Sustainable Supply: Aligning Supply Chain for Sustainability Success

Traditionally procurement divisions have had one purpose, to keep the cost of operating the business down. However, with the increase in the number of companies initiating sustainability programs, it is becoming more critical that their procurement divisions also align purchasing decisions with the overall sustainability goals of the company.  As is so often the case, the environmental footprint of the organization is heavily influenced, if not completely driven, by the supply chain.  Therefore, implementing a successful sustainability or corporate responsibility program, often necessitates aligning the supply chain with the environmental goals, along with any established social and economic goals of the organization.

The supply chain can affect a wide range of initiatives.

Environmental impacts come from a variety of sources, and no organization’s environmental footprint comes from one source; resource use, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution come from companies large and small, office-based and industrial.  In order to manage the company’s environmental footprint, it is essential to manage all of the sources to that footprint.

Since the supply chain impacts many of these footprint sources, environmentally preferable supply chain initiatives can help manage and improve the entire environmental footprint.  For example, purchasing products that are easily recyclable or compostable can directly impact the amount of waste destined for landfills and help organizations achieve reductions in efforts to minimize “waste-to-landfill” goals.  Purchasing energy efficient lights and ENERGY STAR or EPEAT™ registered equipment can help companies achieve energy efficiency goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Many companies have also found success in working with suppliers to reduce the amount of toxic materials in products they purchase, which in turn helps organizations meet toxic material goals or substance of concern goals.  An important observation is that while procurement functions are increasing establishing environmentally or socially preferred policies to direct purchases of goods, services and raw materials, it will become more important for sales and marketing functions of service providers and suppliers to become knowledgeable of and promote their products' advantages and services in these areas.

Supply chain programs are just one part needed to achieve sustainability success.

Simply purchasing environmentally preferable products will not guarantee a successful sustainability or corporate responsibility program.  These programs are best achieved by coordinating the procurement with overall sustainability goals of the organization.  In some cases, purchasing decisions are directly influenced by the sustainability initiatives or the metrics themselves.  For example, purchasing locally-produced products will minimize transportation impacts that might result from purchasing a "greener" product that has to be shipped a long distance.  It is important that companies develop an action plan for achieving the improvements in their environmental footprint and align procurement with the rest of the organization in order to achieve overall sustainability success.

Environmental and Human Health Impacts From Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles, tiny particles about one hundred thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, are being used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, electronics and even environmental remediation.  The widespread manufacture and use of nanomaterials has ignited concerns over potential adverse human health and environmental impacts and motivated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recently fund a multimillion dollar research effort at 21 different universities to investigate the effect of manufactured nanomaterials in the environment. 

From nanoparticle sunscreens, that can wash off when swimming, to nanoparticle-coated fabrics (the coating helps make the fabric more stain resistant) shedding particles in the washing machine, to the flaking of nanoparticle antiwetting coatings on windshields and the intentional ingestion of nanoparticle-coated pharmaceuticals – the potential uses and the consequent potential routes of exposure for humans and the environment are numerous.  Nanoparticles have even been incorporated into potent bactericides showing both their usefulness and their potential for environmental reactivity.  Nanoscale zero valent iron has been applied directly to groundwater in order to speed up the degradation of recalcitrant organic compounds.  While larger-size zero valent iron has been successfully used for more than a decade for groundwater remediation, smaller nanoscale zero valent iron has been shown to be even more effective and is already in commercial use. 

The same attribute – small size – which makes nanoparticles so effective, is what causes them to be of concern; the small particles in nanomaterials have a much higher surface area to weight ratio than comparable products made from larger particles.  This makes them more reactive in smaller amounts.  Similar in size to many biological compounds (such as proteins) they can cross biological barriers intended to keep out contaminants, including cell membranes.  Studies have also shown that nanoparticles readily breach lung membranes and are more readily absorbed in the digestive tract than larger particles of the same substances.  Once in the body, there is little difference between the reactivity of particles regardless of size, if the material is soluble.  However, nonsoluble nanoparticles can reach parts of the body that are protected from larger particles and can accumulate and persist within living tissue.

Clearly, environmental and health effects will be dependent not only on the size of the particles, but also the type of compound.  Ongoing research will likely provide considerably more information in the next few years regarding the many unknowns remaining regarding the interaction of nanoparticles and biological systems.

The Bio Plug Advantage in Remediation 

Pump and Treat Versus Bio Plugs
One commonly utilized method for treatment of groundwater for the removal of contaminants involves the pumping of groundwater from wells and some type of treatment method above ground to remove contaminants of concern.  The water that was removed and treated could rarely be returned to its aquifer.  In most cases a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit was needed to discharge to the surface water bodies or to the sewer system or the water was sent off-site for disposal. 

Techniques are rapidly developing for the biodegradation of organic constituents.  In the past, lack of the availability of organic nutrients and dissolved oxygen and/or the absence of an acclimated microbial population have limited the success of microbial degradation of organic products in soils, sludge layers and ground and surface waters.  In recognition of the past limitations of in situ techniques, the opportunity to maximize the environmental and economic advantages of bioremediation while satisfying the above requirements has been investigated and developed into field implementable techniques. 

With the rapid advancement of biotreatment, pump and treat may not present a favored remediation approach in all cases.  Utilizing approaches that enhance and support naturally occurring microbial activity can eliminate the contaminants resulting only in byproducts that are commonly found in the environment.  This is truly a "green" remediation process in that it uses significantly less electric power by not moving groundwater.

How Bio Plugs Work
This technology employs a biological treatment system that biodegrades organic contaminants of concern (COCs) in place (in situ) in soils, sludge layers and ground and surface waters.  The treatment system is deployed using a number of in situ immobililzed bed reactors, referred to as bio plugs, which consist of lengths of PVC pipe that contain:

a)  Porous media inoculated with toxin-specific microorganisms which attack the COCs; and
b)  Tubing that supplies air and nutrient-amended water to the media bed within the reactor.

Bio plugs are inserted into contaminated subsurface areas and are supplied with low volumes of air and nutrient-amended water under low pressure.  Bio plugs are perforated along their walls at desired depths to allow for the flow of water, nutrients, biomass, and air from inside the bio plug.  The aerated, nutrient-laden water, along with biomass that sloughs off the media bed, moves outward from the bio plug and creates an in situ bioreactive zone in surrounding saturated and/or unsaturated zones.

The installation and operation of bio plugs does not remove any water from the subsurface.  Wells are placed in the area of concern based on soil characteristics.  Most of the structure of this remediation technology is underground with a small footprint on the surface to house the nutrient tank, pump and air compressor. 

It has been found that bioorganisms can be used to remove a variety of organic constituents including petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds within the aquifer.    

Bio plug technology was developed to have characteristics that would respond to the needs and requirements in a remedial setting.  The features of the technology which responds to those needs are summarized below:

1. Cost effectiveness
   · Very competitive construction/installation costs
   · Minimal operation and maintenance (O&M) costs
2. Flexibility
   · Same installation treats soil, groundwater and/or free product
   · Treats both low and high contaminant concentrations
   · Treats a wide range of contaminants
   · Installation can be put in dormant state and reactivated at later time
3. Minimal impact on the environment and plant/facility operations
   · In situ, therefore noninvasive and nondestructive
   · No high pressure fluid (air/water) injection
   · Below ground installation
   · Requires minimal O&M attention
4. Technology effectiveness and adaptability
   · Selectively toxin-specific
   · Addresses multiple contaminants with same inoculum
5. Regulatory acceptability
   · Regulatory sign-offs in numerous states
6. Lowered liability
   · Keeps problem “on site”
   · Considered “environmentally friendly”

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars -- here are just a few of the events taking place in upcoming months.  Cameron-Cole staff will be attending these conferences.

February 27 - 29, "2008 Sustainable Opportunities Summit," Denver, Colorado. For the second year, Cameron-Cole is a participant in the planning of this Summit.  The intention of the Summit is to bring together corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists from across Colorado and the nation in a unique forum to explore how companies can become more engaged in addressing climate change issues.  This year's theme, "Welcome to the Sustainability Era," will focus on how various economic sectors and industries are already profiting from meeting this challenge and incorporating climate change into their business strategies.  Cameron-Cole's Connie Sasala, Senior Vice President of Strategic Services, will be moderating the "Sustainability Changes in the Supply Chain" session at the Summit. Jaye Townsend, Cameron-Cole's Manager of Gulf Coast Development, will attend the event in addition to staff from the Boulder office.  More information:
http://www.sosummit.org/home/ or contact Ken Fossey at .

May 15 - 16, California Climate Action Registry 6th Annual Conference, "Navigating the Carbon World," San Diego, California.  This educational and networking conference highlights carbon markets and regulation and provides an insightful look into climate programs across the globe. Over 1,000 professionals representing businesses, government, and nonprofit organizations from around the world are expected to attend.  Cameron-Cole will be an exhibitor at the conference.  Visit Jeff Caton, Cameron-Cole's West Coast Manager of Strategic Services, in booth #26.  For more information contact:
http://www.climateregistry.org/ or contact Jeff Caton at .