Ford Plants Lead the World in Environmental Performance
8 December 1998
Ford Plants Lead the World in Environmental Performance-- Ford will be the only automaker to have its plants certified worldwide under the environmental standard ISO 14001 by the end of the year. -- ISO 14001 leads to significant improvements in energy use, waste disposal, water treatment, recycling and air pollution. -- In packaging alone, Ford has kept 163 million pounds of waste out of landfills in just two years -- enough to fill 120 football fields waist high. WAYNE, Mich., Dec. 8 -- Ford Motor Company celebrated another major environmental milestone today, becoming the first and only automotive company to certify its plants around the world under ISO 14001 -- 140 plants in 26 countries. ISO 14001 is an environmental standard under which independent auditors evaluate environmental processes and system performance. The environmental milestone was marked at a ceremony at the Michigan Truck Plant, where a giant certificate representing certification of all 73 North American manufacturing plants was presented by representatives of Lloyd's and VCA, the two independent auditing agencies used to certify the facilities. "Being ISO 14001 certified means that experts outside of Ford agree that we are world-class in terms of environmental management," said Bob Transou, group vice president, Manufacturing. "Achieving ISO certification also highlights Ford's philosophy that environmental excellence is an element of both good business and corporate citizenship." The discipline put into place by Ford employees worldwide has already begun to pay big dividends in terms of the environment and cost savings. For example, Ford has reduced the amount of disposable packaging coming into plants by 163 million pounds in the last two years, a reduction of more than 25 percent on a per vehicle basis. Materials such as cardboard and plywood, which used to go in landfills, have been replaced by containers made of reusable materials such as plastic or metal. In North America, the disposal of paint sludge, which is the over-spray from paint booths, has been dramatically reduced in 10 plants so far. A process that recycles the sludge has kept 17,052 tons of paint waste from going to landfills since 1995. In addition, Ford uses a Total Waste Management system that provides monetary incentives to suppliers for reducing waste. Rather than paying by the barrel or load, Ford now pays waste removal suppliers on a scale that doesn't reward for sheer quantity -- for instance paying a fixed amount by month or by the number of cars and trucks produced. "We committed to completing the ISO process for our plants just three years ago," said Transou. "It was a very challenging stretch, but we feel it's important to be environmental leaders in the communities where we live and do business." ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized standard and provides a basis for a consistent, globally recognized environmental management system. Ford's own Environmental System is based upon the ISO 14001 standard. "Working under the ISO framework, we look at literally every environmental aspect in every plant," said Transou. "At Michigan Truck, for example, there are already huge decreases in the amount of water used -- almost a million gallons a day -- and the amount of energy saved." At Michigan Truck there was even a program that examined the light bulbs used. Replacing 1,975 florescent bulbs with metal halide bulbs is saving the plant $66,000 a year in energy costs. At all plants undergoing certification, teams of independent auditors scour the plant, interview employees and review plant environmental procedures and practices. Plant employees also are instructed on the plant's environmental policy, and many employees took part in setting objectives to continually improve in those areas. Year-to-year environmental improvement is a key aspect of ISO 14001. Not only is Ford the first automaker to certify its manufacturing facilities to ISO 14001 on a global basis, it also has more individual facilities in the world certified under the standard than any other company. Certification for more than 140 Ford sites -- including Visteon and Jaguar plants -- will be completed by the end of the year. Certification to ISO 14001 is one part of a very broad commitment to environmental leadership at Ford. Ford also is a leader in clean vehicle technology. All Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators built at Michigan Truck are sold nationwide as Low Emission Vehicles (LEVs), emitting almost 70 percent fewer smog-forming hydrocarbon emissions than allowed by California's 1999 standards. In fact, all Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Sport Utility Vehicles, along with the Windstar minivan, are classified as LEVs beginning this year.