Sustainable Manufacturing Winner - The Manufacturer MX Award

We are thrilled to share that our Thorn Lighting manufacturing facility in Spennymoor has been recognized as the winner of the Sustainable Manufacturer category at The Manufacturer MX Awards 2024. This achievement is a reflection of our team’s dedication to sustainable practices and innovation, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Sustainability has always been a core value at Thorn Lighting, and this award is a testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone at our Spennymoor facility. From reducing waste and energy consumption to implementing environmentally responsible manufacturing processes, our team has worked tirelessly to ensure we’re not only meeting industry standards but pushing beyond them.

We’re especially honoured because this recognition comes at a time when sustainability is more important than ever. However, we know this journey doesn’t end here. There’s always more to learn, improve, and contribute as we aim to further reduce our environmental impact and support a greener future for all.

We’d like to thank The Manufacturer MX Awards for this incredible honour and extend our gratitude to our customers, partners, and employees who make achievements like this possible. Together, we’re lighting the way toward a brighter, more sustainable future.

Mark Helm, Quality Assurance & Lean Six Sigma Manager at Spennymoor, comments:

“I’m proud sustainability is woven into the very fabric of our company’s strategy. As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship, we constantly seek innovative ways to reduce our environmental footprint and contribute to a greener future. We align our efforts with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which guide our initiatives towards achieving net zero. For example, we recently significantly reduced water usage through a Lean Six Sigma project on water conservation. We cut usageby over 50 percent from our March 2021 baseline. This was achieved by installing calibrated flow metres to monitor and identify areas of high usage and making process changes to reduce paint treatment waste by 66 percent. Additionally, we have introduced water-saving technologies in our washrooms and implemented a monitoring system for water cleanliness in our paint plant, ensuring sustainable water management practices.

In terms of energy reduction, our initiatives have led to a substantial decrease in energy consumption across our facilities: totalling 1.3M kWh (electric and gas), including installing new compressors and conducting air leak surveys. We have also retrofitted our distribution centres with LED high bays and optimised our building management systems, resulting in a 54 percent reduction and a significant drop in our baseload consumption.

Our paint plants, which are major energy consumers, have also undergone modifications to lower the temperature of pre-treatment tanks, saving an estimated 30,000 kWh gas per year.

Waste reduction is another critical area where we have made big strides. By introducing a regrind process for polycarbonate materials and optimising the utilisation of sheet steel, we have reduced waste by 130 tonnes. We are also exploring advanced waste management technologies such as larger shredders and a waste evaporation system to significantly reduce hazardous waste.”