1st Edition

Green Intentions Creating a Green Value Stream to Compete and Win

By Brett Wills Copyright 2009
    296 Pages 117 B/W Illustrations
    by Productivity Press

    296 Pages
    by Productivity Press

    Developed by a plant manager who experienced first-hand the challenges to going green in a business environment, Green Intentions provides organizations with a simple, straightforward, and practical approach to green—the Green Value Stream (GVS) process—that is as mindful as it is profitable. Based on the highly successful, Lean philosophy, the GVS process shows you how to quickly identify, measure, and minimize the seven green wastes to realize immediate cost savings. With the initial savings from harvesting the low-hanging fruit, organizations will have the support and momentum needed to eliminate each of the green wastes, leading to environmental sustainability and the substantial business benefits that follow, including increased revenues, new customers, employee retention, innovation, and increased shareholder value.

    Part I, Going Green shows how the green value stream provides a dynamic, proven, and successful approach to going green. It also defines each of the seven green wastes, explains the overall green value stream process, provides guidance on implementing it in your organization, and shows how to map your green value stream.

    Part II, The Seven Green Wastes provides a step-by-step process for minimizing and eliminating each of the seven wastes. It includes real-life examples illustrating the environmental and economic benefits associated with moving toward the elimination of each.

    The book also includes:

    • A Green Dictionary that defines current terms associated with the green movement
    • Web links and other resources to help you in your journey toward environmental sustainability
    • An environmental primer that clears through the rhetoric to give you a clear picture of what is going on with the environment and what the end goal of environmental and overall sustainability needs to look like

    Foreword
    Introduction
    Section I Going Green
    From Lean to Green: Green Value Stream Thinking
    The First Green Waste: Energy
    The Second Green Waste: Water
    The Third Green Waste: Materials
    The Fourth Green Waste: Garbage
    The Fifth Green Waste: Transportation
    The Sixth Green Waste: Emissions
    The Seventh Green Waste: Biodiversity

    Understanding Your Green Value Streams
    Starting with an Example: Value Streams versus Green Value Streams
    The Green Value Stream (GVS) Approach
    Green Stream Mapping
    Creating Your Current-State Green Stream Map
    Map What You Do
    Identify Each Step or Process
    Map How You Receive and Send Materials and Information
    Draw in Data Boxes
    Identify the Green Wastes
    Measure the Green Wastes
    Creating a Future-State Green Stream Map
    Achieving a Green State: The Pursuit of Perfection
    Gaining Corporate Support for the GVS Process
    Gaining a Commitment from Top Management
    Setting Your Green Vision
    Establishing Your Green Champion
    Establishing a Green Team
    The Bottom-Up Approach
    Life Cycle Analysis

    Section II T he Seven Green Wastes

    The First Green Waste: Energy
    Step 1: Identify the Use and Source of Energy in Each Activity
    Step 2: Measure the Quantity of Energy Used
    Step 3: Minimize the Use of Energy
    Step 4: Offset Remaining Energy Use
    Step 5: Transition to Self-Harvested Renewable Energy

    The Second Green Waste: Water
    Step 1: Identify the Use of Water in the Value Stream and Overall Building
    Step 2: Measure Water Consumption and Discharge in the Overall Building and Value Stream Activities
    Step 3: Measure Toxicity of Water Discharged in Value Stream Activities
    Step 4: Minimize the Consumption of Water
    Step 5: Minimize the Toxicity of Water Discharge
    Step 6: Self-Harvest Rainwater
    Step 7: Transition toward the Continual Reuse of Water

    The Third Green Waste: Materials
    Step 1: Identify the Input and Output of Materials in Your Value Stream
    Step 2: Measure the Recycled/Recyclable and Compostable Content of Each Material Input and Output
    Step 3: Classify Materials as Technical Nutrient, Biological Nutrient, or Neither
    Step 4: Assess the Impact on the Environment
    Step 5: Phase out Negative-Impact Materials
    Step 6: Minimize Materials Usage
    Step 7: Move toward 100 Percent Recycled/Recyclable or
    Step 8: Transition to 100 Percent Reuse

    The Fourth Green Waste: Garbage
    Step 1: Identify the Creation of Garbage in Your Value Stream
    Step 2: Measure the Makeup of Garbage in Your Value Stream
    Step 3: Measure the Hazardous Substances in Your Garbage
    Step 4: Minimize the Creation of Garbage
    Step 5: Move toward 100 Percent Reusable or Biodegradable Garbage
    Step 6: Move toward the Total Elimination of Garbage

    The Fifth Green Waste: Transportation
    Step 1: Identify Transportation within Your Value Stream and Overall Building
    Step 2: Measure the Mode and Distance of Transportation
    Step 3: Minimize Transportation
    Step 4: Offset Remaining Transportation
    Step 5: Move toward the Use of 100 Percent Environmentally

    The Sixth Green Waste: Emissions
    Step 1: Identify the Sources of Emissions to Produce Your Product or Service
    Step 2: Measure the Type and Amount of Emissions Used to Produce Your Product or Service
    Step 3: Identify the Presence of Emissions from the Use of Your Product or Service
    Step 4: Measure the Type and Amount of Emissions from the Use of Your Product or Service
    Step 5: Minimize Emissions
    Step 6: Offset Remaining Emissions
    Step 7: Move toward the Total Elimination of Emissions

    The Seventh Green Waste: Biodiversity
    Step 1: Identify Biodiversity Waste
    Step 2: Measure Biodiversity Destruction
    Step 3: Minimize and Eliminate Biodiversity Destruction

    Section III Conclusion and Appendices
    Conclusion
    Appendix A: Green Dictionary
    Appendix B: An Environmental Primer
    Appendix C: Resources
    Appendix D: Worksheets
    Index
    About the Author

    Biography

    Brett Wills has more than ten years of experience in the environmental arena. Brett also has firsthand experience leading teams in the implementation of lean initiatives such as Kanban systems, finished goods supermarkets, and 5S, and has extensive experience in the development and management of ISO 9001 and 14001 systems. He has also been instrumental in facilitating the development and implementation of many health, safety, and environmental initiatives within a manufacturing environment.