Autonomous Robots Help to Improve Warehouse Sustainability - written by Elizabeth Baca

The supply chain industry is responsible for more than 90% of emissions globally, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, the supply chain industry is necessary for food, clothing, housing materials, etc. It keeps our world moving and dramatically improves our quality of life. New technologies allow us to lower the environmental footprint of supply chain companies, such as the rise of autonomous robots. AI Robots are helping to reduce emissions, conserve energy and reduce waste. Aside from transportation, warehousing is a significant source of emissions, as they rely on trucks, forklifts, and other vehicles to move/store goods.

Autonomous Guided Robots (AGRs or sometimes referred to as AGVs for Autonomous Guided Vehicles) can help to reduce these emissions by picking up and moving objects around the warehouse or picking up items to position them on pallets without needing extra machinery. These AGRs are also continuously improving their performance through AI and machine learning, and they also run on rechargeable batteries! According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AGRs use around 50% less energy than forklifts in a warehouse due to the efficiency of their movement and lighter batteries, which means they need to be recharged less. Of course, this percentage generally varies but is overall more energy-efficient than forklifts.

Another way that autonomous robots are helping the environment is by conserving energy within the warehouse. Warehouses require energy… a lot of energy. They must keep the lights on, air conditioning or heating running, and equipment powered. According to the University of California, AVRs can save up to 30% of the energy used in a warehouse by not needing conditioning and lighting, as they do not need light, or only require low light. They can work in more extreme temperatures, eliminating the need for climate-controlled areas for human workers, and can turn off other machines when not in use.

Another area of improvement is the reduction of waste. According to Bloomberg News, the industry sees $163 billion in inventory tossed annually, with 29% of companies saying that most of their environmental impact comes from supply-chain operations. However, companies are only investing 5% or less of their budget in improvements to reduce overall waste.

To reduce waste, companies have used machine learning in their autonomous robots to identify the optimal packing for each product. By analyzing factors such as the size, weight, and fragility of the product, these robots can determine the most efficient way to pack products to minimize wasted space and identify opportunities to reuse/recycle packaging in hopes this will not only reduce waste for our environment but also reduce costs.

We depend on the supply chain industry, and that dependence grows year over year. Innovations such as AVRs and other autonomous robots in warehousing help to reduce waste and carbon emissions. While we only touched on a few of the many sustainability measures in this article, autonomous robots are continuing to help the environment and innovations are improving rapidly. With greater incorporation, companies will be able to do their part in keeping our future bright, keeping our Small World a little cleaner, and all while delivering your favorite products on-time!