One of the growing demands regulators and consumers are pushing on distributors is the demand for sustainable business practices. There are a variety of reasons for this, such as growing concern about the industry’s environmental impact and worries about future disruptions due to materials shortages. 

Statistics show us that adopting green business practices isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business. If you are not already making sustainability part of your business plan, the time to adopt greener business practices is now. To help you out, we have identified three strategies you can use to make your business eco-friendlier. 

Fewer Trips = Less Emissions

It is no secret that freight and logistics are some of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters—and that there is really no way around using large trucks, trains, and airplanes to get products to buyers. 

Since we cannot eliminate transportation, we can make it more efficient. There are two components to this strategy: making fewer trips where possible and transporting more products with each trip. 

To achieve the first, ship with companies that offer higher-capacity aircraft, trucks, and train cars. With a higher carrying capacity, these significantly reduce the amount of emissions your business contributes to the atmosphere. But that is just half of it. The other half is optimizing the carrying space within each freight vehicle to maximize the amount of cargo it can carry. 

Planning for the Future and Insulating Against Disruptions

Another key component of sustainability is planning for changing regulations and potential supply shortages. The COVID pandemic taught us many things, and one of those was just how easily material shortages can disrupt the supply chain and keep critical medications from reaching patients. 

Changing regulations can cause similar disruptions. Staying on top of new regulations, both proposed and passed, can give your company a head start on adapting to the changes these regulations will bring to the market. This way, it is a smooth transition to whatever the new regulations impose, rather than having to quickly adapt and potentially, slow down or even pause your supply chain as you become compliant. 

Embracing Technology 

Our last pillar is a tip just about any company in any space can use to make their operations more sustainable: embrace new technologies.

Specifically for specialty distributors, we mean embracing modern warehouse management software and updating your software regularly. This type of software is developed with efficiency and compliance in mind, so when you adopt a new system, you will likely adopt new the new, greener operating procedures that come with the system, like:

• Automated lighting
• Smart temperature control
• A real-time look at all the products in the warehouse and each order’s progress

A system like this has the obvious benefit of reducing paper waste by cutting down the number of mistake labels and packaging created. Beyond this, an up-to-date warehouse management system can ensure you are in compliance with current regulations and notify you when you are not so you can promptly address the issue. A modern warehouse management system gives you greater control over your daily warehouse operations. With more control, you can easily put greener practices in place and cut down on your biggest time, money, and energy-wasters. 

BioCareSD is proud to serve as a leader in specialty distribution for more than 40 years. We strive every day to deliver unparalleled service to our patients and partners and, most importantly, to provide patients across the country with fast and easy access to life-saving medications. To learn more about partnering with BioCareSD, please contact us here.