Water, Waste and Energy: A Roadmap for Sustainable Operations – 3M

WHAT IS IT

3M has defined a set of goals to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations in Brazil. These goals include reducing water use, waste generation, and energy consumption. To achieve them, measures such as rainwater harvesting; reduction of losses in the production process; recycling, co-processing and composting; reduction of energy use for lighting; and increased energy efficiency in production processes have been implemented.

RESULTS AND OBJECTIVES

Up to August 2023, the results from Brazilian production plants are:

1. Reduction in water usage of 31%. The initial goal was to reduce 20% by 2025, using 2019 as the baseline year.;
2. Reducing 42% of waste generated in manufacturing and sent to landfills, allowing materials once considered waste to now be treated as raw materials for partners. The initial goal was to reduce 10% by 2025, using 2015 as a baseline.;
3. Finally, energy consumption results have already reached a reduction of 35%, thanks to the implementation of an Energy Efficiency Committee in the factories, which seeks to promote projects focused on this purpose. The initial goal was to reduce 30% by 2025, using 2015 as the baseline year.

SDGs

Sustainable Consumption and Production