A recent article about the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – 21,000 square miles made uninhabitable for humans in 1986 – demonstrated that plants and animals have come back in force. The author commented that “saving the environment” is a misnomer because it puts the focus on the environment. We should call the movement “protecting the human race” – because Chernobyl shows that no matter what we do to the environment, it will be fine (extremely radioactive and unsuitable for humans, but fine)

Lean and green initiatives are not only good for the environment, but also good for the bottom line. Operationally speaking, a lean transformation is also green for many companies. Driving out waste helps companies tap into their green environmental conscience. Whether it is reverse logistics (a competitive advantage for large retailers), recycling, or any combination of supply chain processes – the leaner those processes, the more profitable the firm.

One firm that has adopted a green (or lean) perspective is U.S. beer producer SABMiller. They have a goal of zero waste in their breweries, and they currently recycle 99.9% of all packaging waste. In Europe, manufacturers are required by law (Verpackungsverordnung or 94/62/EC) to recover all packaging from distributors, retailers and consumers – which encourages the use of recyclable materials as well as reusable packaging. Similar laws have been proposed in the U.S. recently. 
By Warren White
Waller & Associates, LLC
www.WallerAssoc.com