Why is Rental more sustainable?
Recent research has found that renting can be 30% to 50% better for the environment when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. This means that equipment rental can play a big role in helping contractors to meet increasingly ambitious sustainability goals.
The European Rental Association (ERA) represents the interests of equipment rental companies across Europe – and Riwal is proud to be a member of this organisation.
The ERA recently commissioned research into the total carbon footprint of key types of equipment, including aerial work platforms. The study, a collaboration between three independent research companies – calculated the carbon emissions of each equipment type over the full course of its life, from manufacture and use through to disposal. The researchers then compared these life cycle CO2 emissions for purchased and rental machines.
The consultants working on the study created a CO2 calculator based on the factors which have the most impact on a machine’s carbon footprint, including utilisation, specification, transportation, and maintenance.
- Utilisation refers to how intensely the machine is used. Rental machines tend to have high utilisation rates, because when one customer has finished with a machine it is very quickly turned around and delivered to the next customer.
- Specification is all about using the right equipment for the job – both in terms of the appropriate working height and also the machine with the lowest emissions.
- For transportation, rental companies carefully plan their collections and deliveries to optimise use of truck trailers.
- And of course, maintenance is vital to extending the life of the machine.
Taken together all of these elements mean that a rental machine often has a much lower carbon footprint over its entire life than a purchased aerial work platform.
Visit the sustainability page of ERA to know more about sustainability in renting: Why Rent
