From the award materials:
For more background on PortionPac's unique approach to sustainability, HSC intern Cynthia San Miguel spoke with Marvin Klein about PortionPac's initiative to think critically, as an organization, about ways to reduce carbon waste and be more green. She found that PortionPac adapted and used a process known as MUDA in which employees identified ways environmental waste was generated and then thought creatively about how to reduce it. Although the MUDA process was first made famous by Toyota (and can be used for a variety of purposes), PortionPac specifically targets initiatives to make the company greener and more environmentally sustainable.
As part of this effort, teams of PortionPac employees worked together to generate ideas and and present suggestions for ways that the company could become more sustainable.Here, Cynthia asks Marvin Klein about the experience:
Why did you decide to run a MUDA program in your effort to go green?
MUDA is one program that can be understood and implemented by everyone -- whether they work in sales, the office or the factory. There is so much waste of energy, supplies and unnecessary procedures in every organization.
Toyota found that pure central planning from a corporate headquarters was relatively ineffective in refining a production system... the person doing the work knows their specific role more intimately than anyone else, and accordingly is often in the best position to identify waste and inefficiency as well as opportunities for improvement.
Have the suggestions from the first phase been put in practice?
Twenty percent of the ideas have been implemented and we hope to implement more and more of them.
What do you hope employees learn from the initiative?
That they are in control of their destiny -- plus, appreciate and get to know as many people as possible in the company. They must play a key role in our overall success, not just with their own immediate job. Their personal success at PortionPac is intertwined with the overall success of the company.
Is there one suggestion that surprised you?
Not just one but many. For example, sending electronic education modules to our school accounts rather than the hard cover notebooks that were traditionally distributed. Our controller, Judy Golden, found a program where we could stop printing invoices to mail to customers, saving labor, paper and postage. Our engineers installed an instant hot water heater so we are not heating water 24/7 and also installed new light bulb and ballasts combinations, which led to a reduction in energy use. A more complex Team MUDA was increasing communication and collaboration with video conferencing -- an expanded use of screen-sharing technology. It already looks like it will reduce our annual travel expenses by $300,000 while recapturing a great deal of labor previously lost in travel.
What advice would you have for others who want to implement this type of green initiative?
We are a small manufacturer, but MUDA is reducing our carbon waste. Reducing our carbon footprint increases profitability, and is good for us and our customers. The market as well as increasing regulation will demand environmental stewardship in the future. Companies that involve everyone in their organization to examine their environmental impact and improve it now will be well-positioned for greater profitability in the years to come. .How does your MUDA initiative connect with your organization’s commitment to the environment?
Forty-five years ago our company was founded on sustainable values, and we have always tried to help our schools use fewer and less cleaning materials and water and to use them safely. By eliminating this waste and overuse we are shrinking our environmental footprint. Waste reduction is never-ending. The best part is that it brings everyone into the decision-making process and sharing in our success.
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Congratulations to Marvin and all our friends at PortionPac!
Wow, congratulations PortionPac, keep it up. :)
Posted by: Green Cleaning | February 01, 2010 at 11:46 PM