Stimulating thinking: Different types of resource
Within your company, you will encounter many different types of resources. We are used to thinking about material resources such as wood, glass, metal and plastic. These are present in many different forms and many different objects, such as wooden pallets, glass windows, metal in machinery or products and plastic in many forms such as plastic wrap and material in products. Your company will encounter these resources as inputs to your production process and as outputs, usually thought of as waste, from your production process.
As well as the material resources, you should think about less obvious, non-material resources, such as energy, water, expertise and capacity of your site and processes. Below we give some examples against each resource category to help stimulate your thinking about the resources that may be used or available within your company.
 The Materials that enter your site, either to be used in production or associated with getting the materials to your site | |
|---|---|
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Potential alternatives for resources within organisations |
| Virgin sand for a brick manufacturer | Replace virgin sand with waste sand from another process such as foundry. |
| Fuel for processes | Replace current fuels with alternatives such as waste wood, used solvents (depending on the processes used and their configuration). |
| Potatoes for a chip manufacturer | Capture CO2 from fermentation process for reuse in soda industry. |
| Metal ore for a steel mill | Scrap steel to make chairs |
 The materials that are produced as by-products or waste from your production processes, or are left over from the logistics side of your operation | |
|---|---|
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Potential alternatives for resources within organisations |
| Boiler ash | Send ash from boiler to repair roads |
| Wood shavings from a furniture manufacturer | Wood shavings to biomass pellet facility or briquetting instead of to disposal |
| Demolition waste from construction sites – concrete, glass | Use demolition waste for road building foundations |
 Energy requirements within your site or surplus energy that remains after production – this can be in the form of actual energy or in another form such as heat or steam | |
|---|---|
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Potential alternatives for resources within organisations |
| Virgin oil in boilers | Collect used oil for reuse in boilers |
| Inputs to kiln for a cement manufacturer | Alternative, high calorific inputs such as meat and bone meal, tyres |
 Water required within your processes, and used water that could be used by another company either within their production process or in some other operation that they perform | |
|---|---|
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Potential alternatives for resources within organisations |
| Potable water to clean process equipment | Use treated wastewater as a non-potable source |
| Treated effluent discharged to sewer | Extract nutrients if available for use in pharmaceutical industry |
 Spare capacity often costs money, with no reward. This could be leased or made available to others to increase the efficiency of your company | |
|---|---|
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Potential alternatives for resources within organisations |
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Rent excess warehouse space to neighbouring businesses |
| Unused space in warehouse Production equipment not used at all times Delivery vehicles | Time share idle equipment through shift work Access use of baler from neighbouring business Use space in delivery trucks to collect end-of-life products for reprocessing or packaging for reuse |
 Knowledge associated to both your core business and associated activities. Special projects avoid any concerns associated with your core business and competitiveness | |
|---|---|
| Examples of different types of resources within an organisation | Potential alternatives for resources within organisations |
| Production process knowledge | Share/sell your expertise in health and safety requirements with another business |
| Special projects within a company eg replacement of tube lighting with LEDs | Source software expert from neighbouring company to fix your IT |