awareness It starts with How a small Boeing team that cares about the environment makes a big difference By Patrick Summers and photos by Gail Hanusa Charleen Khane and a handful of colleagues in Everett, Wash., are proving that even small actions to improve the environment can have a big impact. The team has generated ideas that are saving the company millions of gallons of water and miles of paper towels, while increasing environmental awareness—another example of how Boeing employees are working to continually improve the company’s environmental performance. “In our first meeting we talked about what was important to us and what we were passionate about. That helped focus our efforts on areas where even a small group could have an impact,” explained Khane, a scheduling analyst on the 777 program. The team, which includes about 15 people, decided to tackle several projects with high potential for reducing waste and saving money, including retrofitting bathroom faucets with low-flow aerators, which use 75 percent less water, and evaluating the size of paper towels used in bathroom dispensers. The team also designed and distributed 20 different signs that encourage conservation by pointing out, for example, Everett employees could save a substantial amount of energy by simply turning off idle computer monitors, according to company estimates. “It starts with awareness,” said Rachele Horner, a project manager on the 777 program and team member. “People need to know the impact of throwing a can into the garbage instead of the recycle bin.” The site installed low-flow aerators in office restroom sinks in 2012 and is retrofitting factory sinks known as Bradley basins for a projected water savings of more than 14 million gallons (5.3 million liters) a year, according to Vince Villa, site utility conservation engineer. “Employees using the restrooms account for two-thirds of Everett site water use, so every little bit helps,” Villa said. Everett employees also used almost 74 million feet— 14,000 miles, or 22,500 kilometers—of paper towels in 2011 when drying their hands after washing. “We worked with our supplier to start adding signs to the dispensers that remind users to conserve because ‘These come from trees,’ ” Khane said. Representatives of Boeing Site Services reviewed industry standards with the supplier and adjusted site dispensers to provide uniform paper towel sizes of 8 inches (20 centimeters) long in office buildings and 12 inches (30 centimeters) long in the factory. Site Services will continue to monitor and evaluate paper towel use and related employee feedback. Thanks to projects such as these, the team has won Boeing’s annual conservation award the past two years. Company leaders also noted that employee-led projects helped Boeing meet its environmental targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, hazardous waste, and energy and water use the past five years, and are critical in reaching the current goal of zero-carbon growth. Supplier Management manager and team member Ginny Woodhouse believes every employee can make a difference. “For us it was all about the power of one,” she said. “It just takes one person to make a good idea reality.” n patrick.a.summers@boeing.com PHOTOS: (Left) The Everett, Wash., site installed low-flow aerators in office restroom sinks last year. (Above) Rachele Horner, left, and Charleen Khane help lead a project that is reducing waste and conserving resources by reducing the size of paper towels used and discarded in restrooms at the Everett site. BEOING FRONTIERS / OCTOBER 2013 17
Frontiers October 2013 Issue
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