(SME: Dearborn, MI) -- Going green has gone from the feel-good movement of the moment to something that is becoming largely demanded within industry.

According to a recent IndustryWeek article, larger OEMs and retail giants such as Wal-Mart are requiring that their suppliers and their supply chains get greener.

A recent survey of manufacturers by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) reveals that nearly 20 percent of those surveyed have been asked to provide “environmental footprint” information to their OEM.

“It’s clear that being a green manufacturer will be the entrance fee for suppliers in the years to come,” says Mark C. Tomlinson, executive director and general manager of SME.

The alarming discovery is that of the 1,046 manufacturing professionals who participated in the SME survey, 16 percent aren't even sure what the term “environmental footprint” means.

“Obviously, a lot of suppliers need to be brought up to speed on sustainability issues before their OEMs require it,” Tomlinson says. “And they need to understand that implementing lean to green practices can also help with the bottom line by eliminating waste.”

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