Material Use and Waste Reduction

Recycling captures value as well as reducing waste. EMC-owned and operated facilities in the United States and Ireland have robust, in-house recycling programs for paper products, cardboard, fluorescent bulbs, wood lumber, plastics, aluminum cans, batteries, and office supplies. Remaining waste is sorted and recyclable materials are removed by waste management contractors or municipal recycling centers. On a worldwide basis, a very small percentage of EMC-generated waste reaches landfill, and the company is actively working to reduce this percentage to zero.

In Massachusetts, no waste from EMC-owned and operated facilities goes to landfill. Waste is either recycled or incinerated in a waste-to-energy plant. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, modern, waste-to-energy plants produce electricity that is cleaner than almost any other source of electricity, and do so using a renewable source of fuel: trash (U.S. EPA, 2003).

In July 2008, EMC joined the Department of Environmental Protection’s WasteWise program. The WasteWise program provides assistance to help companies develop, implement, and measure solid waste reduction initiatives. EMC’s enrollment in WasteWise demonstrates its commitment to protecting the environment. 

Key staff members in each manufacturing facility work to increase reuse and recycling of materials used in manufacturing operations. In 2008, cardboard recycling in the Massachusetts manufacturing facility alone increased by 80 percent. EMC’s Cork, Ireland manufacturing plant is in compliance with all legislation relating to waste, including the Waste Management Act of 1996 and the Waste Management (Packaging Waste) Regulation of 1997. 

In 2007, EMC Cork asked its waste management supplier to develop a recycling solution for foam packaging. At that time, all EMC foam packaging was going to landfill and the goal was to make management of this packaging consistent with the rigorous recycling already in place for cardboard, plastic, wood pallets, and steel. The EMC supplier developed a process to shred the foam packaging and convert it into pellets, which in turn are sold as a raw material by another E.U. company. The program is so successful that the waste management supplier is rolling it out to other major customers in Ireland.

Office electronic waste

Electronics such as personal computers, printers, and cell phones can be reused or recycled, extending the valuable life of the device and keeping hazardous materials out of the waste stream. We re-use machines internally wherever possible, and in 2008 we extended the time span for use from three years to five years for desktops and four years for laptops. We contract with third-party vendors to manage the recycling of electronic waste in the United States and Europe. 

Composting

In April 2008, EMC began a pilot program to compost organic waste from food preparation at EMC cafeterias in Massachusetts. This program was expanded six months later when EMC introduced compostable cafeteria trays. Each month, EMC now composts more than two tons of organic material.

Hazardous waste, chemicals, and spill prevention

EMC maintains strict controls on waste generation, with an emphasis on reducing or eliminating the use of hazardous materials. As a result, EMC manufacturing operations generate only a negligible amount of hazardous waste. 

The only chemicals EMC stores in large quantities at its sites that are classified as hazardous are liquid nitrogen and diesel fuel for emergency generators. Therefore, the risk of a significant release occurring is minimal. Staff from EMC Environmental, Facilities, and Security organizations are trained in OSHA regulations, and spill response equipment is located at EMC sites where there is potential for a release to occur. To date, there has never been a large, hazardous chemical release from any EMC property.