Brains Not Wallets: Profit from Sustainability Without Big Capital Spend

Manufacturing has always been about cost and efficiency. From the Industrial Revolution’s first machines to today’s smart factories, industrial leaders have obsessively refined processes to produce more at lower cost. However, as Professor Steve Evans, Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, points out, the rules of efficiency are shifting. With energy bills soaring, water supplies strained, and sustainability pressures mounting, the most profitable factory of the future won’t just save on labour or capital—it will excel at managing energy, materials, and other resources. 

Yet many manufacturers still think the only way to achieve ambitious sustainability targets is through high-cost technology. Not so, says Evans, who co-founded Evanall with a mission to help manufacturers harness “brains, not wallets.” His point is simple: realising sustainability gains is often about low-cost, continuous improvement, not just buying expensive new machinery. As he quips, “It’s only expensive if you engage your wallet, not your brain.” 

The Brains vs Wallets Approach 

In essence, “Brains Not Wallets” challenges the narrative that sustainability must be costly. Professor Evans notes that most factories have already implemented lean initiatives to reduce labour and downtime. But they haven’t always extended that lean mindset to energy, water, or materials. Consequently, easy wins and hidden savings remain untapped. 

“A lot of manufacturers might say, ‘But we’re already efficient,’” he explains. “What they really mean is they’re efficient with labour—because they can literally see a worker taking extra steps or losing time. But they rarely see energy or material waste, so they believe it doesn’t exist. And that’s a costly myth.” 

 Another barrier is the belief that you must invest in new tech—perhaps a fancy energy-management system or an advanced production line—to make strides in sustainability. Although equipment upgrades are important in the long run, Evans advises against immediately writing a large cheque. Instead, he encourages companies to see how much they can achieve through smarter use of existing kit. 

The Danger of One-Size-Fits-All Advice 

The generic “sustainability consultant” may recommend LED lighting, or small tweaks better suited to office buildings than heavy industry. Manufacturers need specialised guidance grounded in manufacturing realities, Evans argues. “If someone promises big energy savings by swapping fluorescent tubes for LEDs, you should ask: how much of our total energy is actually used by lighting?” If it’s just a tiny fraction, that approach won’t dent your bills or your carbon footprint. 

 Likewise, solutions that rely on major capital investments can be misapplied: “I’ve seen companies start a costly upgrade cycle because they think it’s the only route to lower energy consumption,” Evans says, “when in many cases a few continuous-improvement steps could do more, faster, and without the big price tag.” 

Materiality and the Power of Focus 

 A vital component of “Brains Not Wallets” is knowing where to focus. Professor Evans often references “materiality”: identifying which sustainability challenges truly matter to your manufacturing operation, from energy and water usage to specific pollutants or packaging waste. 

In practice, that means you might have 15 potential issues to tackle, but only three to five of them really drive costs and impacts—like electricity consumption, wastewater generation, or a specific chemical. Tackling these top issues first can yield the biggest wins. 

Equally crucial is avoiding “analysis paralysis.” For Evans, the companies that succeed most at sustainability do so by acting quickly on what they already know. “At some point, you stop reading reports and you get on the factory floor,” he quips. “The knowledge you gain from taking direct action—whether that’s auditing waste streams, tweaking line configurations, or training operators to spot energy leaks—will guide you better than any abstract plan.” 

Quick Wins Hiding in Plain Sight 

So, what does a practical “brains-first” improvement look like? Professor Evans points to overlooked opportunities: 

Manufacturing has always been about cost and efficiency. From the Industrial Revolution’s first machines to today’s smart factories, industrial leaders have obsessively refined processes to produce more at lower cost. However, as Professor Steve Evans, Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, points out, the rules of efficiency are shifting. With energy bills soaring, water supplies strained, and sustainability pressures mounting, the most profitable factory of the future won’t just save on labour or capital—it will excel at managing energy, materials, and other resources. 

 Yet many manufacturers still think the only way to achieve ambitious sustainability targets is through high-cost technology. Not so, says Evans, who co-founded Evanall with a mission to help manufacturers harness “brains, not wallets.” His point is simple: realising sustainability gains is often about low-cost, continuous improvement, not just buying expensive new machinery. As he quips, “It’s only expensive if you engage your wallet, not your brain.” 

 The Brains vs Wallets Approach 

 In essence, “Brains Not Wallets” challenges the narrative that sustainability must be costly. Professor Evans notes that most factories have already implemented lean initiatives to reduce labour and downtime. But they haven’t always extended that lean mindset to energy, water, or materials. Consequently, easy wins and hidden savings remain untapped. 

“A lot of manufacturers might say, ‘But we’re already efficient,’” he explains. “What they really mean is they’re efficient with labour—because they can literally see a worker taking extra steps or losing time. But they rarely see energy or material waste, so they believe it doesn’t exist. And that’s a costly myth.” 

 Another barrier is the belief that you must invest in new tech—perhaps a fancy energy-management system or an advanced production line—to make strides in sustainability. Although equipment upgrades are important in the long run, Evans advises against immediately writing a large cheque. Instead, he encourages companies to see how much they can achieve through smarter use of existing kit. 

The Danger of One-Size-Fits-All Advice 

 The generic “sustainability consultant” may recommend LED lighting, or small tweaks better suited to office buildings than heavy industry. Manufacturers need specialised guidance grounded in manufacturing realities, Evans argues. “If someone promises big energy savings by swapping fluorescent tubes for LEDs, you should ask: how much of our total energy is actually used by lighting?” If it’s just a tiny fraction, that approach won’t dent your bills or your carbon footprint. 

 Likewise, solutions that rely on major capital investments can be misapplied: “I’ve seen companies start a costly upgrade cycle because they think it’s the only route to lower energy consumption,” Evans says, “when in many cases a few continuous-improvement steps could do more, faster, and without the big price tag.” 

Materiality and the Power of Focus  

A vital component of “Brains Not Wallets” is knowing where to focus. Professor Evans often references “materiality”: identifying which sustainability challenges truly matter to your manufacturing operation, from energy and water usage to specific pollutants or packaging waste. 

In practice, that means you might have 15 potential issues to tackle, but only three to five of them really drive costs and impacts—like electricity consumption, wastewater generation, or a specific chemical. Tackling these top issues first can yield the biggest wins.  

Equally crucial is avoiding “analysis paralysis.” For Evans, the companies that succeed most at sustainability do so by acting quickly on what they already know. “At some point, you stop reading reports and you get on the factory floor,” he quips. “The knowledge you gain from taking direct action—whether that’s auditing waste streams, tweaking line configurations, or training operators to spot energy leaks—will guide you better than any abstract plan.” 

 Quick Wins Hiding in Plain Sight  

So, what does a practical “brains-first” improvement look like? Professor Evans points to overlooked opportunities: 

• Cutting Idle Usage: Many plants draw startling levels of power when no production is running—sometimes 50-60% of peak demand still runs at 2am on a Sunday. Shutting down unnecessary motors, compressors, or lighting during idle times often slashes energy bills instantly. 
• Rethinking Stock: Over-ordering raw materials is a hidden profit killer. “If you’re consistently buying 500 kilograms of something when you only need 420, you’re leaving money on the table—and possibly creating waste,” explains Evans. Better inventory discipline can reduce not just resource costs but also storage and disposal fees. 
• Empowering Employees: Professor Evans often sees energy savings driven by operator initiatives. “If you find two or three operators enthusiastic about sustainability, give them a chance to tinker or investigate changes,” he suggests. Their quick-win fixes—like synchronising machine warm-ups or switching a line’s compressed air system—can reveal immediate gains. 
• Assessing Machine Operations: Buying a brand-new line or fancy sensor system isn’t always the answer. Simply measuring and comparing the performance of existing machines can expose major differences in how energy is consumed—and highlight where minor upgrades or process tweaks deliver big results. 

Beyond the Low-Hanging Fruit 

While these “Kaizen” style improvements can quickly drive 10-20% resource savings, Evans emphasises that’s only the beginning. Over time, manufacturers can parlay these learnings into bigger sustainability transformations—like rethinking product design, or eventually upgrading equipment at its natural replacement date with sustainable performance in mind. 

“The difference is you’ll be far more informed by then,” he says. “You’ll know exactly what to ask for in that new technology. You’ll have far more confidence that each pound you spend is necessary and will deliver results.” 

Proving the Business Case Through Action 

An added bonus of this approach? By showing early, low-cost results, you’ll win over managers, employees, and even customers who might have assumed sustainability was a time and money sink. “Once you cut your energy bill or reduce your water usage, people start to trust the process,” notes Evans. “It stops being an abstract ‘green’ project and becomes a profit-boosting strategy that happens to be good for the planet.” 

Instead of viewing sustainability as a burdensome requirement from customers or regulators, it becomes a source of resilience. Companies that lower their dependence on resources are better placed to weather price spikes or supply chain shocks, and they often gain preference from customers seeking greener supply chains. 

Join the Conversation at the Summer Summit 

Professor Steve Evans will dive deeper into these ideas during the upcoming Sustainable Industry Summer Summit, where he’ll host a workshop titled “Brains Not Wallets: Learn How Manufacturers Can Profit from Sustainability—Without Big Capital Spend.” Drawing on decades of experience, he’ll share frameworks and examples to help leaders spot immediate gains and chart a practical, action-focused path to better sustainability. 

If you’re keen to discover how your manufacturing operation can thrive by engaging brains before wallets, be sure to catch his session. View the event agenda and join a community of like-minded leaders shaping the future of sustainable industry.