Lucent Technologies

EMS Transfer Examples

Lucent Microelectronics

XL Project

One Page Program Description
Transferability Examples

Past Example
One of the most powerful aspects of an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) is the ability to influence not only the behavior of the adopting organization, but other organizations with which it does business. Lucent demonstrated this fact through its XL EMS in its relationship with one of its key suppliers, the DuPont Corporation. Dupont is the manufacturer and supplier of PFCs (C2F6) to Lucent. Prior to 1997, DuPont recommended that customers dispose of excess or waste PFCs by incineration. Normal practice was to collect PFC vaporous waste and to thermally oxidize the vapors before venting to the atmosphere. While destruction efficiencies were high, some PFCs were directly released, contributing to stratospheric ozone reduction.

As part of its XL EMS, Lucent adopted a waste management hierarchy which required that the Company first Reduce, then Reuse, then Recycle and only as a last resort waste or incinerate. Incineration of PFCs clearly should be done after all other options had been explored and found wanting. Lucent insisted that PFCs did not need to be incinerated, but could instead be condensed to liquid form and sent back to DuPont for remanufacture, not only reducing atmospheric emissions but also reducing demand for raw materials.

As a result of Lucent's insistence on recycling PFCs, DuPont has changed its entire process and the way it handles PFCs with all of its customers.

Prospective Example
A second example of the power of the EMS to effect improvements in industry practice is illustrated by an "undesirable materials" reduction project in the early stages of planning by Microelectronics and which would be carried through in this XL project. The company has contracted with a software firm, EORM of San Jose, California, to construct a database that includes lists of materials considered environmentally undesirable for product use. The database would link these lists with international regulations (federal, state, local). Microelectronics proposes to use the list to persuade suppliers to redesign raw materials and component parts to be free of as many undesirable materials as possible. A case in point is bromine containing resins coated on chips as fire retardant. Several European countries are concerned about airborne bromine residues potentially emitted to the atmosphere upon incineration. Microelectronics proposes to list bromine as undesirable, citing appropriate local regulations restricting its use, and strongly urge suppliers to design out all bromine containing resins. In so doing, Microelectronics will likely affect the manufacturing practices of the entire industry. There are scores of other undesirable materials that can be handled in a similar manner. These issues would be considered through the EMS process at the EnAcT meetings.

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