From bulk liquid storage tanks to rainwater harvesting systems and underground solutions, discover how environmental tanks can benefit your business.
The European Environmental Agency has pointed out how “industrial activities are a source of pressure on the environment, mainly in the form of emissions to the atmosphere and water ecosystems, waste generation and resource consumption”.
So, to become more sustainable and comply with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings, it’s important to look for more environmentally friendly solutions.
Read on to discover the benefits of installing environmental tanks for your business and the planet.
Are Industrial Storage Tanks Environmentally Friendly?
In theory, yes. By containing vast amounts of substances and materials in one location, industrial storage tanks limit the need for travel and further disruption of the environment.
Therefore, this convenience saves travel costs/pollution, energy efficiency, and landmass. Plus. If the environmental tank is underground, the land above gets spared to support more eco-friendly processes or other uses that may have disrupted the environment elsewhere.
However, for sustainable storage tanks to remain environmentally friendly, they must not cause any harm to the environment. It seems obvious, but this scenario relies on high-quality storage tank installation and zero human error.
So, depending on the substances contained, industrial storage tanks can destroy parts of our environment if problems arise, such as leakages and spillages.
And despite being an eco-friendlier storage tank model, any leakages caused by a storage tank can be especially bad for the environment, as more time can pass before the leak is detected.
For obvious reasons, petroleum, oil, and septic substances stored in tanks all carry the potential to cause catastrophic damage to the environment and kill wildlife if any leakages or mass spillages occur.
Some toxic spillage disasters have severely polluted natural environments in the UK, such as a Tesco petrol leak from one of its tanks in Haslingden in 2014 that contaminated a Lancashire river, killing fish and forcing people to leave their homes. Tesco got fined £8m as 23,500 litres of petrol escaped through the tank over two days.
So, all in all, industrial storage tanks can be sustainable solutions to our environment. However, if they undergo poor construction or have no maintenance or assessment, depending on the substance, they can cause severe damage to our environment.
The Environmental Benefits of Industrial Storage Tanks
Words like “industrial” don’t typically combine well with our environmental and sustainability issues, with mass production and plumes of factory smoke providing common associations.
However, there are ways for industrial companies to change this narrative by implementing sustainable solutions to their practices and processes while developing more eco-friendly values.
Here are just a handful of benefits of industrial storage tanks that your business can encourage and adopt:
- Large Capacity in a Single Location
Housing more substances/materials in one location saves energy costs and travel while reducing human error across operations.
Through these high volumes of substances/materials stored locally and available immediately, environmental tanks reduce impracticality and further natural interference compared to if the product got stored across multiple locations with the need to establish travel routes or supply chain networks to transport the product.
Although the bigger the tank, the more responsibility, at least there is one storage tank to manage, rather than multiple smaller sizes.
- Water Storage Tanks
Otherwise known as a “rainwater harvesting system”, water storage tanks are being installed commercially and domestically to store rainwater. A rainwater harvesting system enables your water storage tank to provide drinking water, washing and agricultural uses.
Environmental water tanks can also be installed at industrial scales to collect rainwater. As a sustainable solution, your business can rely less on the mains water supply, saving money, energy, and the planet.
The UK set out a water efficiency strategy with ‘Future water: the Government’s water strategy for England’, covering how water storage tanks offer a sustainable solution. But ensuring your water tank remains sustainable relies on the materials and quality of installation.
Some industrial storage tanks for water get made from low-quality unrecyclable materials with short lifespans and minimal UV resistance. So, for you to remain eco-friendly, you should invest in high-quality materials such as high-grade galvanised steel, a marine alloy of aluminium or stainless steel, combined with a suitable storage tank lining.
Find the Right Industrial Storage Tank for You
Regardless of your business or industry, complying with environmental and sustainable incentives is essential to maintain your company’s reputation and satisfy legal regulations.
At Franklin Hodge, we can help you take a giant step towards achieving this through our quality-assured sustainable industrial storage tanker solutions. Get in touch today for a free quote or to learn more about how our sustainable storage tank systems can benefit your business and the environment.
[NS1]I have amended this paragraph to include galvanised steel and aluminium tank shell options.