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Waste Min Success Story: Eastman Kodak Company
Eastman Kodak Company Reduces Methylene Chloride Emissions by 483,000 Pounds
Kodak is the world's foremost imaging innovator, providing leading products and services to healthcare and the photographic and graphic communications markets. With sales of $14.3 billion in 2005, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak's system of digital and traditional image capture products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere. Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional, and digital printing and document imaging. Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images.
Kodak's Waste Minimization Goal
As part of our Responsible Growth Program, Kodak established a set of
worldwide Health, Safety, and Environment Goals designed to reduce emissions,
conserve resources, and enhance the company's product stewardship and
employee safety. As part of this program, Kodak established a worldwide
goal to reduce methylene chloride emissions by 35%. Methylene chloride
is widely used as a solvent in traditional film manufacturing and greatly
contributes to Kodak's air emissions.
Source Reduction, Recycling, and Recovery Alternatives Explored
Both process improvements and procedural improvements were considered,
including improvements to methylene chloride recovery, machine speed and
machine pressure, tracking and testing for leaks, and startup procedure.
Waste Minimization Results
Eastman Kodak Company's aggressive five-year goals are being achieved
well ahead of schedule. Kodak has exceeded the 35% reduction goal with
an overall 52% reduction of methylene chloride emissions. Between 2002
and 2006, manufacturing in Rochester, New York reduced annual methylene
chloride emissions by 483,000 pounds. Approximately half (240,000 pounds)
of this reduction is the result of process improvements and procedural
improvements. Process improvements to methylene chloride recovery, increased
machine speed and increased machine pressure contributed to this reduction.
In addition, procedural improvements such as improved tracking and testing
for leaks and startup procedure improvement were made. The balance of
the reductions was due to reduced product volume as a result of shifts
to digital products.