Shure Helped Save More Than 20 Million Batteries From Landfills in the Past 5 Years

With more focus from customers on sustainable products, Shure is outlining ways it has invested in the planet through environmental responsibility initiatives.

Green is not only in the logo, it’s an important part of the company’s mission. In fact, through the company’s innovation in the audio industry, these efforts have resulted in millions of batteries saved from landfills.

One of the most impactful things Shure has done for the environment is reducing the amount of batteries disposed of and placed into landfills around the world. Concerts, theater performances, meeting and live events have gone much greener lately due to a variety of Shure products that are now rechargeable.

In the past five years, Shure estimates that it has eliminated more than 20 million batteries from being used. By 2027, Shure expects its products to prevent 100 million more batteries from going to landfills as more customers convert to rechargeable Shure products.

Shure rechargeable packs and mics have changed the way concerts, theaters, meetings and other live event venues operate. In the past, disposable batteries were used to power microphones and transmitter packs during rehearsals, then replaced with a fresh set of batteries before the performance, and replaced afterward. This led to a significant disposal of batteries.

With Shure’s rechargeable wireless audio technology – the first company to offer intelligent lithium-ion batteries for wireless microphones when it was launched nearly a decade ago – it has instantly transformed sound production into a much more environmentally friendly operation.

In fact, for David’s Byrne’s “America Utopia” alone, the monitor engineer estimated they saved 21,000 AA batteries from being disposed of in landfills because they used Shure’s rechargeable system.

Other Product Initiatives

Shure works with suppliers who take action on sustainability, including suppliers who use solar power and recycled water in their operations. The Company is also working to approve water-based paints in the finishing process, which is friendlier for the environment.

Shure products are also engineered to last – from a durability and adaptive technology standpoint – avoiding costly replacements and unnecessary disposal of electronics, even as technology evolves.

The company has also engineered its products to help with overall power consumption, using less energy in “down” modes and allowing remote monitoring of power use with Wireless Workbench Software.

Packaging

Shure has joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition as it improves product packaging to be more sustainable. With more than 1500 different packaging pieces for a variety of different products, this is a significant undertaking. Some of the highlights include:

•      Replacing thermoform trays with more sustainable, recyclable alternatives such as molded pulp.

•      Reducing overall plastic materials in packaging.

•      Reducing the amount of literature that accompanies our products.

•      Right-sizing packaging for greater efficiency and reduced CO2 footprint from shipping and storage.

New products will be packaged using 75 percent recyclable and/or renewable materials in 2023. In addition, the Company is also improving packaging sustainability by:

Committing to source a greater portion of our paper and fiber-based packaging from suppliers that are certified by sustainable forestry organizations such as FSC, SFI and/or PEFC, with the intention to eliminate noncertified packaging by 2030.

Optimizing packaging for efficient distribution and logistics (creating packaging that better fits onto pallets and shipping containers to maximize space, which reduces transportation fuel and emissions produced by excess shipments)

Ensuring that existing product packaging is using greener methods. For example, we are working to replace plastic inserts with molded pulp wherever possible.

Shure has continued to take several steps to increase its focus on sustainability in packaging, balancing the need to protect sensitive, high-performance electronic equipment being shipped worldwide with being more environmentally responsible.

The Company recently joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and conducted an audit to assess sustainability of more than 1500 different packaging components. Shure has also implemented software solutions to help improve packaging design and distribution efficiency. Environmental impact assessments have been added to other environmental requirements as part of Shure’s standard process.

But even before this, Shure was implementing greener packaging. In the 1980s, Shure changed the packaging for mixers by eliminating the use of Styrofoam, switched from white (bleached) cardboard to a natural brown color, and used a soy-based ink for the printing on the cardboard box. All the packaging could be recycled, except for the plastic bag that covered the mixer inside the cardboard container.

Facilities

Shure manufacturing plants feature robust recycling programs for cardboard boxes and wooden pallets, keeping literally “tons” of cardboard waste and nearly 5,000 wooden pallets out of landfills.

Across Shure facilities, energy savings programs with LED lighting, motion-sensor lighting, smart climate control systems and other initiatives help reduce the Company’s overall carbon footprint.

People/Partners

Shure supports a number of global and locally-based organizations dedicated to sustainability efforts and ecology, including the National Resources Defense Council, whose global purpose is to “safeguard the earth — its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.” Their stated areas of work include: “climate change, communities, energy, food, health, oceans, water, the wild.”

In addition to those efforts, our Associates around the world have volunteered for environmental clean-up efforts in parks and rivers in Europe, Asia and North America.

Compliance

A cross-functional Shure team regularly reviews international regulations, directives, and standards to ensure environmental compliance with regulations like RoHS, REACH, and WEEE. The nature of these regulations promotes sustainable electronics and electronics manufacturing.

More information about Shure’s sustainability efforts is available at Shure’s Sustainability Site, which includes an overview on the Company’s approach to environmental responsibility through people, products, facilities, communities, and partners.