Reducing Waste

Waste minimization is 3M's most important strategy for reducing environmental releases. Waste is mostly unused raw materials. The purchase of raw materials for manufacturing 3M products is a significant expense. So wasted raw materials (waste generation) is a financial, as well as an environmental, issue.

Results:

• 39 percent reduction in waste indexed to net sales in 2007 from a 2000 base year.
• 61 percent reduction in waste indexed to net sales in 2007 from a 1990 base year.

Rethinking the Definition of Waste

In 2005, 3M set a new goal to reduce waste indexed to net sales in 2010 by 20% from a 2005 base year. Along with setting a new goal, 3M also revised its definition of waste for the purpose of tracking progress towards this goal. Under the new definition, 3M considers materials recycled outside 3M to be waste. While recycling will remain an important mechanism for 3M to reduce its environmental footprint, preventing the generation of waste in the first place is a more sustainable approach. In addition, opportunities for reducing solid waste are limited by a deteriorating market for recycled raw materials. 3M's future progress will rely primarily on pollution prevention, design changes in products and process, and on internal recycling/reuse programs. These take longer to accomplish, but can have more impact. Waste reductions reported in this report do not include recycled materials to be waste.

• 11% reduction in waste indexed to net sales (using the new definition described above) from 2005 - 2007

Results:

* 3M's "Offsite Reuse" and "Onsite Recycle + Reuse" values are significantly impacted by the reuse/recycling of mineral fines produced as a byproduct during the producing of 3M roofing granules.