Companies can have an effective EMS and good environmental performance without registration. Since there are few sites with ISO 14000 registration in the U.S., there is little data available about the benefits achieved from registration. Thus, the research for this article sought to identify the benefits realized from all pollution prevention activities, including regulated activities, environmental management systems and ISO 14000. There is a cost to pollution prevention and to establishing an EMS, so companies must receive benefits from voluntary efforts or they will be reluctant to make them. Many companies have some form of an EMS because of the operational and regulatory benefits it can provide.
Companies implement voluntary projects to create profits in the future.
Research and development, new product introduction, and plant modernization are all examples of voluntary projects for this purpose. These projects are measured by their return on the investment over time and on how long it takes to pay back the investment. There is competition among various projects for a company's investment dollars. Selecting a project can be a complex process. Two of the major criteria are return on investment and risk.