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Learn More About Lean and Environment

Focused targeting of environmental outcomes improves the performance of lean practices by reducing the impact of waste, pollution and toxicity in your work environment and on your bottom line. In Washington, Ecology is demonstrating these benefits and developing the capacity to provide lean and environment services through our Lean and Environment Project. Below, you will find more information about our Lean and Environment Project partners, as well as general lean and environment information.

• WA’s Lean & Environment Project Partners
• General Lean and Environment Resources
• Other Lean and Environment Organizations

Washington’s Lean & Environment Project Partners

Starting in 2006, WA Department of Ecology (Ecology) partnered with Impact Washington to conduct several Lean and Environment Pilot Projects. We continue to develop the capacity to provide more on-going lean and environment services. Ecology uses the services of Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd., (Ross) and the Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) to provide technical, strategic, and administrative support (including writing case studies) to WA’s Lean and Environment effort.

Impact Washington
Impact Washington is Washington State’s Manufacturing Extension Partner,  a not-for-profit organization that offers, among other solutions, lean manufacturing services. Impact Washington’s project managers and manufacturing specialists provided the lean services for the three initial Lean and Environment Pilot Projects. Impact Washington will also facilitate the Lean and Environment Design Project.

Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd.
Ecology retained Ross to provide facilitation, analytic, and strategic support to Ecology’s Lean and Environment Pilot Projects and the Lean and Environment Design Project. Ross has provided lean and environment strategic and analytic support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lean and Environment Initiative for several years.

Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center  
PPRC, located in Seattle, is a non-profit organization offering pollution prevention and waste minimization services to agencies and businesses. PPRC provides strategic and administrative support to Ecology’s Lean and Environment Project.

General Lean and Environment Information

Lean Manufacturing and the Environment
Website of the EPA dedicated to defining and providing examples of integrating lean and environmental methods.

EPA’s Lean and Environmental Toolkit
Practical techniques and strategies that can help lean, environmental, and other specialists deliver environmental improvements as a routine task of lean driven business operations.

EPA report: Lean Manufacturing and the Environment:  Research on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and the Environment and Recommendations for Leveraging Better Environmental Performance
Describes the relationship of lean manufacturing to environmental performance and the environmental regulatory framework

Working Smart for Environmental Protection: Improving State Agency Processes with Lean and Six Sigma
A primer, published by the EPA, on how state environmental agencies have used lean and six sigma to improve permitting and other agency processes. (this is a large file)

Lean Initiatives at State Environmental Agencies  Discusses how several state agencies are streamlining their permitting and administrative processes using Lean.

The P2 Topic Hub for Lean Manufacturing
From the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange—a primer on lean, offering a quick guide to pollution prevention (P2) information relating to lean manufacturing.

Other Lean and Environment Organizations

Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center

Green Suppliers Network Program
The Green Suppliers Network is a collaboration among industry and government that focuses on offering small and medium-sized manufacturers the best available technical assistance on Lean and Clean manufacturing techniques.

Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ Lean to Green Sustainability Tech Group
Uses the lessons of lean to advance innovation and the “next generation of lean” across industry.