Getting into the flow of asset-sharing

• Sharing under-used assets makes economic sense 
• Returns depend on the asset type, value and times it is shared

Once a company identifies assets that it can share or would like to be able to use but cannot justify the expense of buying, the most logical solution is to make conact with other firms in a similar situation. FLOOW2 is a platform designed to facilitate these sorts of asset-sharing transactions.

Long history of sustainability on display

• Clever scheme to promote end-of-life product remanufacturing
• Almost no waste sent to landfill, and huge reductions in energy and water use

Caterpillar is an American heavy machinery- and engine-maker with a strong brand and long history in remanufacturing dating back to 1973 when it realised that keeping products in-house allowed them to retain ownership and associated value, and reduce material costs.

Managing commercial fleets of cars, vans, trucks, trailers and specialised vehicles used for work purposes is a time-consuming and resource-intensive task. Fleet management covers a range of functions, such as vehicle financing, maintenance, telematics (tracking and diagnostics), driver management, speed management, fuel management and health and safety issues. Improving the way a company manages its fleets, especially those relying heavily on transportation, is critical to its bottom line and the environment.

Xerox sees the 'green' light

The German army leaseplan...

Renting and leasing means that you can use a product without owning it. This can be favourable, for example if you only need a certain tool once, or if it is a complex tool that needs a lot of maintenance, it is most likely a lot cheaper to rent or lease it than to buy it. By not buying an additional piece of equipment, this in turn spares the environment.

Since the 1950s, clean-in-place (CIP) systems have been reliably used to clean inside surfaces of tanks and pipelines in liquid process equipment to avoid costly downtime associated with lengthy dismantling and cleaning tasks. The technique covers a variety of areas, but its main purpose is to remove solids and bacteria from vessels and pipework. Industries that rely heavily on CIP are those requiring high levels of hygiene, such as food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies.

Sharing an asset with other companies can be done when you are not using the asset for 100%. An asset can be anything that you use to make your business run: from an oven for catering services to construction equipment, from a car to a server computer. Any business faces variations in orders and business. Sometimes your assets can't keep up and you need extra capacity, in lower business the assets are unused.

Eco-driving feels good

• 200 organisations have been trained under the FuelGood programme to date
• Average fuel savings of 15 % on the day of the training
• Trained drivers are also safer, easier on vehicles and produce less CO2 emissions

The UK's Energy Saving Trust offers practical training courses to organisations in Scotland through the FuelGood programme, a free one-to-one training in energy-efficient driving for employees driving a car or a van.