Environmentally appropriate materials and processes

In order to be competitive in today´s global marketplace, US manufacturing companies must adopt new strategies for meeting international standards and achieving environmental protection goals. Companies increasingly discover that it is possible to be both environmentally responsible and competitive. The solution is found in proactive and preventative strategies. Rather than the traditional method of dealing with the environmental and regulatory consequences of materials and process choices, a proactive company will incorporate environmental considerations into all of their decision making processes. This includes: materials choices during research and product design, manufacturing process development, process modifications and improvements, and operations practices. To help companies meet their environmental obligations while maintaining competitiveness, this paper covers proactive and preventive strategies which can be applied in the design and manufacture of products and process. It also provides direction to industries/companies seeking environmentally preferable materials, processes and strategies