A Roadmap to Sustainability

September 6, 2007

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

The path to sustainability involves two cycles that lead to continuous, sustainable improvement while also having a positive effect on a company’s bottom line, according to an article in CRO Magazine by Susan Graff, founder and principal of ERS. The first focuses on pollution prevention through cleaner production and the second on evaluating and improving the sustainability of product supply chains and vendors.Within these cycles, Graff says there are six clear steps that comprise a roadmap to sustainability:

Establish a Company Culture and Align the Business Plan – A sustainability framework enables a company to set policy, identify significant risks, implement changes, review successes and failures, and strive for continual improvement.
Examine Inputs – Conduct a scan of the raw materials and resources required by your products and services from a process perspective and identify the major risks.
Evaluate Processes – The “Material Balance and Process Flow Chart” has been identified as the most useful tools for process evaluation.
Set Priorities for Environmentally Sustainable Production – The data should now be available to set longer term priorities.
Evaluate Products -The responsibility of a sustainable business at this stage is to examine the activities of suppliers and waste management companies.
Set Priorities for Sustainable Design -Design for the environment, dematerialization, and biomimicry are tools that lead to innovation.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Enhance Sustainability. Improve Profitability.

Learn how at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Best Practices: Product Environmental Compliance

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader