5 Ways Sunbelt Rentals Can Help Your Warehouse Achieve Carbon Neutrality

The need for sustainable equipment is more important than ever before: The U.S. is committed to cutting carbon emissions and reaching net zero by no later than 2050, including a 65% reduction by 2030. Today, warehouse and distribution facilities are well positioned to reduce carbon emissions and are adopting new technologies, including renting sustainable equipment and tool solutions, to get the job done. 

Want to reduce the carbon footprint of your warehouse or distribution center? That doesn’t mean you have to shoulder higher costs or drastic changes to your operations. While there’s no quick fix for high emissions, some possible initiatives for warehouses and distribution centers include retrofits, technological carbon management solutions, and partnering with sustainability experts who can help you identify areas where your emissions could be reduced. 

With innovative offerings, extensive product knowledge, and technical expertise to drive the smartest and most sustainable choices for your business and your bottom line, Sunbelt Rentals can help you reach your sustainability goals with ease and save hours and money in the process. Read on to learn how. 

1. A Sharing Economy Helps Reduce Emissions.

It’s easy to think carbon emissions end when equipment is powered down. But when you consider the entire life cycle of equipment, you see the whole story. Emissions from manufacturing, transportation, operation, and eventual offloading add up with each new asset purchase. On the other hand, renting locally helps reduce a piece of equipment’s emissions throughout its entire journey. 

Emissions Are Categorized Into Three Scopes,¹ and Facility Managers Can Make the Most Impact by Focusing on Scope One.

• Scope 1: Comes from fuel directly consumed by a facility for operations
• Scope 2: Comes from fuel purchased from utility companies
• Scope 3: Comes from fuel consumed indirectly through sources such as product transport

As energy efficiency standards continue to evolve in the U.S., you can reduce your facility’s embodied carbon footprint — which includes the carbon produced during maintenance — by participating in a sharing economy. In this model, a community makes efficient use of fewer resources by only using them when they’re needed. 

No matter how much you spend to keep machines running optimally, emissions add up every time you purchase and use new assets. 

Conversely, switching to a rental model reduces your footprint by sharing it with your community.

When you rent, you can try a variety of equipment makes and models to find out which affords the greatest efficiency and functionality for your needs. Sunbelt Rentals has a broad and diverse fleet of the latest zero-emission equipment. We also allow our customers to exchange for different products and return them when the job is done. 

2. Renting Reduces Costs and Your Carbon Footprint.

With today’s growing need to reduce carbon emissions, there’s even more pressure to get things done on time and under budget. Decreasing fuel consumption, for example, lowers emissions and can also reduce money and time spent on maintenance. In fact, studies show 76% of consumers will likely discontinue buying from a brand that doesn’t practice sustainability.² Incorporating sustainability practices into your facility’s business operations can significantly benefit your company. Furthermore, by renting, you can decrease upfront costs without losing access to the exact equipment you need. 

For example, by introducing a battery energy storage unit into your power solution, you can significantly reduce the runtime of diesel generators while providing silent, cost-effective, efficient, and low-emission power. Sunbelt Rentals’ battery energy storage systems reduce:

• Maintenance costs by up to 50%
• Greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂) by up to 83%
• Fuel consumption by up to 95%³

In Addition to Eliminating Expensive Maintenance and Upkeep Costs, Renting Sustainable Tools and Equipment Can Also Help You Avoid: 

• Complicated storage or insurance for idle machinery: When equipment sits idle, it wastes valuable space, money, and maintenance resources and time. Renting gives you the option to use equipment only when you need it, and then pass it off when you’re done.
• Cumbersome financing, upfront capital, and ongoing additional expenses from repairs, maintenance, and transportation: Renting gives you access to the newest and most efficient equipment. Better yet, you don’t have to purchase a newly manufactured product when older models become obsolete.

3. Sustainable Equipment Helps Cultivate a Comfortable Workplace.

Ensuring your employees are safe, comfortable, and able to work effectively is essential to your success as a facility maintenance expert. But creating that environment is a delicate balance between employee satisfaction and rapidly rising emissions, costs, and outside sourcing contacts. 

Sunbelt Rentals can help you find the right balance through sustainable solutions and rentals, including:

• Getting a running start: Whether you’re in the initial stages of construction or dealing with an outage, renting green equipment gives your worksite the sustainable jump-start it needs when utility power is unavailable.
• Staying in your comfort zone: Keep employees safe and comfortable with short-term or long-term sustainable rental solutions in climate control, proper lighting, and even temporary structures to expand space when needed.
• Having a smaller footprint and happier employees: Approximately 84% of employees prefer to work for a company that has environmentally conscious practices.1 Working with our experts can reduce your carbon footprint dramatically, giving those employees more incentive to work for you.
• Acting as a single source for all of your needs: Save hours and money by renting well-maintained equipment. Sunbelt Rentals is a single source for nearly everything you need to keep your facility running. By consolidating your sourcing contacts, you can spend less time approving invoices and more time focusing on your facility.
• Providing 24/7 on-site emergency maintenance: No matter the situation, you can count on Sunbelt Rentals to provide 24/7 emergency response support to help mitigate damage and assist in your recovery efforts for unplanned maintenance such as power outages or floods.

4. Low-Carbon Equipment Rentals Offer a Bright Path Forward.

From EV charging stations to energy storage systems, every facility has different needs. Sunbelt Rentals experts work with you to identify and procure the right solutions and flexible rental options that come with delivery, installation, start-up, and removal. With Sunbelt Rentals’ diverse fleet of zero-emission equipment, facility managers can save on rising fuel costs by using solar-, battery-, and electric-powered equipment, including the products listed below. 

Battery Energy Storage System

Collects and stores energy from the grid or a generator, and then discharges it later.

• Takes only 3.5 hours to charge from 0% to 100%
• Uses 30% of the power for the same duty cycles
• Requires no maintenance
• Ensures zero spills, emissions, or noise
• Needs fewer service calls

Solar Light Tower

Provides reliable solar-powered lighting with hybrid options for cloudy or dark conditions.

• Has no emissions, smell, or noise
• Requires no fuel or maintenance
• Needs no one to provide service
• Uses a meter to find the best orientation for sun collection
• Turns on and off automatically at dusk and dawn — or whenever you’d like

Electric Telehandler

Reduces carbon without compromising power and can operate anywhere. 

• Releases zero emissions of CO₂, NOx, and particulates at the point of use
• Works indoors and in emission-restricted zones
• Significantly reduces noise levels
• Has 110V or 220V on-board charger options
• Uses a 24kWh battery to power a full day on a single charge

5. Working with Equipment Experts Can Make Your Operations More Efficient.

Carbon emission levels are straightforward, but figuring out the variables and intangibles of how to reduce them is not. That’s where expert guidance and years of experience pay off. 

Every year, Sunbelt Rentals grows its fleet with new equipment that produces less carbon and needs less maintenance and servicing, helping our customers meet their goals for both carbon reduction and the bottom line.

Contact us to find out how Sunbelt Rentals can partner with you to deliver sustainable rental solutions for your warehouse or distribution facility. 

¹ “What Are Scope 1, 2 and 3 Carbon Emissions?” National Grid, accessed May 9, 2023.

² “Beyond Compliance: Consumers and Employees Want Business to Do More on ESG,” PwC, accessed May 11, 2023.

³ “Battery Energy Storage Systems,” Sunbelt Rentals, 2022.