Final

Corporate Environmental

Sustainability Goals: 45 EXAMPLES & DEFINITIONS

GOALS

TACTICS

SYSTEMS

EHS industry insights on sustainability, spills, and safety TM

EHS OnPoint TM scoured the internet for examples of corporate environmental sustainability to inspire you.

Responsible consumption is using resources and energy efficiently. Responsibility lies in the hands of all companies, facilities and consumers.

TACTIC: Responsible consumption

2. Utilize rerouting and logistics to minimize fuel consumption.

1. Encourage carpooling or riding a bike to work.

GOAL: Pollution prevention

4. Modify your production processes to emit less waste or emissions.

Why focus on sustainability Are you spearheading a new sustainability initiative for your company? If you’re starting a corporate sustainability program from ground zero, you’ll need to justify your time and resources.

What is sustainability

3. Use less packaging in your product.

5. Use non-toxic or less-toxic substances.

Ask anyone to define sustainability and you’ll probably get a different answer every time.

While some focus on the environmental side of sustainability, others include economics, communities, infrastructure, and health. For example, the UN’s sustainable development goals encompass a broad spectrum of environmental goals such as clean energy and climate action as well as goals for economic growth, hunger, poverty, health, education, equality, peace, and justice. Companies often categorize sustainability into three pillars: Environment, Social, and Economic. We will focus on environmental sustainability.

Pollution can occur in the air, water, or soil. Pollution prevention, or P2, is reducing or eliminating waste at the source. Goals such as waste reduction and reducing carbon footprint ultimately support a broader objective

6. Implement conservation

7. Reuse materials, such as production scrap or shop towels, rather than putting them into the waste stream.

Here are four reasons to invest in corporate sustainability:

techniques (use less energy and water at your facility).

8. Reduce packaging.

•

Better for the environment.

•

Improve your bottom line.

• Your employees benefit from healthier and safer working conditions.

• Can be positioned as a competitive advantage.

of pollution prevention.

10. Evaluate all waste, and find a way to move it up the waste hierarchy.

Six Sigma is a set of tools and techniques to help improve processes within an organization.

9. Designate colored recycling bins for different wastes and make them accessible to all employees.

Definitions of sustainability

TACTIC: Waste management

The primary goal of the Six Sigma certification is to

validate individuals who possess the skills to identify errors or defects in a business process and eliminate them. The Six Sigma certification comes in various skill levels: Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master Black Belt. These certifications can be obtained through an accreditation body like the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

EPA: To create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations

UNITED NATIONS: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising

OXFORD DICTIONARIES: The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level

Responsible waste management is in the hands of everyone that generates waste. It must be properly segregated and handled. According to the EPA’s waste

management hierarchy, source reduction and reuse are preferred methods, followed by recycling, energy recovery, and finally, treatment and disposal.

the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

SYSTEM: SIX SIGMA Six Sigma is a set of tools and techniques to help improve processes within an organization.

Zero discharge means to eliminate discharge pollutants from a point source (such as a building or processing plant) to local waterways. Zero discharge can refer to a plant eliminating all pollutants or a specific pollutant. Part of zero discharge includes being a good water steward. Alternative energy refers to all non-fossil-fuel- based energy sources and processes, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, wave power, nuclear, hydropower. Waste reduction is the method used to achieve zero waste. According to the EPA, waste minimization refers to the use of

source reduction and/ or environmentally sound recycling methods prior to energy recovery, treatment or disposal of wastes.

GOAL: Waste reduction & minimization 25. Toyota is evaluating solar, geothermal and stationary hydrogen fuel cells and experimenting with alternative energy such as geothermal systems and landfill gas.

GOAL: Resource conservation

23. Switch to a laundering service for your shop towels, mops and oil absorbents.

11. Reduce landscape water use.

Resource conservation refers to the practice of using resources such as water, energy, and

24. Amcor committed to all packaging being recyclable or reusable by 2025. They pledged to increase use of recycled materials and drive more package recycling.

The goal of the Six Sigma certification is to validate those who possess the skills to identify errors in a business process and eliminate them. The certification comes in various skill levels: Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master Black Belt. Yellow Belt training is often used to bring employees on board and give basic literacy regarding the process. Master Black Belt is the most elite Six Sigma certification involving detailed application of tools to lead full scale projects and track improvements. These certifications can be obtained through an accreditation body like the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

TACTIC: Alternative energy

12. Engage employees to be more conscientious.

raw materials efficiently and ethically.

According to the Water Council, good water stewards understand their own water use, watershed context and shared risk in terms of water governance, water balance, water quality, and important water- related areas.

13. Install low-flow faucets and water efficient toilets.

GOAL: Zero discharge

26. Reduce the amount of water needed during production.

15. Use energy efficient light bulbs.

21. Donate to non-profit organizations that support sustainability.

20. Educate peers about corporate sustainability.

14. Install automatic light shut off.

32. ISO 50001 is a certification based on a standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The specification requires use of an energy management system with a main purpose of using energy more efficiently. SYSTEM: ISO 50001 & ISO 14001

ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system an organization can use to improve environmental performance. ISO 14001:2015 helps companies manage environmental responsibilities in a defined, systematic approach. 29. All of ITU AbsorbTech’s processing facilities are registered to the ISO 14001:2015 standard by SAI Global. ITU AbsorbTech is committed to dynamic change and improvement, holding all facilities to a high standard.

17. According to the Bosch website, they have a goal to reduce waste and water consumption by 2% every year.

27. Recycle industrial wastewater by treating reusable water from wastewater and transferring pollutants to a solid phase (sludge). 28. Levi Strauss & Co. developed a standard to encourage the preservation of fresh water through water recycling.

22. Educate consumers about responsible consumption.

19. Lobby for new policies or regulations.

16. Reduce scrap material during production.

18. Graphics Packaging ’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of non-renewable energy and increase recovery of paper by 2020.

Advocacy is the act of supporting a cause or proposal. It can be a powerful way for companies to effect real change in environmental sustainability.

TACTIC: Advocacy

Lean manufacturing is a systematic method for waste minimization within a manufacturing system without sacrificing productivity. Wastes refer to defects, excess processing, overproduction, waiting, inventory, moving, motion, and unused talent.

A reduction in excess processing and defects, in particular, can have a substantial impact on

SYSTEM: PEER PEER stands for Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal. Whereas LEED refers to the building sector, PEER refers to the power sector.

Innovation can accelerate and even revolutionize environmental sustainability initiatives. Innovation in your business can come in the form of a new product or a process innovation and is a

TACTIC: Lean manufacturing

TACTIC: Innovation

environmental sustainability.

42. Viking Plastics uses the 2-Second

SYSTEM: LEED and green buildings If your focus is on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water conservation, you may want to consider LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a widely used green building rating system. LEED applies strictly to a building or neighborhood, not a company. LEED buildings save energy, water, resources, generate less waste and support human health. Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is the exclusive provider of third-party certification and professional credentials for LEED.

30. Upgrade to new equipment that results in fewer defective parts (and, therefore, less waste).

GOAL: Zero waste to landfill

Some issues with a zero to landfill goal is that a company could incinerate their waste and still claim zero landfill. Unfortunately, Waste to Energy (WTE) can produce large amounts of ash that must still be landfilled. Lean model to educate employees on “8 wastes” targeted for elimination by lean manufacturing organizations.

It’s a rating system that evaluates a power system’s performance for reliability, safety, efficiency, grid service, innovation, and regional priority.

key part of achieving sustainability goals.

Having a zero waste to landfill goal means you plan to eliminate all discharge to landfill. It means you are not shipping any wastes for treatment at a landfill. When a facility acquires the zero waste to landfill (ZWTL) status, it means that absolutely no manufacturing waste from the facility goes to landfill sites. 44. New York City has a goal to achieve Zero Waste by 2030 (OneNYCPlan), eliminating the need to send waste to out-of- state landfills.

33. Komatsu Mining is continuously reviewing all of its facilities’ operations to reduce global carbon footprint.

32. Buy energy efficient items with the ENERGY STAR® logo or items that are EPEAT registered for the office.

34. Ball Corp ’s goal is to cut the carbon footprint of their beverage cans by 25%.

31. Modify product packaging so that it can be easily recycled.

35. Consider using EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM), which was designed to help solid waste planners organize and track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

36. GM has committed to all-electric, zero- emissions future, regardless of modifications to future fuel economy standards.

TACTIC: Reuse & recycling

GOAL: Zero emissions

43. LEED buildings helps reduce Colgate ’s environmental impact and overall exposure to water and climate change related issues.

Recycling is turning an item into raw materials to be used again, usually for a new product. Reuse, in contrast, refers to using an object as it is without breaking it down.

Reduce your carbon footprint by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming.

45. According to their sustainability site, Nestle has a goal to reach 100% Zero Waste by 2030.

37. Invest in renewable energy.

Reuse is preferred over recycling as recycling consumes more energy.

1. Get buy-in from the top down. 2. Form a sustainability team and involve people from all impacted areas of your business. 3. Get your plan in writing.

4. Include SMART goals in your plan (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time- bound). 5. Network with other environmental, health & safety professionals.

Remember these key steps in building and improving your plan:

38. Reduce waste (this is one way you can reduce your carbon footprint).

41. Use a towel rental service instead of one- time-use wipes.

40. Switch to launderable, reusable oil absorbents.

39. Purchase flexible fuel fleet vehicles, or low emissions vehicles.

EHS On Point TM is a blog featuring insights on safety and sustainability in industry written by service professionals at ITU AbsorbTech. Visit ITUAbsorbTech.com/blog or scan below. EHS industry insights on sustainability, spills, and safety TM