Insider Tips on Leading a
Zero-waste Initiative
Joanne Gorski, SCOR-P, CFPIM,
CSCP, President of Sustainable
Insights
Steven Dunn, Ph.D., CPIM, Professor
of Sustainable Enterprise
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Zero-waste initiatives have been around
forever
“There is no such thing as waste” ~ Leonardo
Da Vinci
(1452 – 1519)
Lean is now up to 8 wastes
So… are you at zero-waste?
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
What is waste? Can you name all 8?
1. Waiting*
2. Motion*
3. Non-used talent*
4. Over-processing*
5. Inventory
6. Transportation
7. Defects
8. Over production
All these wastes are managed throughout the supply
chain!
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Session Overview
− Explain the steps to zero-waste using the continuous
improvement framework
− Discuss current strategies and barriers
− Identify three things that you will do when you return to
work
− Share insider tips to zero-waste
− Questions and answers
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 1: Set a vision and scope
− Why create the business case (vision) for zero-waste
• Driving business reasons
• Customer driven?
• Cost reduction?
• Reduce business risks?
• “So why not zero-waste?
− Define your zero-waste scope
• Zero manufacturing waste?
• Pre or post-consumer waste?
• Hazardous waste included?
• Event-related waste?
− Needs to link to your organization’s sustainability plan and
business strategy ---- Do you know what they say?
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 2: Get management buy-in
− Ensure support
− Align and gain needed resources
− Identify and mitigate any issues
− Kotter’s 8 step change management process
− PMI’s project management methodology
− Management buy-in is a critical step!
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 2: Get management buy-in
− Kotter’s 8 Steps to Accelerate Change in 2015
1. CREATE sense of urgency
2. BUILD guiding coalition
3. FORM strategic vision and initiatives
4. ENLIST volunteer army
5. ENABLE action by removing barriers
6. GENERATE short-term wins
7. SUSTAIN acceleration
8. INSTITUTE change
− Change is difficult…. Be prepared….Do not skip a
step
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 3: Create your project team
− Project champion
− Engaged team members
− Executive sponsor
− Select individuals strategically from needed departments
− Consider education, experiences, aptitudes, leadership
− Having an engaged and adaptive project team is
essential!
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 3: Create your project team
HS.0160 Waste Management SCOR® framework skills
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 4: Access current performance
− Conduct waste audit
− Identify “easy” waste to divert
− Identify top sources of landfill (80/20 analysis)
− Identify barriers and opportunities to achieving higher waste
diversion
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 4: Access current performance
Accenture research shows that leading organizations are
now adopting circular economy models—decoupling growth
from scarce resources and, thus, gaining a competitive
edge (a circular advantage).
Plan
Break Out – 5 minutes
Answer the following questions:
What are your current struggles?
What are your current barriers?
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Overcoming barriers service example:
New North Summit
− 2014 Waste diversion of 93.9% - Zero waste event!
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 5: Set future goals
− What does success look like?
− What needs to happen to improve waste diversion?
• Sustainable purchasing policy?
• Apply the waste hierarchy
• Supply chain and operations management applications
• Education
• Identify salvage markets for process by-products
• Returnable/reusable packaging
• Change materials to a environmentally friendly alternative
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 5: Set future goals
Let’s talk about salvage markets and difficult waste
Scrapindex.com
Sort, bail, compact, be careful of shipping costs
Establish good relations with the scrap dealers and recyclers
Outagamie County offers free business assistance – check your MRF
American Chemistry Council provides content analysis to see if waste
can be recycled
Line item focus on waste hauling/landfill contracts and volumes
Good use of an intern!
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 5: Set future goals
Goodwill NCW examples:
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 5: Set future goals
Menasha Corporation example:
− Die boards made up 20% of all landfilled waste
− Die boards are hard to recycle due to mix of steels blades, foam
and rubber blocks, and chemically treated wood
− OPS manually removes the foam, rubber, and steel materials
from the die boards
− The die boards are then chipped up into mulch
and the steel and rubber materials are
recycled
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 6: Create project plan
− Organizational plan
− Team charter
− Objectives, targets, measures
− Financials: ROI, Total Cost to Serve, Return of SC Fixed Assets,
Return of Working Capital, COGS, Production Costs, etc.
− Solid project management (PMI framework is good)
− Communication strategy
− “One more use” – Goodwill NCW
− “Zero-waste mindset” - Unilever
− Include fun – slogans, pictures, celebrations –
engage people
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 7: Collaborate
− Who can help you overcome your barriers?
• Colleges
• Internships
• NGO’s
• Industry groups - like www.apics.org
• Consortiums
• Waste hauler
− Strategically picking the right collaborators is
critical!
Plan
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 7: Collaborate
− Ministry Health Care and Practice Greenhealth
− Surgical blue wrap is comprised of polypropylene aka #5 plastics.
− They have been recycling this locally since 2012
Plan
Break Out – 5 minutes
Answer the following questions:
What three things will you do
after you return to work?
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 8: Implement Plan
− Just do it!
• Plan for the unexpected
• Clear your calendar and observe and direct
• Continue to educate and problem-solve
Do
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 9: Review results
How did you do?
Gather feedback
What needs changed?
Celebrate your accomplishments!
Check
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 10: Revise, improve and create best practices
Keep the momentum going
Set bigger goals
− Product/Service design
− Suppliers
− Internal processes
− Customers
“We have the responsibility to look after our planet. It is our only
home.” ~ The Dalai Lama
Act
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 10: Revise, improve, and create best practices
Kimberly-Clark shares best practices in scrap material
sorting and sales, identifying material reuse and recycling
opportunities within operations and supply chain, and
developing relationships with outside recyclers.
Oshkosh Corporation has a sustainability council, which
has representation of top management for several key
functions and includes an outside member from the local
university.
Act
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Step 10: Revise, improve, and create best practices
The SCOR® framework includes Green SCOR – an
environmental accounting framework which identifies
specifically what process the environmental wastes are created
(Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return):
− Carbon emissions
− Air pollutant emissions
− Liquid waste generated
− Solid waste generated
− % recycled waste
Act
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Summary tips:
Answer the business question “So why not zero-
waste?”
Management buy-in is critical step
Having an engaged and adaptive project team is
essential
Include fun – slogans, pictures, celebrations – engage
people
Strategically pick the right collaborators
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
~ African proverb
#APICS2015
Insider Tips on Leading a Zero-Waste Initiative
Contact Information:
− Joanne Gorski, SCOR-P, CFPIM, CSCP, President of Sustainable
Insights LLC
− 920-915-6578
− Steve Dunn, PhD. CPIM, Professor of Sustainable Enterprise
− 920-539-8830