“Sustainability” means the capacity to endure. And Sustainable Manufacturing is a cornerstone initiative here at NCMS. In ecology, the word “sustainability” describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions. In a manufacturing context, sustainability is the ability of a company to provide value to:
- Its shareholders
- The community
- Our planet
NCMS has several programs in place supporting Sustainable Manufacturing including:
- Compliance Assistance Centers
- Sustainable Product Design Initiatives
- Alternative Energy Technologies
Compliance Assistance Centers
Our most popular and well known program is the Compliance Assistance Centers (CACs). Developed in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, the CACs are independent websites managed by NCMS through EPA grants. Each CAC covers a key industry sector, including construction, paints and coatings, transportation, metal finishing, and many others. Some CACs have been online for more than 15 years, providing guidance, information, access to regulations and forms, and community for stakeholders in these sectors. These websites provide key environmental compliance and best management practices information free of charge to help organizations better understand their impact on the environment on how best to comply with Federal, State and Local regulations.
http://www.assistancecenters.net/
For more information on the Compliance Assistance Centers, please contact
Bill Chenevert
Senior Program Manager
(734) 995-7989
billc@ncms.org
Sustainable Product Design Initiatives
NCMS, in cooperation with EPA, has several initiatives underway that will help manufacturers to minimize the sustainability impacts of future products through improved design practices and manufacturing processes that include:
- Sustainable LED Product Design Guide
- Sustainable Product Initiatives
- Life Cycle Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints and Coatings
These programs, upon completion in late 2011, will offer online tools to help users assess and minimize the environmental impacts of products through their entire product lifecycle (design to end-of-life disposal) based on the raw materials, and their related manufacturing processes, chosen early in the design stage.
For more information on these Sustainability opportunities, please contact
Manish Mehta, Ph.D.
Senior Program Manager
(734) 995-4938
manishm@ncms.org
Alternative Energy Technologies
NCMS, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, has previously focused upon key manufacturing technology issues designed to greatly improve the affordability of alternative energy systems. An earlier program addressed key manufacturability issues in hydrogen technology areas, including storage and the production of components such as fuel cell membranes and seals. This program builds off this previous work and extends into another alternative energy source – wind energy.
For more information on these Sustainability opportunities, please contact