As my two white furballs waddled about our living room, everyone could tell they looked more like white polar bears than their canine species. Although not one of us admitted it out loud, we knew they desperately needed their expensive grooming. Every month, they were sent to a mani-pedi, shampoo and more. Post-COVID, their salon had shut down, and I wasn’t about to let them go to a new place to be terrorised and come back as shaved chickens. This gave my father an idea. He ordered a top-of-the-line dog grooming kit. The problem was it was travelling from halfway across the world but was at half the price.
I excitedly tracked the package's journey. It embarked from Shanghai, made a pitstop in Hong Kong, then Singapore, and Doha, before finally landing in Dubai. This extensive voyage of the package sparked my curiosity about the intricate process that brings us goods we use without any hesitation.
This exploration led me to the world of supply chains, a crucial element in today's society. They are the backbone of the production and distribution of goods, facilitating global trade and maintaining economic stability. I understood their pivotal role in ensuring the availability of essential products, from food and medicine to technology, while also acknowledging their significant environmental impact. Join me as I take you on a journey around the world to unravel this complex network and propose some strategies for optimisation.
Let us understand supply chains and why they are essential for the world.
A supply chain is the sequence of processes and a network of people involved in producing and delivering a product or service. This is why your mangoes from India, medicines from Germany and strawberries from the United States, Egypt or the Netherlands can come to you quickly, making life richer, more convenient and more diverse.
While global supply chains enable efficient distribution, it also has downsides. The key issue is the significant carbon footprint of transportation. Supply chains contribute about 60% of all carbon emissions globally due to transportation, waste, and resource use.
Those strawberries and the big jam, we find ourselves.
Transportation.
The global transportation of goods involves significant greenhouse gas emissions. Aeroplanes, ships, and trucks all burn fossil fuels, releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Cold Storage.
Many products require energy-intensive refrigerated containers to maintain freshness during transit. These systems consume substantial amounts of electricity, often generated from fossil fuels, further increasing the carbon footprint.
Resource-Intensive Production.
The production of goods often requires significant resources including water, fertilisers, and pesticides for agricultural products, and raw materials and energy for manufactured goods. Such practices contribute to environmental degradation and increase the carbon footprint through the production and application of chemical inputs and energy consumption.
Packaging Waste.
The packaging used to protect products during transportation, often made of plastic, contributes to environmental pollution. The production and disposal of this packaging generate additional greenhouse gas emissions and add to the global waste problem.
Increased Demand for Year-Round Availability
The global demand for year-round, traditionally seasonal products drives the expansion of supply chains. This relentless demand means more frequent transportation, more extensive cold storage, and more packaging, all of which amplify the carbon footprint.
Can we make a difference in reducing the carbonising impact of supply chains?
Many believe that our choices don't affect global supply chains. The reality is quite the opposite. From everyday purchases to demands for sustainability, individual actions ripple through the entire system. This underscores the power of collective consumer influence in shaping how products are sourced, made, and delivered. If you can’t believe it, here is an example from the past.
The Fair Trade movement began in the late 1940s and was initiated in the United States founded by Edna Ruth Byler. Consumers were educated about the poor working conditions and unfair wages that many producers faced. They also launched campaigns to raise awareness. After that, the introduction of Fair Trade labels made it easier for consumers to identify products that met Fair Trade standards. These companies saw an opportunity to differentiate themselves and cater to a growing segment of ethically conscious consumers.
This increased demand for Fair Trade products has now led to better working conditions, fairer wages, and more sustainable practices for many producers around the world.
So, the precedence is there but what can we do to turn the tide
Support sustainable brands: We can choose products from companies committed to reducing their carbon footprint and implementing sustainable practices. They do require the homework but it is worth considering.
Advocate for transparency: I dream of a policy-level ruling requiring businesses to label or mark a product’s supply chain process and history of travel. A green label would allow consumers to make informed choices by avoiding the carbonising red items- including red strawberries or a red grooming kit from across the world.
Reduce and reuse: Minimize waste by opting for reusable items and reducing overall consumption, which lessens demand for new products.
Choose local products: Support local businesses and products to reduce the carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation. However, essential items like medications and food need to be exempt.
Let us understand the issue from a business or corporate perspective.
Failing to manage/diversify suppliers or having a monopolistic supplier can lead to disruptions in times of failure. As a solution, businesses should regularly evaluate and qualify multiple suppliers for key materials or components.
Outdated or inefficient production and logistics can cause delays and increased costs. As a solution, firms could choose to invest in modern technologies or provide training for workers to ensure proficiency in the methods already at work.
If measures are not implemented, poor quality control can lead to defective products and returns and eventually damage a firm's reputation. As a solution, firms can implement feedback loops to gather information from customers for future reference and conduct thorough quality control inspections and audits throughout the production process and before transportation.
Industries need to invest in green solutions: Taking their due responsibility, industries need to support the development of low-carbon shipping and electric vehicles, to mitigate the impacts of transporting finished and unfinished goods so to move towards more sustainable practices.
Circling back to the most important factor- you and me and our individual responsibility, it is important to stay informed and discuss the issue like we are doing now. Continuously learning about sustainability and sharing knowledge about the pros and cons of a supply chain with others can create awareness and lead to a broader, greener impact.
In the wag of a tail, I now end my train of thought, but let me tell you about my dogs and their haircuts. Everything worked well – well, in terms of the machine parts of the grooming set. The issue was our dog hair grooming skills. The poor dogs looked hysterically funny - worse than mops that had a really bad day.
Though our hysterical laughter did not deter them from going out for walks, none of us wanted to walk them in daylight. It was clear the only salon our pups had visited was a wind tunnel with experimental grooming from their whole family!
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