Aerospace, Manufacturing, Canada Replacement of disposable shop towels by reusable shop towels in a manufacturing facility

Summary

EEM coordinated a pilot project to replace disposable shop towels by reusable shop towels in an aircraft engine manufacturing and overhaul facility. The project contributes to the company’s goal of eliminating all waste by 2028.

Approach and Solution

The client was looking to reduce the amount of waste created by the cleaning of parts and equipment with shop towels, by replacing disposal towels with washable ones.  EEM researched and then selected a service supplier capable of washing shop towels containing hazardous product residues and of respecting the high environment, health and safety requirements of the client as well as any regulatory requirements. Moreover, the type of fabric used had to meet the rigorous quality standards of the aerospace sector to avoid any foreign objects from entering the aircraft engine.

EEM also prepared the facility’s employees for the pilot project and diligently followed-up on the project’s implementation to ensure its success.

Following the success of the pilot project, the change-over was implemented at the remaining sectors of the facility. EEM was retained again to coordinate the change throughout the facility.

Results

The project was well received by internal stakeholders and will be expanded to other facilities owned by the same client. The waste reduction acheived will be reported at the end of the year.