With nearly thirty years of experience running manufacturing supply chains, mostly for woodworking and furniture manufacturers, C.J. Nord, the founder of Supply Chains for Good, decided that there was a real opportunity in helping to create a circular supply chain that reuses materials for the industry, rather than a linear one which leads to waste. She saw the potential of using what would otherwise be waste products as raw material for making new products. Not only is this idea environmentally friendly, but it is also profitable for the companies involved, as waste disposal costs are eliminated, and they either get free raw material for other products or generate income from the sale of the materials to others in manufacturing. The company’s description as “protectors of children and family prosperity” comes from educating the next generation in sustainable supply chain ideas and keeping businesses profitable through the efficiencies of making good use of every possible material.
After successfully battling cancer a few years ago, Nord found the inspiration to start her own business to move the concept of circular supply forward. Because of her experience and relationships in woodworking and furniture manufacturing, that was the logical industry for her to focus on first. Working with the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers to reach manufacturers with her message “There’s Cash in that Trash” through seminars and educational programs.
I’m helping the businesses with financing, with R & D credits, with any kind of material science that’s needed.
Never Stop Innovating
Supply Chains for Good is continuously studying the possibilities of repurposing waste materials into new products and connecting manufacturers to profitably use the materials. Nord offers a range of consulting services aimed at improving profitability and environmental sustainability for businesses. These strategies include training in solving supply chain issues, appraisals of equipment and supplies for donations, supply chain curriculums for high schools and universities, and advocacy in public/private partnerships. She says, “I’m helping the businesses with financing, with R & D credits, with any kind of material science that’s needed, and I’m helping them with interacting with all of the tax-funded agencies. It’s almost like having a consultant, a project manager, and an advocate/lobbyist all rolled into one.”
Wood Waste Isn’t Wasted
Presently, the work with AWFS is centered in California, with ongoing research nationwide into the quantity and composition of manufacturers’ waste materials to find the best and most efficient ways to use them in new products in their local areas. One of the most profitable and frequent utilizations of wood waste is in the manufacture of composite or engineered wood products. Although a single manufacturer might not generate enough waste to make an investment in a new product a wise choice, creating a circular supply chain from a group of area manufacturers might make sense. Even in cases where discarded wood is not used by manufacturers for new products, it can often be donated to high school wood shops to help train the next generation of crafters.
Customer Cost-Savings Through Recycling
“The price of waste disposal is climbing exponentially, year after year. More and more legislation is going into place that makes it more and more expensive. Government has driven up the cost of doing business through taxes and fees, and because they’ve done that, now a business has to do something different to maintain a profit,” Nord says. She gives an example of profit-driven circularity with the story of a local hardwood floor manufacturer who, just a few years ago, was taking in $35,000 a year for his recycled materials, but more recently, was paying out $35,000 to have the waste removed. He decided to make an investment in some additional equipment and began a new business of making wood pellets for stoves from his waste materials, eliminating the disposal costs, and having a “free” supply of raw material for his new business.
Partnerships for Good
Selling manufacturers on the idea might seem an easy task and this is where the AWFS is a very helpful partner. She says, “We all know that it’s important to quit throwing so many things away. For a long time, I’ve been thinking about how we can transition from linear to circular, and really get it done much faster than we do it today. The answer is to do it through the trade associations because they represent industries with a common type of waste.” They are also well-versed in the technical aspects involved with the needs of their members and already have the networks needed to connect everyone.
The metals industries have long been involved in recycling and repurposing efforts, and that profit-driven model is what Nord would like to see for other types of manufacturing. Since she is already involved with furniture manufacturing, her next intended target for circular supply chain efforts will be in the textile portion of the industry. “The amount of really toxic textiles getting into our landfills is off the charts,” she says. “It’s a problem nobody knows how to solve. Upholstery fabrics are about as toxic as they get, so we need to find out what can be made from upholstery fabrics and the plastics that are used in furniture that are now being thrown away. I do think that there’s quite a bit of opportunity in various industries, and what we learn here will be useful in the next step, and the next step.” She is hopeful that many, if not all, of those materials might be able to be processed into building materials that might lower the cost of building structures like houses.
“Supply chains can save the world. It’s the right tool for the job,” says Nord.