as a company, we can ensure that our products are created and produced sustainably. It also means making sure that, as a business, Metalube is doing its part to minimize our environmental footprint.

Can lubricant manufacturing be sustainable?

Given the nature of the manufacturing industry, it’s common to wonder how a manufacturer can achieve sustainability.

At Metalube Group, we create a more eco-conscious business through a combination of green energy, sustainable practices, and offsetting by giving back through green initiatives.

Thanks to this blend of sustainable efforts, Metalube Group has achieved a Gold EcoVadis business rating, making us one of the industry leaders in sustainable practices within the metal lubricant sector.

Why did we choose to be sustainable?

Working in industrial manufacturing, an industry that isn’t always known to represent the most sustainable of practices, Metalube wanted to do things differently.

As a company, Metalube understands that in a more socially conscious and environmentally aware landscape, people expect more from their suppliers, asking them to uphold greener standards and more eco-friendly practices within their manufacturing. It’s up to us as a company to make the change that we want to see within the industry.

That may start with us but that doesn’t mean it has to end with us. Metalube are looking to lead a new era of sustainable lubricants manufacturing within the industry. We hope that this new way of manufacturing will be followed and become the standard by which the industry moves, as we work together to achieve a greener future for the entire planet.

A change in the way we create and develop industrial products is possible and together we are confident we can deliver on the promise of a sustainable industry.

Alongside our mission for an eco-friendly future, Metalube recognizes the potential of green energy and understands that adopting greener practices can improve efficiency while also being a valuable investment in the company’s future. These practices are both cost-effective and represent a positive step for Metalube as a business. Saving the planet and enhancing efficiency don’t have to be separate goals!

Investing in Green energy

As a forward-thinking business, Metalube knows and understands the importance of adopting green energy options and looking to replace less sustainable practices with green ones where it is possible to make the change within our own business. We have achieving this across the company in several key ways.

Electric forklifts

Looking to move away from gas and fuel use within the manufacturing and packing process was key area for us to make a positive green energy change.

We have achieved this by upgrading our entire fleet of fuel-powered forklifts within our manufacturing yard in Manchester, UK to electric battery-powered vehicles.

Through this change, we have considerably reduced emissions during storing/packing, while also cutting down on over £8.5k in gas costs per year.

This ensures that our storing and transporting process can be environmentally friendly and conscious without affecting the efficiency of our production as a result.

Solar panel roofing

Moving towards more sustainable, green energy supplies was one of the key missions for Metalube when embarking on our sustainable journey.

In 2022 and again in 2023, we installed over 500 250kw Solar Panels at our manufacturing plants here in Manchester, England.

Using solar energy has greatly reduced Metalube’s reliance on utilising energy from the grid and allowed us to incorporate our own green energy supply to our manufacturing.

Through the use of our supply of solar panels, Metalube were able to go completely off gride for two hours in 2023, a positive sign of where we hope to move towards as we continue to refine our green energy usage.

Energy-efficient heating ovens

Ensuring that the heating and creation of our lubricants is as efficient as possible, we installed state-of-the-art, energy-efficient heating ovens in our factory (need to ask more about these and how they work)

this addition has cut down our energy consumption by an incredible 80% when heating and creating our lubricants. An incredible result when looking to create a more sustainable product.

A further way that we have refined our processes and incorporated eco-friendly ingenuity to achieve our efficiency first approach to manufacturing.

Include videos of sustainable practices and interviews with directors in between these sections.

Sustainable practices

Alongside our incorporation of green energy sources within the creation and manufacturing of our lubricants.

Metalube has also invested in several sustainable business practices and options for the packaging, development, storage and transport of our products.

These sustainable practices have combined to form an entire business process, ensuring that from the conception of our technologies at our in-house laboratory to the global shipping and export of our products, every element has been designed with sustainability in mind.

Recycle and reuse

Metalube recycles all empty barrels and IBCs that we use in our manufacturing plants, ensuring that the storing of our products contributes to an effective on-site sustainable production eco-system.

Alternative base oils

When creating our lubricants and greases, we endeavour to always use alternative, more eco-friendly base oils such as palm oil when possible in our formulations. This ensures that we are creating the most eco-friendly products possible.

This has allowed us to create a number of eco friendly products and ranges.

Recycled securing materials

All of our securing materials such as pallets and shrink wrap, are made using recycled materials, ensuring that no further waste is created in the transporting of our goods and products.

This ensures the shopping and exporting of our products to a global market is done environmentally conscious.

Bio-Degradable

Our eco-products are made using biodegradable and sustainable complex esters. An alternative to mineral oils that is more eco-friendly and is also degradable ensuring that they aren’t contributing to further chemical waste.

ISO certification for all suppliers

As a responsible manufacturer, we like to ensure that the suppliers and businesses we work alongside are also aware of their carbon footprint and adopting the most sustainable process.

As such, Metalube requires all our suppliers to be ISO-certified to do business with us. This ensures that we are working alongside businesses that share our vision for a more sustainable industry.

Future tech

With our in-house lab and technical team we are constantly developing, new more eco-friendly and less harmful products in order to bring revolutionary technologies to the front and continue to innovate within our sector.

Over 20% of our UK staff are dedicated specifically to sustainable products and improving the efficiency of our existing range of products. This ensures that we are at the forefront of new sustainable technologies and innovations.

Advocating for a sustainable industry

Metalube’s position as a frontrunner and innovator in the push for a sustainable industry has given us a platform to advocate for a more eco-conscious industry.

Metalube’s Managing Director, Robert Brown, has become a key voice in the sustainable movement in the industry. In 2024 he was honoured to be invited to speak in two pivotal conferences: the IWMA ‘Energy Innovates’ Conference in Birmingham and the CIGRE conference, highlighting Metalube’s pioneering role in sustainable manufacturing and the significance of prolonging the life of aluminium overhead line conductors using specialised greases.

The ‘Energy Innovates’ Conference, organised by the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA), served as a platform to align efforts towards achieving Net-Zero-Emissions by 2050. Robert Brown’s involvement underscored Metalube’s position as a frontrunner among the UK’s wire and lubricant manufacturers. His contributions to discussing the growing eco-friendly movement in the industry emphasised Metalube’s eco-journey and how the company has streamlined its manufacturing processes to enhance energy efficiency.

Green initiatives and community work

While we know the big picture stuff is important, it’s also important to us to get in on the ground floor and get our hands dirty.

Through our green initiatives, we have been lucky to get amongst it, planting trees in the Yorkshire Dales, helping to offset our energy usage and getting to give back for future generations.

We have also worked with the World Last Trust (WLT) to further our green cover and offset our carbon emissions by planting trees around the world (needs clarification*)

Include pictures or links to social posts about charity and green initiatives, as well as pictures from Salford Business Awards

Giving back locally

Alongside our green initiatives, we also know the importance of helping in our local area and making sure we are leaving a positive impact on our community.

Through teaming up with local charities such as Salford Woman’s Aid and Irlam Food Bank we have been able to help raise funds, buy presents and paint a fence or two for people in need in our local community.

In 2023, Metalube was honoured to become the runner up at the Salford Business Awards for sustainability. It was great to be recognized in our local area as a forward thinking, eco-conscious business and marks a strong milestone for our eco aspirations (we’re coming for that top spot soon enough!)

Would be good to get some goals and objectives here. Will speak with directors about our goals and aspirations in regards to sustainability but a sort of road map on the page would work well.

Where do we go from here?

Though we feel we’ve made some incredible strides towards our sustainable future already, we know that we’re just getting started on our sustainable journey!

As we continue to implement new technologies, adopt more sustainable practices and help in further green initiatives, we think the possibility for a green manufacturing process is possible.

Since starting our green journey in 2018, we have already achieved far more than we ever thought was possible. It’s clear that this is just the beginning for us and we’re showing no signs of slowing down.

We believe that eco-friendly is achievable within our industry and we’re thrilled to be leading the charge towards this sustainable future.

As we continue to advocate for a change in the industry, we hope to take everything we have learnt and adopted and pass it onto the industry at large. Our goal is to push the industry towards a better, more sustainable manufacturing.

There’s plenty more to go, to make the change but we’re confident that together we can achieve it.