Page 176 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

Design Rules and Guidelines 155

this strategy will significantly reduce the mass and volume of
shipments, thus reducing transportation energy use.
• Reduce unnecessary flow-through of water by installing de -
vices, such as automatic shutoff valves, flow reducers, and
waterless urinals, and by shifting to low-water landscaping
methods.
• Utilize alternative, lower-quality sources of non-potable water
for industrial operations in order to reduce demand on munic-
ipal water supplies.
• Implement water treatment processes beyond compliance
requirements in order to enhance the quality of wastewater
discharges.
• Find beneficial secondary uses for process wastewater, such
as floor maintenance.
• Collect rainwater as an alternative source of fresh water.

Many companies have emphasized water management programs
as part of their overall sustainability commitment (see the Coca-Cola
case study in Chapter 15). Going beyond facility water usage, life-
cycle assessment methods are increasingly being used to assess the
overall water “footprint” of a company’s value chain from supplier to
consumer (see Chapter 9).
Example: Intel Corporation uses ultra-pure water in its semiconductor fabrication
plants, some of which are located in water-stressed areas such as Arizona and
Israel. The Corporate Industrial Water Management Group supports the operating
sites in implementing local strategies for sustainable water use. For example,
at Intel’s Chandler, Arizona facility, treated process water is sent to an off-site
municipal treatment plant, brought up to drinking water standards, and reinjected
into the underground aquifer at a rate of about 1.5 million gallons per day.
Ecosystem Integrity, Biodiversity, and Land Conservation
Ecological resources, including biomass, water, and genetic diversity,
are nurtured in the world’s ecosystems, which span a vast range of
geographies and climates. Each ecosystem is unique, and contains a
network of species that have adapted to the local or regional condi-
tions. Instead of simply building facilities, occupying land, and ignor-
ing the surrounding ecosystems, business entities can interact with
them in several ways:
• Harvest resources, such as water, crops, or wood, without ex -
ceeding the capacity of the ecosystem to renew those resources.
• Protect resources by limiting vehicular traffic, creating buffer
zones for sensitive habitats, and avoiding pollution or waste
that would disturb the ecosystem.
• Restore damaged resources by reintroducing native plant and
animal species, removing artificial barriers such as dams,
and treating polluted water.