How can I understand how my business is affecting the environment?

You know how when you open the box of a new electronic gizmo like a computer or DVD player, there is usually a handy picture laying on top showing you how to connect all the parts? This part of the Guide explains how to create a picture of your company’s processes that is just as handy. This picture, called a process map, will show what comes in and what goes out of the process. The process map is a great tool for environmental management because it will help you see how your business affects the environment. This will help you figure out what regulations might apply and at what points in the process you need to keep required records. Because it shows the flow of chemical products through your business, it allows you to identify the areas where spills are more likely to happen, where housekeeping may be a big concern, and what kinds of labels are needed. You can make sure you are providing training that fits each employee’s responsibilities by looking at which steps in the process map they are involved with.

Getting started is easy. Look over the example in Figure 1 to get an idea of what your picture can look like and fill in the blanks. Begin with the basics: the raw materials, the process, and the product. Good start, but it isn’t the complete picture. The process probably requires additions other than just the raw materials. Do you use a tool or dispenser to introduce a raw material to the process? Do the raw materials feed through some type of machine? If so, there are elements or processes required to make it work—probably a power source, possibly oil, filters, or parts that are replaced when they are used up. As you examine all the steps in the process and what makes each of them work, you can add more detail to your process map. At first, this diagram will qualify rather than quantify the flow of materials—just what is involved in the process, not how much. You can plug in numbers later when your company wants to look at process changes and you need to measure results. When you look at the process as a complete cycle, the pieces start to fall into place. Raw materials are just one of the resources utilized. For example, when you consider that a specific tool is used and look at the source of its power, it points out another input for the diagram. Then, you can pinpoint output details because all the inputs have to leave the process in some way, shape, or form.

Once you have it, you can get lots of mileage out of your process map as a business management tool. It helps you think about aspects of your process that may have escaped notice in the past. As you work through later Sections of the Guide, the process map will help you understand how to improve the process because it helps you see clearly the inputs and outputs—and associated costs—of each step. Opportunities to reduce waste or conserve energy will be more obvious. You might notice that you have a “byproduct,” something that leaves your process as a waste but can be used to benefit someone else’s process. They may even be willing to pay you for it. The process map is also a great planning tool. As you look for areas to improve, the visual diagram will make it easier for you to explain your process, where it is now, and where you want to go with it. It can also be a great way to explain a job position to a new employee. atlanta water line repair

Posted in: Environment.

How can I conserve energy?

Here are three reasons to work on energy conservation:

• First, saving energy in your business translates into cost savings.

• Second, using less electricity means less coal and less natural gas are burned, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of air pollution and conserves resources for future generations.

• Third, there is free assistance available to help your business explore even some of the more involved options so why not take advantage of them?

Let us first start with no cost and very low cost suggestions. Most of these involve changes in employee activities and some readily made equipment changes:

• Turn off lights or office equipment at night and on weekends or take advantage of natural daylight for lighting needs.

• Disconnect unnecessary equipment completely.

• Turn up or turn back the thermostat during unoccupied times or consider buying a programmable thermostat.

• Caulk and weather-strip windows and doors.

• Install blinds or shades to keep out summer sun to lower air-conditioning costs.

• Purchase fans to keep warm air from accumulating at the ceiling during winter.

• Insulate hot water holding tanks and hot and cold pipes and improve insulation of the climate controlled portions of your facility.

• Place your lights on motion detectors or install timers on lights and electric equipment to keep them on only when in use.

• It may be worthwhile to replace lighting fixtures instead of just the bulbs. The new fixtures can allow you to utilize a smaller bulb and get the same amount of light, or reuse the ballast portion of the light.

Call your local utility company to see if they still have a program to evaluate your building for energy efficiency. (Many have dropped their programs since deregulation.) If the service is available, the utility will provide you with specific options for making your business more energy efficient, usually for free. If your local utility company does not provide this service, check with your state’s energy program to see if they do, or know who does. There are Industrial Assessment Centers throughout the country that perform process audits to reduce energy use, improve efficiency, or reduce waste.

There are some real possibilities for cost savings over time by replacing major equipment within your facility. Not only will there be savings on operational costs because of increased efficiency, it  can also avoid maintenance problems that take up time and budget, and justify replacing equipment that is out of date for reasons other than just efficiency. One example is that traditional systems often have wasted energy and money by running motors continuously at full capacity, regardless of the end-use need. Fortunately, motors can now be equipped with variable speed drives to allow the motor to closely match its power output with the energy necessary for the task—eliminating waste and saving money.

Posted in: Environment.

How can I conserve water?

Think about it: most business activities are using part of a limited supply of water that is good enough to drink. Only a tiny fraction of the planet’s water is drinkable. Ninety-seven percent is sea water, which is expensive and difficult to desalinate. About two percent is caught in polar ice caps. That leaves just one percent to sustain life. Much of the world’s population gets their drinking water from natural underground storage tanks called aquifers. Humankind is rapidly using up those reserves, digging ever-deeper wells and lowering water levels in every continent. Also, your business pays for using this resource. This may not seem like a large part of your overhead. That is, until you realize that you pay for it twice: coming to the tap and going to the sewer. Take a look at your combined water-sewer bill. If you want to save some money while reducing the impact of your business on your community’s water supply, consider some of the ideas below as a starting point for your water conservation efforts.

Find out how your company uses water. You may have water guzzling processes that can be changed or updated. Some water cooled equipment can be replaced with air cooled equipment. Are you spending more for the water to run a process than you would spend to buy the goods or services directly? If the water use in the process can’t be eliminated completely, perhaps the water can be reused. For example, can your business reuse process water to wash equipment instead of sending it to the sewer? Since few people would ignore ways to reduce chemical use, doesn’t it make sense to look at reduction in water use as well? Rinse waters can be used for lower priority cleaning applications just as you might use a slightly contaminated solvent for another use before you dispose of it. And just as used solvents can be reclaimed through distillation, atlanta water line repair can be reclaimed through ultrafiltration. Furthermore, water recycled through ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis systems can be of better quality than supply water.

Keeping your plumbing fixtures in good working order or upgrading fixtures can save both water and money. Below are several ideas and suggestions for you to try:

• An easy way to test for leaks in the toilet is to put food dye in the toilet tank. Let it sit for an hour or two without flushing. If you see dye in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Check to make sure the overflow tube is not flowing continually.

• Consider an inspection program for leaks.

• Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers.

• It may be worthwhile to replace plumbing fixtures with more water efficient options.

• Faucet aerators with flow restrictors are available to reduce water use.

• Some heating and cooling equipment models reuse or recycle water.

• Automatic shut offs on water supplies such as sinks and hose nozzles will keep them from being left on.

• High pressure/low volume cleaning nozzles on spray washers also use less water.

• Cover liquid holding areas when not in use to reduce evaporation.

If you have grounds or green space, look at outdoor water uses, such as landscaping. Remember that established plants and lawns need less water than new ones, and many native plant species do with less water than imports. Here are some additional ideas:

• Adding mulch can further reduce your water needs.

• Set sprinkler patterns to avoid watering structures and concreted areas and install moisture-detection devices on automatic outdoor sprinklers so that they will not activate when it is raining.

• Water lawns early in the morning when temperature and wind speed are lowest to reduce evaporation.

• Upgrade to an irrigation system that relies on data on natural water loss through solar radiation, temperature, wind velocity, soil conditions and humidity to avoid over watering by replacing only the water lost.

Small adjustments in your process can help you to save money on your water and sewer bills. Keep track of these expenses so that you can gauge progress and quickly spot changes. Check your meter for increased use that can signal a problem. It is possible through continued improvements that your company could reach a point where there is “zero discharge” from your processes through water recycling and reuse. Other companies have achieved this level of efficiency motivated either by a desire to reduce cost associated with water consumption or to eliminate the need to permit wastewater discharge or to pay to dispose of wastewater. If possible, talk with other companies about methods they have used to save water. Your water utility company may also be a source of information on conservation methods.

Posted in: Environment.

How do I predict savings from proposed projects?

This part of the Guide has emphasized projects that are likely to have a financial payback. It is understandable that you, as the top person at your business, will want to know how much and how soon the return will be for the effort and funding invested in the project. But, after you have sharpened your pencil, what exactly do you include in a cost work up?

The question you need to answer is, “What is the up front cost of the change you are considering, and how long will it take for enough savings to accumulate to offset this up front cost?” This is the “return on investment,” and usually, if it will take more than two years for benefits to outweigh the initial outlay, it may be difficult to convince you and your staff to do the project unless there are other really good reasons to do it, such as improved employee safety. With this in mind, here are some cost categories to consider as you work up your analysis.

Initial start up costs. In addition to the cost of purchasing, will the change require remodeling or modifications to meet building codes?

Changeover costs. When changing from the old process to the new process, what will happen to excess raw materials that can no longer be used? Will employees need training before they can begin using the new process? Will you need a trial period to work out any bugs? With the up front costs nailed down, compare the old process and the new process head to head.

Operating costs. These can include electricity, water use, and ventilation systems. Also look at whether the new process will be more or less labor intensive. Will the new process be more productive, for example, higher units of output per hour or lower amount of raw materials per unit?

Environmental management and compliance costs. What are the waste management costs? Will compliance be made easier by the new process? For example, will it eliminate a required report to regulators? Will it put you in a hazardous waste generator category with reduced requirements? Will you be able to discontinue an environmental permit? If so, try to estimate the time company employees put into these efforts to come up with an estimate of dollars saved.

Avoided costs. In addition to avoided waste disposal costs, consider whether the new process requires less raw material inputs, thus saving costs in purchasing them. Will the new process eliminate spills and their associated costs? Will there be less personal protective equipment and safety training required?

It may not be a formal and totally complete analysis, but if you think through all of the above categories you will have a much clearer picture when you get done of whether your idea is as valuable as you first thought.

Posted in: Environment.

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