Beyond Net Zero Production: Understanding Manufacturing Sustainability

Sustainability is no longer optional for manufacturers — it has become a central pillar of their operations. But what does “sustainable manufacturing,” or “manufacturing (for) sustainability,” really mean? Whatever we call it, the aim remains the same: balancing production with the natural environment. But should it go further and contribute to actively improving the people and the planet’s health?

At its core, sustainability aims to create systems that operate long-term without depleting resources or harming ecosystems. This appears to be somewhat at odds with the concept of manufacturing as we know it, which relies on extracting natural resources and using energy to turn them into goods. If we aspire to go further and embrace regenerative manufacturing — where industry not only minimizes harm but actively restores and replenishes ecosystems — the gap between vision and reality seems larger still. Essential questions we must answer include: Can manufacturing be sustainable given its inherent resource consumption? What would a sustainable manufacturing model look like? And how can we transition from negative impact, to net zero impact to positive impact and even tend towards regeneration?

The ESG Framework as a Foundation

To explore these questions, we should consider manufacturing sustainability within the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework. Sustainable manufacturing must not only minimize environmental harm but also ensure ethical governance and positive social outcomes.

The environmental pillar includes reducing emissions, using renewable energy, minimizing waste, and conserving resources. It emphasizes adopting circular economy principles, where materials are reused and recycled to reduce reliance on virgin resources. The social aspect encompasses fair labor practices, worker well-being, diversity, and community engagement. This means respecting human rights throughout global supply chains and ensuring products and services positively impact society.

Good governance requires transparency, ethical leadership, and corporate accountability. Companies must adopt responsible business practices, comply with regulations, and ensure that their sustainability commitments extend beyond mere marketing claims.

A sustainable manufacturing model, therefore, integrates all three pillars of ESG. While the social and governance aspects are largely achievable and align with existing ethical practices, the environmental dimension presents more complex challenges.

Can Manufacturing Be Fully Sustainable?

The environmental aspect of sustainability is the most challenging to achieve in manufacturing. Production inherently involves resource extraction, energy consumption, and waste generation. Many argue that manufacturing can only become “more sustainable” rather than fully sustainable, given the planet’s finite resources. This reality is evident in the difficulty of achieving net-zero emissions or complete waste elimination in practice.

However, this perspective can be contested. While manufacturing will always require some resource use, it can significantly reduce its environmental footprint by adopting innovative technologies, circular economy principles, and renewable energy sources. For instance, many companies are increasingly turning to renewable energy to power operations, which cuts greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Additionally, circular economy models emphasize designing products for reuse and recycling, which helps diminish the need for new raw materials. In this context, manufacturing evolves into a dynamic process that continually strives to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.

Though fully sustainable manufacturing may remain an aspirational goal, continuous improvement toward greater sustainability is both achievable and essential. Over time, as new technologies and practices develop, manufacturing can progress closer to true sustainability.

Manufacturing with Regeneration in Mind

The conversation is shifting from sustainability, which focuses on minimizing harm, to regeneration, which seeks to create a positive environmental impact. This transformative concept envisions a future where manufacturing actively contributes to ecosystem restoration, enhances biodiversity, and replenishes resources.

Regenerative manufacturing seeks to eliminate waste entirely by ensuring that all materials are reused, recycled, or upcycled. In this model, products are designed for easy disassembly, allowing their components to re-enter production cycles. Rather than merely avoiding harm to ecosystems, regenerative manufacturing aims to enhance biodiversity. For example, using biomaterials such as biodegradable packaging made from mycelium or natural fibers not only facilitates decomposition but also nourishes ecosystems.

Inspired by nature’s waste-free systems, biomimicry serves as a powerful tool for regenerative manufacturing. In nature, waste is continuously recycled, and manufacturers can replicate these models to create self-healing, biodegradable materials or renewable energy systems. Furthermore, regenerative manufacturing aligns with practices that replenish more resources than are consumed. For instance, industries could collaborate with regenerative agriculture systems to improve soil health or plant more trees than are harvested.

This regenerative approach transforms the role of industry, encouraging businesses to view themselves not merely as users of resources but as environmental stewards.

The Challenges of Endless Circularity and Growth

The circular economy model aims to keep materials in continuous circulation, minimizing waste and reducing the need for new resources. However, when applied to finite materials like metals and plastics, this model encounters limitations. While recycling can extend the lifespan of materials, challenges such as material degradation, energy costs, and inefficiencies in the recycling process indicate that the circular economy cannot completely eliminate the need for virgin resources. This underscores the importance of innovative strategies like upcycling, which transforms waste into higher-value products. However, even upcycling has its limitations. The ongoing demand for finite materials, combined with the energy required for recycling, suggests that while the circular economy represents a significant advance, it may not fully address the issues associated with non-renewable resources.

Historically, economic growth has been equated with prosperity. However, the relentless pursuit of growth often drives unsustainable consumption, resource depletion, and environmental degradation. To reconcile manufacturing with sustainability, the economic model must shift from profit-centric to a focus on prosperity—one that balances well-being, environmental health, and economic stability.

This paradigm shift may necessitate embracing the concept of degrowth, which advocates for intentionally scaling back consumption and production to stay within planetary boundaries. Degrowth challenges the traditional growth paradigm by positing that infinite growth on a finite planet is unattainable. For manufacturing, this could entail reducing throughput—producing fewer goods, utilizing fewer resources, and emphasizing longer-lasting, repairable products. Such an approach positions people and the planet on equal footing with economic objectives, fostering a regenerative future that benefits all.

Manufacturing Sustainability as a Catalyst for Innovation and Change

While achieving perfect sustainability in manufacturing may be elusive, the quest for sustainable and regenerative practices has sparked substantial innovation. From developing biodegradable materials to expanding renewable energy sources, sustainability compels industries to rethink their production systems.

More significantly, the concept of manufacturing sustainability challenges us to reconsider production's role in modern society. Instead of an endless cycle of consumption, we must rethink the products we create and how we use them. This could involve transitioning to "anything as a service" models, where ownership is less important, and products are shared, leased, or provided as services. A sharing economy prioritizing access over ownership, combined with degrowth principles, emphasizes the need to produce fewer, more durable goods, fostering a system focused on well-being and resource efficiency.

While the goal of completely sustainable manufacturing may remain out of reach, striving toward it has already prompted significant technological and societal shifts. From circular economy practices and biomimicry to the regenerative use of resources, the future of manufacturing holds immense potential for positive environmental change.

In answering the key question of “sustainable manufacturing” versus “manufacturing (for) sustainability,” we find ourselves dreaming bigger. Rather than settling for merely reducing our footprint, we can aspire to create a manufacturing landscape that not only minimizes harm but actively contributes to the restoration of our ecosystems. By embracing innovation, circularity, and regeneration, we can reimagine the role of production in society. Manufacturing can evolve into a force for good, driving ecological restoration while fostering economic prosperity. In this new vision, industry doesn’t just minimize harm; it plays an active role in shaping a thriving, sustainable future for all.

Use Your Voice

When we launched MANSUS in 2023 to drive sustainable manufacturing we didn’t have all the answers. We still don’t have them today. Practice makes progress and we can’t wait for things to be perfect before we get started. As an industry, manufacturing is under increasing pressures to evolve and change the way it functions. To be more efficient, responsible, productive, competitive and of course to be commercially viable. Manufacturing leaders are looking for ways to solve their complex business challenges.

We can not deliver sustainable manufacturing in silos; both community and collaboration is going to determine the future of our industry. As I write this the concept of a 25 year journey to netzero seems, at best, hazy:

• How will we get there?

• What do we need to know?

• What do we need to do?

• And what are the skills and solutions we need to adopt?

Now more than ever, in a world that is politically divided and at a time when we are overwhelmed by news and information it is hard to know where to start and who to listen to.

Introducing MANSUS Voices

MANSUS Voices is a brand-new series of commissioned articles designed to spark conversation, share insights, and explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of sustainable manufacturing from the perspective of the people in the industry.

We will bring together thought leaders, pioneers and industry experts to share their unique perspectives on the ideas, questions, and solutions driving our industry forward. From standalone articles offering big-picture thinking to ongoing series that develop ideas over time, this collection is a platform for innovation, inspiration, and connection brought together by you.

With shifting geopolitical landscapes, evolving regulations, and mounting pressure on manufacturers to balance risk and investment, it’s critical to foster dialogue and share knowledge. MANSUS Voices is here to cut through the noise, celebrate diverse perspectives, and provide manufacturers with insights to navigate this critical moment.

Whether you’re an operational leader seeking guidance or a pioneer ready to share your vision, MANSUS Voices is your space to connect, learn, and grow.

Use Your Voice

Are you passionate about sustainability in manufacturing? Do you have ideas, insights, or questions that could inspire change and spark meaningful dialogue in the industry? We’re inviting thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers from all corners of the manufacturing world to join MANSUS Voices.

This series of articles is built on the belief that great ideas come from everywhere. Whether you’re part of a global organization or a small, unassuming business, your voice matters.

We welcome contributors who:

• Want to share big-picture thinking or tackle specific challenges.

• Have a unique perspective on sustainability, whether through disruptive questions or innovative solutions.

• Represent organizations of any size, from startups to established industry leaders.

By contributing to MANSUS Voices, you’ll join a mission to empower manufacturers with insights and guidance during a time of uncertainty and change.

MANSUS Voices launches on Wednesday 29th January with Marion Rouzeaud who shares the first in a series of articles where she explores her ideas and invites us to think differently about sustainability.

The first article “Beyond Net Zero Production: Understanding Manufacturing Sustainability” explores the evolving concept of manufacturing sustainability, emphasizing the shift from merely minimizing harm to actively regenerating ecosystems through innovative practices like circular economy models, regenerative manufacturing and technological advancements.

If you are ready to use your voice I am looking forward to hearing from you, please get in touch.