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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.
Total Waste - Millions of Pounds Total Waste - Millions of Pounds / Million Dollars Net Sales

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:


Millions of Pounds of Waste by Recycling, Reuse, & Disposal Type

 

2005

2006

2007

Offsite Reuse*

7,582

6,730

6,635

Onsite Recycle + Reuse

3,929

3,690

2,859

Sources Defined as Waste for 3M's 2005-2010 Waste Reduction Goal

Offsite Recycle

251

265

264

Treatment/ Incineration

104

100

96

Landfilled Waste

216

224

227

Waste-to-energy

78

91

78

Total Waste

649

680

665

Total Waste Indexed to Net Sales (million pounds / million dollars)

0.0307

0.0297

0.0271

Total Recycling & Reuse

11,762

10,685

9,758

* 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.