CHARLOTTE, NC - The Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) Industry Group of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has released its fall 2009 quarterly report, titled “Automated Storage Systems Make a Play for Sustainability.” The report asserts that automated storage is at the forefront of minimizing energy consumption, reducing carbon footprints and making the overall supply chain more green.

 

Whether you’re talking about a multi-aisle AS/RS, a horizontal or vertical carousel or a vertical lift module (VLM), these systems, by their very nature, minimize the size of a facility’s overall footprint as well as its carbon footprint. Automated storage makes better use of vertical space in facilities, allowing storage of the same number of units in a smaller footprint, which requires less concrete and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

 

“The ability of automated storage systems to store inventory more densely eliminates the need for energy to heat, cool, light and ventilate excess square footage,” said Hanel Storage Systems’ Brian Cohen, Chairman of MHIA’s AS/RS industry group.

 

Automated warehouses also require less lighting, which further reduces energy consumption. And in closed-loop environments, reusable plastic totes and pallets in automated storage systems help reduce the amount of transport packaging that wind up in landfills.

 

Quarterly Reports are a new information source from several industry groups of MHIA. Each report will focus on trends in the use of material handling and logistics equipment to solve challenges in plants and warehouses.

 

MHIA is an international trade association that has represented this industry since 1945. MHIA members include material handling equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third-party logistics providers.