In recognition of World Energy Efficiency Day, Shure announced its latest updates on how the company has improved its own energy efficiency in some of its global facilities.
Per a statement, through energy efficiency improvements, Shure’s Eppingen, Germany, office has reduced its energy use from January to May 2023 by more than 25,000 kilowatt hours over the same period last year. Shure adds that this is enough energy saved to power seven homes in Germany for an entire year, according to a German energy association.
Shure also notes it has already implemented ways to reduce energy on lower-occupancy days at its headquarters. This includes reducing available elevator cars and office lighting as more employees are working from home on Fridays. Additionally, offices in Asia are also implementing sustainability efforts, says Shure. These include battery recharging for associates, renewable energy programs and recyclable carton exchanges with vendors.
Moreover, facilities in Mexico utilize skylights for illumination, along with photocells, to reduce energy use.
According to Shure, achieving these improvements is part of its overall global initiatives to:
- Convert to automated lighting and more energy-efficient bulbs.
- Reduce or eliminate lighting during non-business hours.
- Evaluate HVAC needs to be more efficient.
- Empower Associates to be more mindful of overall energy use at the office.
Other corporate sustainability initiatives include:
Packaging
Shure reveals that products’ packaging will use 75% recyclable and/or renewable materials in 2023. The company has also joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition as it improves product packaging to be more sustainable. With more than 1,500 different packaging pieces for a variety of different products, this is a significant undertaking, the company underscores. Some of the highlights include:
- Replacing thermoform trays with more sustainable, recyclable alternatives such as molded pulp.
- Reducing overall plastic materials in packaging.
- Reducing the amount of literature that accompanies our products.
- Right-sizing packaging for greater efficiency and reduced CO2 footprint from shipping and storage.
Rechargeable Batteries
By 2027, more than 100 million AA batteries will have been saved from landfills, says Shure. With previous technology, disposable batteries were used to power microphones and transmitter packs. And audio engineers would frequently replace batteries – even when those batteries still had power – to ensure an uninterrupted performance with fresh batteries.
However, Shure states that its new innovation has converted those products to rechargeable options, creating significantly less waste. In fact, for David’s Byrne’s “America Utopia” Broadway show, the monitor engineer estimated they saved about 21,000 AA batteries from being disposed of in landfills because they used Shure’s rechargeable system over the course of the run.
In the past five years, Shure estimates that it has already eliminated more than 20 million AA batteries from ending up in landfills.
Product Initiatives
According to a statement, Shure works with suppliers who take action on sustainability, including suppliers who use solar power and recycled water in their operations. The company says it is also working to approve water-based paints in the finishing process, which is friendlier for the environment.
Shure says it has engineered products to last from a durability and adaptive technology standpoint. As a result, they help avoid costly replacements and unnecessary disposal of electronics, even as technology evolves.
The company adds that it has also engineered its products to help with overall power consumption. It has achieved this by using less energy in “down” modes and allowing remote monitoring of power use with Wireless Workbench Software.
People/Partners
Shure states that it supports a number of global and locally-based organizations dedicated to sustainability efforts and ecology. In addition to those efforts, the company’s employees around the world have volunteered for environmental efforts in their communities.
Compliance
Per the company, a cross-functional Shure team regularly reviews international regulations, directives and standards to ensure environmental compliance with regulations like RoHS, REACH, and WEEE. The nature of these regulations promotes sustainable electronics and electronics manufacturing.
For more information about Shure’s sustainability efforts, visit the sustainability site. The site includes an overview on the approach to environmental responsibility through people, products, facilities, communities and partners, says Shure.
