When workers of an industrial manufacturer in the oil and gas industry were throwing away 3,000 empty plastic buckets per year with the Brawny Industrial waterless wiper, management knew action had to be taken. Not only were the current wipes not environmentally responsible nor cost effective, the bulky buckets also took up valuable real estate in the company’s product vending machines. Management decided to reevaluate their products and processes in order to achieve efficiencies both internally and externally.
Kimberly-Clark Professional performed a workplace audit and a hazard and waste walk of the facility through their Efficient Workplace Program — a continuous improvement program focused on quick, easy changes in industrial management. Their recommendation included a small fix: switch from Brawny Industrial waterless wipers to Wypall Waterless Cleaning Wipes.
Kimberly-Clark Professional recommended the Wypall Waterless Cleaning Wipes since they provide a powerful and portable pre-saturated cleaning system for on-the-go tasks when dry wiping simply isn't enough. And, with 12 percent more wipes per bucket, these enhanced wipes ensured that no extra wipes or effort was needed for workers to complete each task. This also optimized storage space and limited waste.
Not only did WypAll Waterless Cleaning Wipes provide excellent cleaning, they helped the manufacturer achieve significant cost savings, improve sustainability, and increase productivity and efficiency among workers. The manufacturer experienced a cost savings of 36 percent and waste savings of 3,000 buckets of 1,500 lbs of plastic from going to the landfill each year. The efficient wipes also freed two times more space in vending machines with refill packs instead of buckets.
A good product “fit” ensures quality performance, safety and efficiency while improving worker productivity. And, because products, like wipes, touch everyone in a manufacturing facility every day, solving basic supply problems can make a surprisingly big impact. It’s an approach that can help improve worker health and safety, while enhancing product quality, improving sustainability and reducing operational costs.