Companies such as Toyota and GE are at the forefront applying Lean and Green manufacturing which has become a focus worldwide. Environmental waste is just as bad as any other waste that creates an inefficient production process. Lean manufacturing activities are renowned for being focused on increasing production efficiency, but environmental wastes, such as excess energy and water use, and the costs involved with them need to become a bigger component of Lean. If cost-reduction opportunities from environmental wastes are overlooked, then the true costs of production are not really being accounted for, which is not Lean.
Lean manufacturing is about companies embracing change to reduce waste in how they produce a product or service. It engages and empowers employees to develop and implement ideas and requires a of culture continuous improvement. Making this change is cultural, and necessary for any company to survive, but it is incredibly difficult. Companies that adopt “Lean and Green Manufacturing” are embracing the environment at the same time embracing change itself, and starting down a path towards more efficient processes, less waste of all kinds, and empowered innovative employees. Going Green can be a tremendous motivator for Lean, and going Lean will become much easier if you connect it to going Green.
8 Step Guide for going Lean and Green
- Know what Lean and Green really means. It is a process where you use more eco-friendly processes and products that help reduce or eliminate the 7 wastes in Manufacturing processes plus the 8 wastes of Environmental.
- Identify, assess and manage risks to employees, customers, suppliers, contractors, visitors and the environment.
- Conduct operations in compliance with all relevant legislation & other requirements as a minimum condition.
- Consult and communicate regularly with employees about Lean Environmental Health & Safety (LEH&S) issues, improvements and about individual responsibilities.
- Develop improvement strategies and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on a continual basis, with appropriate targets, which aim to eliminate unsafe conditions, reduce non-value wastes and prevent environmental pollution.
- Prepare and provide the necessary resources and investment in time to meet the targets.
- Continually conduct a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) review on performance and reassess the goals.
- Develop procedures, work instructions, and training material to assist the workforce to develop;
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- A Safer place to work
- Lean Systems to reduce non-value steps
- Processes that eliminate environmental pollution and energy wastes
Source: Envirocentre.ie – Companies that adopt “Lean and Green Manufacturing”
