Module 3: Determining Significant Environmental Aspects and Setting
Objectives

From your work in Module 1, you have probably identified a number of
\"environmental aspects\" associated with your company\'s activities.
This module will help you prioritize those aspects. It will also help
you determine which one(s) you will want to work on first. Do not expect
to work on all the environmental aspects identified. \"Continuous
improvement\" implies that this is an on‑going process where you address
some concerns now and others in the future.

Your operations may have many environmental aspects, but they may not
all be significant. First, by ranking each aspect against a set of
environmental criteria (e.g., toxicity, wasted materials), you can
determine which are most significant. Next, to select which significant
environmental aspects (SEAs) you will work on, rank each aspect against
practical criteria (e.g., technical and economic feasibility) and
benefits criteria (e.g., improved health). For those aspects you select,
you will set objectives in terms of the improvements you hope to make.

DfE projects emphasize integrating evaluation of both risk and resource
conservation into performance and cost evaluations.

Determining which aspects are significant includes making subjective
decisions. For this reason, you will improve results by having a team of
people who represent different job categories. They can provide a
cross‑section of operational experience when you work on this module.

# 

Create a Working List of Environmental Aspects

When you developed a list of environmental aspects using the process map
of your company\'s activities, you may have identified a large number of
environmental aspects. This is not surprising, since virtually all of
your business activities could interact with the environment in some
way. In order to identify which environmental aspects are significant,
we will review environmental risk information. However, ranking your
environmental aspects using environmental risk information can be a
labor‑intensive process. Therefore, you may want to create a smaller
list of environmental aspects to rank using risk information.

In describing the approach used to identify and prioritize SEAs, one
screenprinter stated that his company:

"Brought in a cross- section of staff and conducted facilitated
brainstorming. They then captured the information in a matrix to help
prioritize aspects."

Another said his company used "common sense." He said,

"A quick walk around any print shop will produce at least enough SEAs to
get an IEMS project under way."

First, create a list of selection criteria that suit your company. Below
is a list of examples to help you get started:

-   Which aspects might affect your company\'s ability to comply with
    regulations and other requirements?Are there pollution prevention
    opportunities?

-   Are there potential cost savings or business opportunities (e.g.,
    potential customers who require their suppliers to have EMSs)?

-   Are there concerns that might be shared by customers or suppliers?

-   Is there \"low‑hanging fruit\" that might provide early successes
    which can serve both to educate employees and to build confidence in
    the IEMS?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Are there opportunities to integrate environmental with worker
    health and safety requirements?

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Are there community concerns regarding your company\'s activities?

-   Are there unregulated hazardous chemicals that could be managed
    better or substituted?

-   Are some of your \"solutions\" to environmental concerns or
    regulations shifting waste from one media (air, water, land) to
    another?

-   Could resources be used more efficiently, e.g., energy, water,
    materials?

You may want to use all or some of these, and you may think of others
specifically related to your company\'s circumstances. Create a list of
criteria and use that to select a group of environmental aspects to
rank.

Tip

Remember: \"aspect\" refers to the potential for environmental impact. A
significant aspect would have the potential for large impact, either
because impact is likely to occur under current operating conditions, or
because there is potential for serious impact. Even aspects that are
well‑controlled should be considered for their potential for impact
should controls fail.

There are several ways to make this selection. One way is for the IEMS
team to review the list of environmental aspects and vote on their top
concerns. Set a target number to rank, say ten, and let the top ten
environmental aspects be your working list.

When you have a reduced list of environmental aspects (e.g., ten), you
are ready to rank them using environmental risk information to determine
which are significant environmental aspects.

Using Environmental Risk Information to Rank Your Environmental Aspects

Although you will not attempt a formal risk assessment for your IEMS,
this module will help you apply your working knowledge and judgment
about the chemicals and materials your company uses, and the way in
which they are used, to select environmental goals to help create
healthier working conditions, communities, and environments. This
section presents a brief introduction to the concept of risk and to
ranking symbols. Then it presents methods to gather chemical and
material **effects** information and rank aspects according to effects;
a method for making judgments about **exposure** to chemicals and
materials and rank aspects according to exposure; a method for laying
out risk as well as other environmental concerns and ranking aspects
considering these factors. In addition, methods for ranking
environmental aspects as projects in terms of cost and expected
improvements are presented as a way to prioritize projects that your
company will undertake to get started on your IEMS.

Risk

Risk assessment, in brief, is a process that integrates the work of
several sciences to determine the kind and degree of environmental and
human health impacts potentially produced by exposure to a chemical or
material.

Risk is composed of two parts: toxicity (hazard or \"effects\") and
exposure. Toxicity is the ability to cause harm to the health of humans,
wildlife, or vegetation, as well as the type and seriousness of that
effect. You will collect the information needed to form a judgment about
effects in Worksheet 3‑1. You will review the chemical effects
information for each aspect and give a rank based on your judgment of
the seriousness of the effects of this chemical or substance.

Tip

Visit the DfE website for more tools related to risk.

www.epa.gov/dfe

*Exposure* is the *amount* of material with which workers, the
community, or the environment come into *contact*. The amount is
determined by both *severity* and *time* of contact. Severity refers to
the amount of material that one can come into contact with at any one
time. The time of contact depends on the number of times that contact
occurs in a given period (the *frequency* of contact) and the *duration*
of the contact. You will collect the information needed to form a
judgment about exposure in Worksheet 3‑2.

Contact with humans and animal or plant life is characterized as
occurring along pathways. These pathways describe the routes along which
the substance must travel, before it enters an animal or plant, and how
the substance is taken up by the living organism. Several pathways for
human exposure include:

-   breathing the material (inhalation pathway),

-   touching the material (skin or dermal pathway), and

-   ingesting (eating or drinking) the material (oral pathway).

Using Ranking Symbols

One way to rank environmental aspects is to use symbols representing a
range of high (H) to low (L). Whatever ranking you use (Figure 3‑a shows
an example), phrase the meaning consistently across all ranking
categories; this is most straightforward if you think of \"high\" as
meaning a project you would ultimately like to undertake and \"low\" as
one having lesser priority. Thus, when considering environmental
effects, a chemical receiving a \"low\" rank would be one with low
impact or good environmental performance.

Figure 3-a: Ranking Symbols

  ------------ ---------------------- -------------------------------------
  **Symbol**   **Meaning**            **IEMS Meaning**

  H            High                   Most environmental impact

  M-H          Moderately High        More environmental impact

  M            Moderate               Medium environmental impact

  M-L          Moderately Low         Lower environmental impact

  L            Low                    Lowest environmental impact
  ------------ ---------------------- -------------------------------------

Identify and Rank Potential Human Health and Environmental Effects of
Chemicals and Materials

To rank the environmental aspects associated with chemicals and
materials used in your business operations, you will need to find
information on the human health and environmental effects associated
with those chemicals. Without this information, you cannot identify the
potential impact of each chemical on the environment. Unfortunately,
there is no single and comprehensive source of information for most
chemicals. Information that will help you understand the effects
associated with the chemicals you use may be located in several
different sources.

Tip

See Appendix B for a list of sample questions to ask your suppliers.

By taking the time and effort to find information about the chemicals
you use, you will be able to understand the potential effects of the
chemicals on humans and on the environment. You will also know how to
use them in a way to minimize or avoid harmful effects. You can decide
whether you want to continue using your current chemicals, or find
alternatives that would mitigate any potential harmful impact.

Sources of information about chemicals include:

-   Manufacturer\'s Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). These are supplied by
    the manufacturer according to OSHA regulation. You should receive a
    MSDS with any chemicals you purchase. They should be kept in a
    location that is available for review.

-   Your suppliers. Ask them for hazard and exposure information on any
    products you purchase. Ask them to supply the environmental
    information that is not on the MSDS.

-   Your trade association.

-   EPA or state environmental agency.

-   Online sources in various websites, e.g. various EPA programs.
    (EPA\'s DfE Program website contains a Risk Guide with additional
    information.)

Tip

Remember, any chemical strong enough to take the place of human labor or
to make human labor easier is strong enough to have some kind of
environmental risk associated with it. The challenge is how to best
manage that risk.

Organize the information you have into a format that will enable you to
make comparisons between aspects. You may find that sometimes there
exists very little information for a particular chemical. That discovery
in itself is useful. By using this format and showing where information
gaps occur, you will know that whatever decision you make now about
using a specific chemical may change if information becomes available at
a later date. Although you may want to use the chemical now, you may
need to make adjustments later when more information becomes available.
Worksheet 3‑1 will help you organize your information on the chemicals
you use in your business activities. The column headings list the
categories and specific information needed. The final column asks for
your judgment about the ranking of the environmental concerns associated
with the chemical or material under consideration.

Figure 3‑b lists the kinds of information OSHA requires on an MSDS. Most
of the kinds of data listed below can be used to fill in the columns on
Worksheet 3‑1. Much of the environmental information will have to be
found elsewhere.

In addition to carcinogenicity information and qualitative descriptors
of health hazards (e.g., sensitizer, causes dizziness, etc.), MSDSs
sometimes include *quantitative* toxicity values, which are important
for assessing chemicals hazards. These include lethal dose (LD) and
lethal concentration (LC) measures, which are typically from laboratory
studies done on small mammals such as rats, mice, or rabbits. These
measures are used to give guidance as to the dose required to kill a
human. This is important information; however, interpreting its meaning
is difficult. In general, if you are comparing several chemicals that
have LD or LC measures, the lower measure is the most potent (it means
that it takes less to be lethal). Therefore, you would have to be more
careful using the chemicals with the lower LD or LC measures, as
compared to those having higher measures. Be sure to record any
quantitative toxicity values found on an MSDS, as well as the more
qualitative information.

Figure 3‑b: Information on an MSDS

As defined by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) (29
CFR 1910.1200), an MSDS is written or printed material concerning a
hazardous material which contains the following:

-   The identity of the hazardous material (except as provided for
    materials that are trade secrets).

-   The physical and chemical characteristics of the hazardous chemical
    (such as vapor pressure, flash point).

-   The physical hazards of the hazardous chemical, including the
    potential for fire, explosion, and reactivity.

-   The health hazards of the hazardous chemical, including signs and
    symptoms of exposure, and any medical conditions which are generally
    recognized as being aggravated by exposure to the chemical.

-   The primary route(s) of entry.

-   The OSHA PEL (Permissible Exposure Level), the ACGIH (American
    Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) Threshold Limit
    Value, and any other exposure limit used or recommended by the
    chemical manufacturer, importer, or employer preparing the MSDS,
    where available.

-   Whether the hazardous chemical is listed in the National Toxicology
    Program (NTP) Annual Report on Carcinogens (latest edition) or has
    been identified as a potential carcinogen in the International
    Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs (latest editions) or
    by OSHA.

-   Any generally applicable precautions for safe handling and use which
    are known to the chemical manufacturer, importer, or employer
    preparing the MSDS, including appropriate hygienic practices,
    protective measures during repair and maintenance of contaminated
    equipment, and procedures for clean‑up of spills and leaks.

-   Any generally applicable control measures which are known to the
    chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the MSDS, such
    as appropriate engineering controls, work practices, or personal
    protective equipment.

-   Emergency and first aid procedures.

-   The date of preparation of the MSDS or the last change to it.

-   The name, address, and telephone number of the chemical
    manufacturer, importer, employer or other responsible party
    preparing or distributing the MSDS, who can provide additional
    information on the hazardous chemical and appropriate emergency
    procedures, if necessary.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 15%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="13">Worksheet 3-1:<sup>a</sup> Health, Safety and
Environmental Potential Effects Information</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Operation</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><blockquote>
<p><strong>Environmental</strong></p>
<p><strong>Aspect</strong></p>
</blockquote></td>
<td rowspan="2"><blockquote>
<p><strong>Information</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sources<sup>b</sup></strong></p>
</blockquote></td>
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Regulatory Data:<sup>b</sup></strong></p>
<p><strong>Carcinogen?</strong></p>
<p><strong>OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Toxic release Inventory (TRI)?</strong></p></td>
<td colspan="3"><p><strong>Human Health Effects by Pathways</strong></p>
<p><strong>Acute and Chronic <sup>c</sup></strong></p></td>
<td colspan="3"><p><strong>Effects on Wildlife</strong></p>
<p><strong>and Other</strong></p>
<p><strong>Environmental Effects <sup>d</sup></strong></p></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Worker Safety</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Rank</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><strong>Inhalation</strong></td>
<td><strong>Dermal</strong></td>
<td><strong>Oral</strong></td>
<td><strong>Air</strong></td>
<td><strong>Water</strong></td>
<td><strong>Land</strong></td>
<td><strong>Human</strong></td>
<td><strong>Environ-ment</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Manu-facture Step 1</td>
<td>Chemical 1</td>
<td><p>MSDS,</p>
<p>trade association</p></td>
<td><p>yes</p>
<p>10 ppm</p>
<p>no</p>
<p>no</p></td>
<td><p>Chronic: cancer</p>
<p>Acute: dizziness</p></td>
<td>Chronic: sensitizer</td>
<td>acute: LC50 of 100 ppm</td>
<td>ozone depletion</td>
<td><p>Acute:</p>
<p>kills fish</p></td>
<td>kills worms</td>
<td>flammable</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="4">Contact Person:</td>
<td colspan="6">Date Completed:</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

a Corresponds to Table EA‑03 in Company Manual Template.

b Most information for this column can be found on the MSDS.

c Partial information for these columns might come from the MSDS, but
other resources may be needed. In particular, acute effects are usually
reported on MSDS sheets. Chronic effects are sometimes on MSDS sheets,
but often will have to be found elsewhere. LC refers to lethal
concentration. Inhalation LC50 is the concentration of a chemical in air
that causes death in 50 percent of the test organisms at the end of the
specified exposure period. LD refers to lethal dose. LD50 is the dose of
a chemical taken by mouth, absorbed by the skin, or injected that is
estimated to cause death in 50 percent of the test animals. Lethal dose
data are expressed in terms of amount of chemical divided by the body
weight, e.g., mg/kg.

d MSDSs usually do not include environmental effects.

Note: This worksheet provides an example of the kinds of information
found on an MSDS, but it is not a part of the press cleaning example.
For more information on risk‑related data, including methods for
interpreting quantitative toxicity values, refer to the Risk Guide
provided on the DfE Program website.

Rank Exposure to Chemicals and Materials

In determining exposure, the amount of material as well as the frequency
and duration of contact must be considered. An important element in
exposure is contact. If there is no possibility of contact occurring,
then there may be no exposure and therefore no risk. In some cases, as
when a toxic substance such as lead is embedded in a product such that
no contact occurs during use of that product, the toxic substance may
still leach out of that product if it is disposed of in a landfill. The
possibility of contact throughout the use and disposal of a product
should therefore be considered. If, however, a toxic substance is
contained such that neither humans nor the environment would come into
contact with it, then exposure would be low. In ranking such a chemical
use the rank given to the \"Workers, \" \"Community,\" and
\"Environment\" would be \"Low\" (L). In ranking exposure, it is,
therefore, necessary to consider how contact might occur and whether, in
fact, it does.

Severity (Quantity)

Determining the quantity of chemical or material that humans or the
environment are exposed to can be difficult, especially if the substance
becomes diluted in air as vapor or dust or in water. Potential exposure
is affected by both the amount of a chemical product used and the
concentration of the subject chemical in the product. First, determine
the quantity used per time period (shift, week, month, year). If the
chemical of interest is part of a product, then apply the percentage
that the chemical constitutes in the product to the total usage of the
product to determine the quantity used of that chemical. For example, a
product may be a single, pure chemical (such as a solvent), or it may be
a dilute water‑based mixture, with the active ingredients being only a
small percentage of the total amount. The higher the concentration, the
higher the potential exposure to that ingredient. See the Exposure
section of the Risk Guide on the DfE website for more information on
evaluating the exposure amount and ingredient concentrations.

Tip

See the Exposure section of the Risk Guide on the DfE website for more
information on evaluating the exposure amount and ingredient
concentrations.

Exposure Time

In addition to quantity, the duration of contact determines the exposure
to a chemical or material. How often is the chemical or material used
and for how long? The time period used should be related to that used
for quantity. For example, if you measure quantity per month, then the
time periods should show how many times (frequency) and for how long
(duration) it is used per month. Use whatever time frame works with your
business operation, but be consistent.

Personal Protective Equipment

The use of personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, eye protectors,
breathing masks) can greatly alter exposure to a chemical or substance,
for the personal protective equipment provides a barrier that prevents
or reduces contact. Even though personal protective equipment is used,
some exposure may occur because people are not perfect in their
adherence to instructions and because equipment fails. Consider the
possibility of failure when making judgments about exposure to chemicals
and materials.

Pathways

Substances can come into contact with living organisms through air,
water, land, and other solids. For example, chemicals and substances can
be inhaled from the air in the form of dust, vapors, and mists. Humans
can ingest chemicals and substances in liquids or food. Substances can
get into liquids or food by falling into them from the air, or by food
coming into contact with chemicals on surfaces or hands. Finally,
touching the chemical or substance can occur when dust, mists, or vapors
contact bare skin or when unprotected hands touch contaminated surfaces.
Animal and plant life can take up chemicals and substances from the
environment in much the same way. Figures 3‑c and 3‑d show some typical
exposure pathways for chemicals used in business operations. When
ranking aspects, determine how contact might occur; then decide how
severe that contact actually is and how much time is involved (the
frequency and duration of contact). (For consistency in comparisons
between criteria, apply the same time period to every aspect in your
ranking exercise.)

Worksheet 3‑2 will help you think about the exposure for each chemical
you consider. This chart can be filled in for each chemical or material
and represents your best judgment about exposure. The rank for each can
then be placed in the last column. The rank represents your judgment.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 10%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 10%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="11">Worksheet 3-2: Exposure to Chemicals and Materials</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Operation</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Aspect</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Quantity* Used per time period</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Exposure Time</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE)</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Pathway</strong></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>Rank Exposed Groups</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><strong>Duration**</strong></td>
<td><strong>Frequency</strong></td>
<td><p><strong>Human:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Inhalation, Dermal, Oral</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>Environment:</strong></p>
<p><strong>air, water, land</strong></p></td>
<td><strong>Workers</strong></td>
<td><strong>Commun-ity</strong></td>
<td><strong>Environ-ment</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>press cleaning</td>
<td><p>acetone, toluene, MEK, isopropyl alcohol blend</p>
<p>air releases</p></td>
<td>24 oz. per day</td>
<td>10 min.</td>
<td>5 times per day</td>
<td>gloves</td>
<td>inhalation</td>
<td><p>air,</p>
<p>water</p></td>
<td>H w/o PPE</td>
<td>L</td>
<td>M-L</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="4">Contact Person:</td>
<td colspan="4">Date Completed:</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

\*If ingredient in chemical product, use quantity of chemical not
product, i.e., apply the percentage that the ingredient makes up of the
product.

\*\*How many minutes or hours per day is the chemical or material used?

Note: For more information about evaluating exposure, refer to the
exposure section of the Risk Guide on the DfE Program website.

Figure 3-c: Screen Printing Exposure Pathways

![](media/image1.wmf)

Figure 3-d: Dry Cleaning Exposure Pathways

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="6.490277777777778in"
height="5.182638888888889in"}

Ranking Your Significant Environmental Aspects

Now you will put the Effects information together with the Exposure
information and consider some additional information. The following
paragraphs explain how to use Worksheet 3‑3 to rank significant
environmental aspects.

Regulatory Concerns

For each aspect, refer to the regulations associated with it that were
identified in Module 1 and decide how important these are to your
company. For example, an aspect might be regulated, but your company
might be small enough that it was exempt from the regulation. The
regulatory concern for your company might therefore be considered low
(i.e., not important enough for a project). On the other hand, your
company might have an environmental aspect to which a regulation
applies. If you can stay in compliance easily, you might also rank the
regulatory concern low. Or, if the cost of compliance is large or you
have experienced difficulties in meeting compliance, you may rank this
high (meaning that it may be a good candidate for a project). You do not
need at this point to define your aspect in terms of an environmental
concern. That will show up as you rank the remaining columns for this
aspect.

Chemical and Material Risk

Place both the ranking for effects and the ranking for exposure from
Tables 3‑1 and 3‑2 in the columns. The effects rank for humans would be
placed in both the worker and community columns.

Worker Safety

Look at the information in Worksheet 3‑1 under worker safety and apply a
judgment of ranking. Enter this rank in the worker safety column.

Other Community Issues

There are a variety of community concerns that might affect your
designation of a particular activity as a significant aspect. These are
issues other than pollution. Some examples are the noise level or odor
produced by your plant; increased traffic caused by your business; and
increased light needed for your operations. You may come up with others
specific to your operation and your community. Worksheet 3‑3 provides a
place to document and rank these issues. Place the rank from this
worksheet in Worksheet 3‑5.

  --------------- --------------- --------------------------- --------------
  Worksheet 3-3:                                              
  Community                                                   
  Issues                                                      

  **Operation**   **Aspect**      **Community Issues (List)** **Rank**

                                                              

                                                              

                                                              

                                                              

                                                              

  Contact Person:                                             
  Date:                                                       
  --------------- --------------- --------------------------- --------------

Tip

Remember: The ranks have no intrinsic meaning. They are merely a
shorthand for expressing your judgment about priorities.

Natural Resources

This criterion should be used to identify the use of water, energy, and
other environmental resources, such as forests or land. The rank that
you give to a particular aspect under this criterion is highly subject
to the specific circumstances and values of your company and community.
For example, a high rate of water use would be of higher concern in a
desert region than in a region where water is more plentiful. This
column allows you to consider what resource issues you might associate
with a particular aspect. The rank you give is based on your judgment
related to your own specific circumstances. Other natural resource
issues include generation of solid waste and its contribution to
landfills in your area. Worksheet 3‑4 provides a place to document and
rank these natural resource concerns. Place the rank from this worksheet
in Worksheet 3‑5.

  --------------- ----------------------- ----------------- --------------
  Worksheet 3-4:                                            
  Natural                                                   
  Resources Use                                             

  **Operation**   **Aspect**              **Natural         **Rank**
                                          Resources Used**  

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

                                                            

  Contact Person:                                           
  Date:                                                     
  --------------- ----------------------- ----------------- --------------

Tip

If you are pursuing ISO 14000 certification, you will have to address
each significant aspect. You may want to consider reducing the number of
significant aspects to two or three in the beginning and add more as
your company grows in experience with the IEMS process.

# 

Overall Ranking and Significance

Review the columns for each aspect and make a judgment as to whether
each aspect should be determined H, H‑M, M, M‑L, L in rank. After all
the aspects have been given an overall rank, determine which of them you
believe are significant for your company. Place a yes (Y) or no (N) in
the final column.

Ranking Environmental Aspects: Examples

The following example shows you how to rank the aspects identified in
Module 1 using the criteria in Worksheets 3‑5a and 3‑5b. Examples of
both small and large projects are included. It is important that you
think through even solutions that seem obvious, because sometimes you
might find a better solution. Refer to Figure 1‑h and Worksheet 1‑5 to
refresh your memory on this example.

## Example 1: Toner Cartridges {#example-1-toner-cartridges .EMS_example}

*In this example, a copy machine is used to make paper copies as part of
day‑to‑day business activities. The inputs are toner, paper, and
electricity (energy) to run the copies. Outputs include spent toner
cartridges, waste paper from poor quality copies, noise, and usable
copies. There are no restrictions on use of the copier. Spent toner
cartridges are simply discarded with the office trash.*

Let\'s consider the use of toner in copying. Unused toner is considered
as an input, while used toner is considered as an output. The same
product generates different concerns at different stages of its use.
Let\'s look at the criteria for each in Worksheet 3‑5a. The worksheet
shows the aspects identified in Figure 1‑h. Only the two toner input and
output aspects are scored for this example, for illustration. However,
in a real exercise, all the aspects would be scored.

<table style="width:100%;">
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 11%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="11">Worksheet 3-5a:<sup>a</sup> Criteria to Determine
Significant Aspects: Toner Cartridge Example<sup>b</sup></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Operation</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Aspect<sup>b</sup></strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Regulatory</strong></p>
<p><strong>Concerns</strong></p></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>Chemical and Material Risk</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Worker</strong></p>
<p><strong>Safety</strong></p></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Other Community
Issues:<sup>d</sup></strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Natural Resources:<sup>e</sup></strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Overall</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ranking</strong></p></td>
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Significant?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Y/N</strong></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p><strong>Worker</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eff/Exp<sup>c</sup></strong></p></td>
<td><strong>Community Eff/Exp<sup>c</sup></strong></td>
<td><strong>Environ-ment Eff/Exp<sup>c</sup></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Copying</td>
<td>Paper Use</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td>Toner (Input)</td>
<td>M</td>
<td>L/L</td>
<td>L/L</td>
<td>L/L</td>
<td>L</td>
<td></td>
<td>L</td>
<td>M-L</td>
<td>N</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td>Documents</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td>Waste Paper</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td>Used toner (Out)</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>L/L</td>
<td>L/L</td>
<td>H/H</td>
<td>L</td>
<td></td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>Y</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td>Odors</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td colspan="5">Contact Person:</td>
<td colspan="2">Date Completed:</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

a Corresponds to SEA‑01 in Company Manual Template.

b Include each input and output of a process step.

c Effects/Exposure

d Noise, Traffic, Light, Odor.

e Include such items as Resource Use, Solid Waste, Energy Use

**Ranking Notes for this Example:**

Regulatory concerns may be present due to the chemicals used inside the
cartridge or due to solid or hazardous waste regulations.

Effects of Chemicals and Materials inside the toner cartridge are
probably of concern. You would have identified these in Module 1.
However, since the cartridges are not opened either during input or
output use, there would be no exposure. Frequency of impact, therefore,
would be low.

Workers: Worker health and safety would be of low or no concern if the
toner is used only in the cartridges.

Community: The community\'s health and safety would be of low or no
concern if the toner is used only in the

Environment might be high if you do not currently recycle your
cartridges. Chemicals can spill out of the cartridges if they are placed
in a landfill.

Natural Resource Use would be low for water, but might be a concern for
land if you do not recycle the used cartridge.

**How to Obtain Overall Rank**: this can be done in two ways.

1\. Look across the columns and assign a total that in your judgement
best reflects the individual ranks in each column.

2\. Assign a number from 1‑5 to each rank such that H = 5 and L = 1. Sum
these across the columns and then divide by the number of columns used
to get an average rank for that row. For toner input the total would be
11 (counting each risk column as 2 because they have two scores and
disregarding other community issues because it was not applicable).
Divide by 9 (the number of columns used). The average rank would be 1.2,
which corresponds with M‑L. Place M‑L in the Total column.

**Meaning of Environmental Aspects Rank**: The total rank for toner used
as an input is M‑L and for used toner as an output is M‑H. These ranks
tell you that toner cartridges as waste outputs of your copying generate
more concern than they do as new inputs. Your main concern would be to
reduce any potential impact of the used toner cartridges. You could
reduce potential impact in at least three ways:

-   ensure that the cartridges are not opened either before or after
    use, to avoid exposure to the chemicals;

-   ensure that the cartridges are recycled according to the
    distributor\'s instructions, so that there is neither concern for
    ecological exposure to the chemicals in landfills, nor a
    contribution to the solid waste going into landfills; and

-   reduce the number of waste toner cartridges by cutting down on
    unnecessary copying.

## Example 2: Chemical Use and Waste {#example-2-chemical-use-and-waste .EMS_example}

*A second example will provide more points to consider in developing
objectives. Consider the chemical inputs and the chemical waste outputs
of a \"Press Cleaning\" example. In this example, a printer uses a
chemical press cleaner (solvent mixture) to manually clean the press
after each print run. An uncovered bucket of cleaner is kept at
press‑side along with a bin of clean, cloth wipers and an uncovered
container of soiled wipers. To clean the press, the printer scrapes
excess ink from the press for reuse, dips one or more wipers in the
press cleaner and wipes the press; wipes the press with one or more
clean, dry wipers; and places soiled wipers in an open bin. Soiled
wipers are transferred to a closed storage container at the end of the
shift. Most of the resulting ink/solvent mixture is contained on the
wipers, but excess is captured in drums and disposed of as a hazardous
waste. Soiled wipers are sent to the laundry weekly.*

Tip

Refer to Figure 1‑i and Worksheet 1‑5 to refresh your memory on this
example.

Thus, the inputs are the press cleaner and clean wipers. Outputs are
reusable ink, soiled wipers, and waste ink/solvent mixture. The
environmental aspects include the waste ink/solvent mixture and air and
water emissions of press cleaner. Air emissions of press cleaner occur
both in the print shop (from the uncovered bucket of cleaner, the
cleaning operation itself, and the storage container of soiled wipers),
and at the laundry (from the soiled wipers). We will score the two
aspects of chemicals used in press cleaning and waste from those
chemicals.

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 11%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 10%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td colspan="11">Worksheet 3-5b:<sup>a</sup> Criteria to Determine
Significant Aspects: Chemical Use and Waste Example<sup>b</sup></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Operation</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Aspect<sup>b</sup></strong></td>
<td></td>
<td colspan="3"><strong>Chemical and Material Risk</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Worker</strong></p>
<p><strong>Safety</strong></p></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Other Community
Issues:<sup>d</sup></strong></td>
<td rowspan="2"><strong>Natural Resources<sup>e</sup></strong></td>
<td><p><strong>Overall</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ranking</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>Significant?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Y/N</strong></p></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p><strong>Regulatory</strong></p>
<p><strong>Concerns</strong></p></td>
<td><p><strong>Worker</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eff/Exp<sup>c</sup></strong></p></td>
<td><strong>Community Eff/Exp<sup>c</sup></strong></td>
<td><strong>Environ-ment Eff/Exp<sup>c</sup></strong></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Press Cleaning</td>
<td>Step 1</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>(in)</td>
<td>Toxic chemical constituents</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>M/ M-H</td>
<td>M/ M-L</td>
<td>M/ M-L</td>
<td>M-L</td>
<td>n/a</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>M</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td>Wipers</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td>Energy</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td>Water</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>(out)</td>
<td>Waste chemicals</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>M/ M-H</td>
<td>M/ H</td>
<td>M/ H</td>
<td>M-L</td>
<td>n/a</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td>M-H</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td>Soiled Wipers</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td>Waste Water</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td></td>
<td>Air Releases #1</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td>Product for next step</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td rowspan="2"></td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td colspan="5">Contact Person:</td>
<td colspan="2">Date Completed:</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

a Corresponds to SEA‑01 in Company Manual Template.

b Include each input and output of a process step.

c effects/exposure

d Include noise, traffic, light, odor.

e Include such items as resource use, solid waste, energy use.

**Ranking Notes**:

Regulatory Concerns: check the lists of regulations and standards to see
if they apply to any of the chemicals you have identified as inputs. For
outputs from your manufacturing process, find out whether the
regulations for solid and hazardous waste make mention of these
chemicals. Consider whether new chemical products are formed and become
wastes during the process of step 1. If so, don\'t forget to check for
these chemicals as well as the input chemicals. Chemical and Material
Risk: Assign the ranks from your Effects and Exposure Worksheets. Safety
might include reference to a flammable chemical. Hence the rank of M‑L.
Natural Resource Use may be important for both input and output
chemicals. Also, consider the quantity of water used as an input or to
take care of waste.

Tip

You do not have to evaluate alternatives for all significant
environmental aspects. Therefore, it is important to consider the
\"do‑ability\" of each project and to determine what improvements might
be achieved by each project before deciding which ones to undertake.

Meaning of Rank

The total for input chemicals is M and M‑H for output (waste). If you
compare all the ranks, it would seem that the waste chemicals in this
example, using assumed criteria, constitutes a more significant concern
than do the other activities.

Tip

Remember: If your company is considering ISO certification, you will
have to demonstrate action on every SEA.

# 

Grouping Environmental Aspects

In reviewing your company\'s list of environmental aspects you may
discover that some aspects occur in more than one process step. Energy
use is a good example. It might be effective in some circumstances to
combine all the process steps having energy aspects, and develop a
facility‑wide strategy and program for achieving improvement.
Understand, however, that the energy aspect should be ranked in each
process step to determine its relative importance in that step. For
example, energy use in office work might be a different priority than
energy use in a manufacturing step. In addition, standards and
procedures developed to reduce energy use would be different for each
process step. Consequently, although you might achieve certain
efficiencies through a facility‑wide effort, your actual environmental
improvement will be attained through objectives set for each process
step.

Consider \"Practical\" Criteria Also

In order to determine which significant environmental aspects will
become projects, it is important to consider the economic and technical
feasibility and the time frame for your company. It is also important to
consider what improvements could be expected from each project.
Selecting high‑priority projects is desirable from an environmental
perspective, but there is value in undertaking some short term, \"easier
to implement\" projects which may not be ranked high in environmental
risk. The easier projects provide a useful learning experience, boost
confidence as people see results, and focus attention on environmental
goals.

In the examples above, deciding to reduce the volume of copying and to
recycle toner cartridges used in your office copier is a relatively
short‑term, low‑cost environmental project to set in place as shown in
Worksheet 3‑6. Determining how to deal with chemical waste products
could be a longer process: the obvious solution may not be the best, and
a project that appears difficult and long‑term may turn out to have a
simple solution. The many alternative approaches to dealing with waste
products can range from chemical substitutions to changing the nature of
the wastes, changing work practices to reduce the volume of the waste,
and changing disposal methods. Your final environmental program might
include changes in each of these phases. In the example, although ink
wastes may have the highest environmental risk rank, addressing those
problems could be longer‑term and more costly. On the other hand, doing
so might yield greater cost savings than the quicker, cheaper toner
cartridge example.

You need not rank your practical criteria; you can consider them by
simply describing the practical considerations for each potential
project. Worksheet 3‑6 helps you lay out the considerations for each
significant environmental aspect. At this point the worksheet provides
you with a \"first cut\" qualitative judgment, to help choose aspects
for further work. Aspects not selected at this time may be suitable for
future projects.

+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| W        |          |             |               |                |
| orksheet |          |             |               |                |
| 3-6:     |          |             |               |                |
| Criteria |          |             |               |                |
| to       |          |             |               |                |
| Select   |          |             |               |                |
| Envir    |          |             |               |                |
| onmental |          |             |               |                |
| Projects |          |             |               |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| *        | **Time   | **Cost**    | **Technical   | **Total        |
| *Project | Frame**  |             | Feasibility** | Feasibility**  |
| to       |          |             |               |                |
| Address  |          |             |               |                |
| Aspect** |          |             |               |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Toner    | N/A      | N/A         | N/A           | N/A            |
| (In)     |          |             |               |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Used     | Short (1 | Negligible; | Easy          | Excellent      |
| Toner    | month)   | time to     |               |                |
| (Out)    |          | write       |               |                |
|          |          | procedure   |               |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Press    | Longer   | Employee    | Needs help    | More difficult |
| cleaner  | ev       | time        | from          |                |
| (In)     | aluation |             | suppliers,    |                |
|          |          |             | etc.          |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Waste    | Longer   | Employee    | Needs help    | More difficult |
| Ink      | ev       | time,       | from          |                |
| (Out)    | aluation | process     | suppliers,    |                |
|          |          | change      | etc.          |                |
| Soiled   |          |             |               |                |
| Wipers   |          |             |               |                |
| (Out)    |          |             |               |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Contact  |          |             |               |                |
| Person:  |          |             |               |                |
+----------+----------+-------------+---------------+----------------+

Tip

Considering the benefits does not mean undertaking an analysis of
potential outcomes. It means identifying the kinds of improvements that
might be achieved by implementing a particular project and then deciding
what value (priority) that improvement has for your company.

Finally, compare in general the expected improvements to be gained by
working on each aspect. Like any undertaking in a business operation,
you should be able to describe what you expect to get before you
undertake the project! First, develop a list of benefits criteria. These
might include such things as:

-   Reduced human health impacts

-   Reduced environmental impacts

-   Cost savings

-   Improved community relations

-   Improved employee morale

-   Customer benefit

Again, these particular criteria might not fit your company. Make a list
of criteria identifying kinds of improvements that could be derived from
undertaking environmental projects. These expected improvements need not
be ranked; simply describe the potential for each criterion to be
achieved. Worksheet 3‑7 illustrates the two examples.

+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| > Wor  |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| ksheet |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| > 3-7: |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| > Pot  |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| ential |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| >      |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| Improv |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| ements |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| > **As | **Human | *       | **Cost   | **C      | **Mo   | **E     |
| pect** | Heal    | *Enviro | S        | ommunity | rale** | xpected |
|        | th^1^** | nment** | avings** | Rel      |        | Improve |
|        |         |         |          | ations** |        | ments** |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| >      | Little  | Little  | Low      | N/A      | N/A    | N/A     |
|  Toner | effect  |         |          |          |        |         |
| > (In) |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| > Used | Some    | Some    | Some     | Good;    | Good   | Some    |
| >      | effect  | effect  |          | shows    | le     |         |
|  Toner | through | in      |          | effort   | arning |         |
| >      | waste   | waste   |          |          | tool   |         |
|  (Out) |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| >      | Improve | Some    | Some     | Good     | Good;  | Good    |
|  Press | worker  | i       | through  |          | w      |         |
| > C    | health  | mprove, | ef       |          | orkers |         |
| leaner |         | air     | ficiency |          | happy  |         |
| > (In) |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| >      | Improve | Improve | Some     | E        | Good;  | Ex      |
|  Waste | com     | effect  | through  | xcellent | w      | cellent |
| > Ink  | munity; | on      | ef       | PR       | orkers |         |
| >      | reduce  | la      | ficiency |          | happy  |         |
|  (Out) | p       | ndfill, | and      |          |        |         |
| >      | resence | groun   | reduced  |          |        |         |
| >      | of      | dwater, | waste    |          |        |         |
|  Press | ha      | habitat | fees     |          |        |         |
| > C    | zardous |         |          |          |        |         |
| leaner | ma      |         |          |          |        |         |
| > (In) | terials |         |          |          |        |         |
| >      |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| >      |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| Soiled |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| >      |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| Wipers |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| >      |         |         |          |          |        |         |
|  (Out) |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| > C    |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| ontact |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| > P    |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| erson: |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+
| > ^1^  |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| > Wo   |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| rkers, |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| > Comm |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| unity, |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| >      |         |         |          |          |        |         |
| Global |         |         |          |          |        |         |
+--------+---------+---------+----------+----------+--------+---------+

Overall Summary of Ranking

Worksheet 3‑8 illustrates how to put together the results from ranking
the significant environmental aspects with the results from the
economic, technical and improvements worksheets so that you can
determine which will make the best projects for your company at this
time. Projects not chosen now can be developed later. The example
illustrates that while chemical waste may present one of the most
involved projects in terms of feasibility, it may also provide the
greatest improvements. The final decision rests with your company and
should reflect both your values and your needs. You may want to
undertake both a short‑term and a long‑term project.

Tip

It is important to recognize that the tables are merely a tool to help
you summarize your judgment and organize your thoughts. The ranks placed
in the tables do not have any intrinsic value but are used for purposes
of comparing the results to each other.

+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| Worksheet  |           |           |               |                |
| 3-8:       |           |           |               |                |
| Overall    |           |           |               |                |
| Ranking    |           |           |               |                |
| Summary    |           |           |               |                |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| **Process  | **Aspect  | **Fe      | **Benefits    | *              |
| Step**     | Total**   | asibility | Total**       | *Significant** |
|            |           | Total**   |               |                |
| **Aspect** |           |           |               | **Y/N**        |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| Toner (In) | M-L       | N/A       | N/A           |                |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| Used Toner | M-H       | H         | M             | N              |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| Chemicals  | M         | M-L       | M-H           |                |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| Chemical   | H         | M-L       | H             | Y              |
| Waste      |           |           |               |                |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+
| Contact    |           |           |               |                |
| Person:    |           |           |               |                |
+------------+-----------+-----------+---------------+----------------+

Setting Objectives

The point of the priority setting exercises, of course, is to reduce
your company\'s impact on the environment. The process outlined in this
Guide describes two approaches: making your current activities and
processes the best they can be and making significant changes in the
products your company uses or produces, and in the processes or
activities of your company. If you intend to seek ISO 14000
certification, you will need to take action on each SEA identified. If
you are not seeking certification, you can be more flexible in
undertaking projects. Module 4 describes the process of evaluating
alternatives for those SEAs you believe will require changes. Module 6
describes the process of developing operational controls for the SEAs
that will not involve significant changes at this time. (You may decide
to evaluate alternatives and make changes in these later.)

At this point, general objectives can be developed for each SEA
identified. These objectives should be consistent with your company\'s
environmental policy and also with your company\'s compliance
requirements. Using the examples ranked on the worksheets above, a
company could specify its objectives as follows:

-   Reduce the waste from used toner cartridges.

-   Reduce the environmental impact of press cleaning.

These objectives state the desired outcome in terms of the desired
improvement in environmental impact, not in terms of the specifics of
how it might be accomplished. For example, the objective of reducing
waste from toner cartridges is open as to how that might be
accomplished. One could reduce the use of toner cartridges, ensure that
the recycling program is adhered to, or stop using copiers and printers
that have toner cartridges in favor of another technology. Likewise,
reducing impact from the press cleaning process can be accomplished in
different ways.

In looking at these two objectives, one might note that the toner
cartridge objective might be met by writing and posting a procedure that
ensures recycling of the cartridges and by making sure that people who
change the toner cartridges have sufficient training in this procedure.
On the other hand determining how to reduce the impact of chemical
wastes may involve some greater changes that would be provided by
operational controls and training alone. In this case, an alternatives
evaluation would be necessary. After an alternative is identified, of
course, operational controls and training would be needed for the new
product, process or activity.

It is important to take on what you can finish. In the beginning, tackle
the SEAs that you can handle, what is environmentally important, and
whatever is urgent. Your company can start on any remaining SEAs when
you have completed the first ones.