The P2 Challenge
By John Piggott, EcoSafe Environmental, Health & Safety Management

The "Challenge", that is the key component of Pollution Prevention (P2) that piques and maintains my professional interest as an environmental consultant. The first challenge was to learn how to change our clients' business/enviro paradigm from grudgingly just complying with environmental regulations to embracing P2 as part of their profit center.

It is amazing to think back to just the 80s and early 90s when the "environment" was a real hard sell to industry. Our approach, especially to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), was often totally wrong and arrogant. Our original focus was also mainly on waste management or treatment instead of prevention.

(Actual incident 1993) "Oh hi John. I see you recommend that we start collecting our processor effluent and have it picked up for disposal at a cost of $200.00 a drum, ten grand a year, something about aquatic life forms eh? Well buddy, I got three little life forms at home that need their daddy to make some money, so when I see the fish swimming upside down I'll worry about it then. You do know where the door is eh..."

Then we attempted "front of pipe" instead of "end of pipe" P2 solutions but we still wore the enviro hat instead of the business solution suit.

"Let me see, John. You want me to stop using XYZ solvent that has been working well for us for 10 years, is low cost and readily available from a number of suppliers and is a standard raw material in our industry. And replace it with a higher cost, slower working aqueous product available only from a couple of sources because it has less volatiles organism confounds... that would give my competitors a real edge... hmmm let me think about this while you show yourself out. You do know where the door is eh?!"

It helped, certainly, when tougher regulations came into effect, most high profile and larger companies got on board in a hurry but the majority of SMEs ignore them until either forced to deal with them by inspectors or are shown a cost and efficiency benefit. Another challenge therefore was learning the importance of understanding and relating P2 to their business model i.e. reciprocity, in business parlance - Return on Investment.

And that is where the Toronto Region Sustainability Program delivered through OCETA is so effective. By offering a substantial cost sharing inducement the client becomes a contractual partner in the whole P2 assessment process. Now we can conduct a comprehensive, facility wide confidential assessment, a collaborative effort on business efficiency, pollution prevention (P2) and community-based sustainability. And the results have been amazing, leading to CCME and other national award winning P2 success stories.

In the industry sector where I work, we have come a long way and the challenge now is to promote and produce sustainable results in real reductions in persistent toxics and pollutants. This is best achieved by companies integrating waste reduction, R&D & P2 procedures into core management systems. The approach has to be first and foremost from a cost saving or even revenue generating multi media format. Today promoting a proactive "green" image is a growing marketing trend in business. We need to use a consultative approach, that's what they pay us for. We need to feel their pain, share their problems and by becoming problem solvers we become a viable resource and therefore successful ourselves. Everybody wins, our clients, the environment and ourselves.

One example is the printer who uses an expensive, high VOC solvent in a printing press auto wash system mixed 50/50 with water. He also has to pay a high price to have the spent waste solvent/wash picked up by a licensed hauler. By studying the process, discussing the background with the operator and suppliers and investigating the options, we learned it is the press equipment supplier who dictates what type of solvent they use, limited by the warranty on the press and the fact that they also supply the solvent. Kind of ties the guy up! He can't use any different formulae without losing the warranty and technical support. So we took another approach. I took a sample of the waste solvent/wash to a local manufacturer of recycling equipment. They modified a distillation unit to clean, separate and recapture the solvent and the water. We tested the recycled solvent, both on the press and in the lab, and compared it with the virgin product. This proved successful and an 80% saving is now realized for the owner, not just on the cost of the solvent but also on the reportable VOCs previously purchased. The savings on the waste haulage alone is enough to pay for the recycler in a year. Then there is the reduction in the delivery and pickup truck emissions (smog and GHG) and 21 tonnes of class 213I hazardous waste is eliminated. There is also a saving for the cost of floor space for inventory of virgin and waste drums and the manpower to handle them. The manifesting costs are saved as is the reporting to the MOE including a tax credit for R&D and experimental scientific development. Cost saving $45,760+ and VOC reduction of 7.5 tonnes per year. This is just one P2 item with a whole lot of benefits for the business and the environment...Read more

Program Results

Improving environmental and financial performance: Durham Manufacturers Sustainability Program

In today's marketplace, sustainability and reducing the environmental footprint can positively impact a businesses' bottom line. Opportunities are abounding for manufacturers to achieve success on both of these fronts.

With a strong base in key sectors such as tech-based manufacturing and energy, Durham Region is an attractive place for many commercial and industrial businesses. Durham has effectively positioned itself as an economic-industrial hotbed in southern Ontario earning its reputation as an "emerging power." As a leader in manufacturing and energy, the region is moving forward with initiatives to identify opportunities for pollution prevention, waste reduction and process optimization...Read more

Journey Towards Sustainable Production

This 17-minute video produced by OCETA highlights the accomplishments and thoughts of TRSP companies from a variety of manufacturing sectors, including specialty chemical, paint, printing, and metal finishing, on "how to" steps they have taken to integrate sustainability into their business strategy and operations...Read more

Success at the 2008 Environmental Printing Awards

OCETA extends its congratulations to TRSP Clients CJ Graphics, Colour Innovations and Informco for their success at the third annual PrintAction Environmental Printing Awards held February 27th, 2008 at Palais Royale in Toronto. The Environmental Printing Awards "recognize excellence in Canadian environmental stewardship across the print-based communications supply chain, from the progressive decisions by clients and agencies to the technological initiatives by printers and vendors." For more details visit the TRSP P2 Awards page.

CJ Graphics: 95% recovery of waste solvents

CJ Graphics is continually striving to improve its management programs including quality, health & safety and environment. Recently, installation of a press wash recycling system has resulted in 95% recovery and reuse of solvent. This reduces volatile organic compound emissions by 3 tonnes/year, hazardous waste by 14.5 tonnes/year, and saves $53,000 annually with an ROI of one year. Be sure to check back for the CJ Graphics P2 Case Study on the TRSP case studies page in the coming months.

North York General Hospital Reduces Environmental Footprint and wins Green Health Care Award

Pollution Prevention Planning is not limited to industrial manufacturing facilities and can be extended to other sectors including the health care industry. North York General Hospital is the second hospital to have developed a comprehensive P2 Plan through the Toronto Region Sustainability Program...Read more

Beyond Compliance: Bowne of Canada wins Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Award

Bowne of Canada, a client of OCETA's Toronto Region Sustainability Program, was the winner in the Medium Business Category at the CCME Pollution Prevention Awards held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on June 14th, 2007...Read more

A Framework for Business Sustainability
By Robert B. Pojasek, Ph.D.

This copyrighted article is for your personal use only. Any other use is prohibited without the prior written consent of the author or the publisher of the article.

Business sustainability seeks to create long-term shareholder value by embracing the opportunities and managing the risks that result from an organization's economic, environmental, and social responsibilities. Business sustainability must meet the needs of the organization and its stakeholders today while also protecting, sustaining, and enhancing the environmental, social, and economic resources needed for the future.

Creating a Body of Knowledge

Business sustainability is still an emerging discipline, and a relatively young profession. While there is some commonality around what should be done to achieve business sustainability, there is relatively little agreement on the terms to be used...Read more (PDF)

In today's marketplace, businesses large and small alike are increasingly under pressure to perform against a triple bottom-line -- integrating economic, environmental, and social needs and expectations. Now, local businesses have the opportunity to discover more ways to help protect the environment, while saving money.

Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), in partnership with the Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA), is working with local Regional and Municipal partners to present a Pollution Prevention Workshop on Friday, April 25th, 2008 at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. Stakeholders from across the Sheridan and Cooksville Creek Watershed communities, including those from the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors are invited to attend this free interactive workshop to discuss and share information on pollution prevention opportunities while strengthening partnerships across stakeholder communities.

For more information, please visit www.oceta.on.ca/oceta_cvc_workshop_web.htm.

• National Environmental Partnership Summit
  May 19-22, 2008, Baltimore, Maryland
• Canadian Pollution Prevention Roundtable and CCME P2 Awards
  June 11 & 12, 2008, Edmonton, Alberta