How smarter tech can cut carbon and costs.
Food and beverage manufacturers across the UK are, and rightly so, stepping up to meet tougher environmental responsibilities. While most sustainability efforts typically spotlight production and supply chains, there’s another key area often overlooked: IT.
Think about it – IT underpins nearly everything in manufacturing, from logistics and compliance to warehousing and workforce management. But the hidden environmental costs of IT, including energy consumption, unnecessary travel for support visits, and premature hardware replacement, quickly add up. Fortunately, with some straightforward adjustments, businesses can significantly cut carbon emissions, enhance resilience, and save money.
Why IT matters in sustainability
Every piece of hardware – laptops, tablets, or servers – has an environmental footprint from its manufacture to disposal. Once in use, these devices often stay powered unnecessarily, adding further waste. Then there’s the issue of IT support teams travelling significant distances to fix problems that could be resolved remotely, creating even more emissions.
But here’s the good news: businesses don’t need to overhaul everything to make a meaningful difference. Smart, practical changes can streamline IT and help hit net-zero goals – while reducing costs.
Extending device lifecycles
It’s become standard practice in many businesses to replace computers and tablets every couple of years, not because they’re outdated, but because there’s limited insight into their actual performance. Many devices, with proper maintenance, could serve businesses for much longer.
Using centralized device management tools, food and beverage manufacturers can keep track of hardware health, manage software updates remotely and spot potential issues early. This proactive approach means fewer replacements, less electronic waste, and fewer emissions from producing new hardware.
On top of sustainability wins, this also means real cost savings, as fewer replacements lead to lower expenditure and a more reliable IT infrastructure.
Reducing travel through remote IT support
In manufacturing settings, the pace of operations often depends on uninterrupted access to digital tools. When devices or networks fail, productivity can be affected, compliance processes delayed, and staff workflows disrupted. Traditionally, the response has been to send IT engineers on-site, especially in remote warehouses, regional factories or dispersed business units.
This old-school method isn’t just slow; it’s also environmentally damaging due to travel emissions. Regular site visits, even within the same region, contribute to transport emissions that are often overlooked in sustainability reporting.
Instead, secure remote IT support offers a more sustainable and responsive solution. When enabled, IT teams can access and control devices from anywhere, carrying out diagnostics, installations, updates and troubleshooting in real time. In addition to reducing travel, this approach improves speed of resolution, ensures consistent support across locations and minimizes operational downtime.
Remote access tools are not new, but their adoption in manufacturing is still evolving. Those that embrace them now will not only gain environmental benefits but also build resilience into their IT functions, especially in times of workforce disruption or resource constraints.
Improving energy efficiency
Another opportunity for carbon reduction lies in how devices are powered and managed. It’s not uncommon for equipment to be left running after hours, even in parts of the business where 24-hour operations are not required. This silent energy drain can make up a significant portion of a site’s electricity use, particularly when scaled across multiple departments or locations.
Energy management features within IT systems make it possible to control usage without impacting productivity. Automated shutdown settings, screen dimming, low-power modes and remote power management all contribute to more efficient device operation. Central platforms allow administrators to set rules across the organization, adapting to shift patterns and seasonal changes to maximize energy savings.
By monitoring power usage data, businesses can identify patterns and respond to anomalies. This insight supports broader energy efficiency strategies and provides measurable outcomes for reporting.
Driving cultural change and compliance
Embedding green IT practices is not just about systems and tools, it’s about fostering a culture that values sustainability in every department. Simple practices such as shutting down unused equipment, enabling remote fixes, and keeping devices for longer are all small steps that build towards meaningful change. Crucially, these behavioral shifts should be anchored within a broader digital strategy, emphasizing awareness, training and accountability. NetSupport offers valuable insights and resources on building effective digital strategies here, helping organizations cultivate the right behaviors to achieve lasting sustainability outcomes.
For manufacturers preparing environmental reports or aiming to comply with industry standards, the emissions savings from IT operations can directly support Scope 2 and Scope 3 targets. Many of the actions described here also strengthen alignment with procurement guidelines and reinforce the company’s sustainability credentials among clients, regulators and investors.
Getting started
The journey towards greener IT doesn’t need to be complex. Begin by auditing your current devices, know what’s in use, its condition, and how much energy it consumes. Next, adopt device management and remote support tools. Once set up, you can quickly see measurable results: lower energy usage, longer hardware lifespans, and improved operational efficiency.
As the sector evolves to meet environmental challenges, IT must be part of the solution. Through strategic and considered changes, food and beverage manufacturers can ensure that their digital tools are working not just harder, but smarter for the planet and the business alike.
By Al Kingsley MBE, CEO of NetSupport
With over 36 years’ development expertise and 22 million users worldwide, NetSupport is a leading producer of educational and corporate software solutions built on evidence and impact, and available in multiple languages. From IT management and remote-control solutions to classroom management and safeguarding, NetSupport helps organizations across a range of sectors to manage and maxim