- United States Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Benefits of Lean Methods
According to the EPA, adopting Lean Methods can have positive effects on the environment. Find out more below:
Potential Environmental Benefits
Kaizen Rapid Improvement Events
continual improvement culture focused on eliminating waste
uncovering and eliminating hidden wastes and waste-generating activities
quick, sustained results without significant capital investment
5S (or 6S)
decreased lighting, energy needs when windows are cleaned and equipment is painted light colors
spills and leaks noticed quickly
decreased potential for accidents and spills with clearly-marked and obstacle-free thoroughfares
reduced contamination of products results in fewer product defects (which reduces energy and resource needs; avoids waste)
reduced floor space needed for operations and storage; potential decrease in energy needs
less unneeded consumption of materials and chemicals when equipment, parts, and materials are organized, easy to find; less need for disposal of expired chemicals
visual cues can raise awareness of waste handling/management procedures, workplace hazards, and emergency response procedures
Cellular Manufacturing
eliminates overproduction, thereby reducing waste and the use of energy and raw materials
fewer defects from processing and product changeovers- reduces energy and resource needs; avoids waste
defects are noticed earlier, preventing waste
less use of materials and energy (per unit of production) with right-sized equipment
less floor space needed; potential decrease in energy use and less need to construct new facilities
easier to focus on equipment maintenance, pollution prevention
Just-in-Time / Kanban
eliminates overproduction, thereby reducing waste and the use of energy and raw materials
less in-process and post-process inventory needed; avoids potential waste from damaged, spoiled, or deteriorated products
frequent inventory turns can eliminate the need for degreasing metal parts
less floor space needed; potential decrease in energy use and less need to construct new facilities
can facilitate worker-led process improvements
less excess inventory reduces energy use associated with transport and reorganization of unsold inventory
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
fewer defects-reduces energy and resource needs; avoids waste
increased longevity of equipment decreases need for replacement equipment and associated environmental impacts (energy, raw materials, etc.)
decreased number and severity of spills, leaks, and upset conditions – less solid and hazardous waste
Six Sigma
fewer defects – reduces energy and resource needs; avoids waste
can focus attention on reducing the conditions that result in accidents, spills, and malfunctions, thereby reducing solid and hazardous wastes
improving product durability and reliability can increase product lifespan, reducing environmental impact of meeting customer needs
Pre-Production Planning (3P)
eliminates waste at product and process design stage, similar to "Design for Environment" methods
nature (inherently waste free) is used as a design model
right-sized equipment lowers material and energy requirements for production
reducing the complexity of the production process ("design for manufacturability") can eliminate or streamline process steps; environmentally sensitive processes can be targeted for elimination, since they are often time-, resource-, and capital-intensive
less complex product designs can use fewer parts and fewer types of materials, increasing the ease of disassembly and recycling
Lean Enterprise Supplier Networks
magnification of environmental benefits of lean production (reduced waste through fewer defects, less scrap, less energy usage, etc.) across the network
environmental benefits are more broadly realized by introducing lean to existing suppliers rather than finding new, already lean suppliers
