Governance and Policies
Efficiency is a core principle of our operations, and we manage waste and resource outflows responsibly as part of our broader commitment to reducing environmental impacts. While circular economy considerations span the entire product life cycle, Dover has an opportunity to increase value delivered downstream through circular and durable product design. Accordingly, alongside our established efforts to reduce waste in our own operations, our current focus is on reducing materials and waste associated with product design, use and end-of-life management.
Given the diversity of Dover’s end markets and operations, resource and waste management and related policies and procedures are managed at the operating company level. This model supports the practical application of circular economy principles based on site-specific material use and operational context.
Actions and Initiatives
Circular Economy
The industrial products market has long operated on principles that align with circularity—customers expect to maximize the useful life of their capital assets, and manufacturers
have developed product and service models to support that expectation. Dover is no exception. A majority of our operating companies sell spare parts for maintenance, enabling
customers to extend the operational life of both Dover and third-party equipment. Several operating companies go further, offering structured repair and refurbishment services
that restore aging or broken components to working condition and allow end-of-life equipment to be reintegrated into the value chain. Examples include:
Life Cycle Assessments: Many waste and material reduction strategies are informed by operational analyses such as value stream
mapping and product-level assessments, which help identify opportunities to improve material flows and reduce waste generation. At certain operating companies, life cycle
assessments support these efforts by enhancing our understanding of the resource use associated with our products. Results from the assessments are used to inform product design
considerations, including identification of opportunities for lightweighting, as well as enhancements in the modularity, durability and repairability of final products.
Sustainability considerations and eco-design initiatives are increasingly being integrated into product development discussions through collaboration across R&D, engineering
and product development teams.
Service-Driven Life Extensions: Markem-Imaje ("M-I") extends product lifespan through a combination of self-service, remote and
on-site customer support. Every part within an M-I printer is modular, enabling quick and straightforward replacement by customers or by qualified engineers. To simplify part
replacement, M-I offers AI-powered virtual assistants, along with an Advanced Exchange Program that allows customers to swap failed modules for refurbished ones, extending
overall product life. Together, the Self-Support program and Advanced Exchange Program reduce the need for engineer site visits, lowering the associated carbon footprint while
enabling faster recovery of customer operations.
Waste
Sustainability Kaizens: Across the organization, Dover applies lean manufacturing principles to identify and reduce waste
categories such as overprocessing, defects, transportation and motion. Sustainability Kaizens are one mechanism operating companies can use to address these waste types through
targeted operational improvements. Below are examples of Sustainability Kaizens:
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Overprocessing and defects: Teams observe production areas to identify sources of material scrap and discard (e.g., cut-off losses, excess packaging, damaged
parts) and implement trial actions to reduce waste such as reusing cut-offs where feasible. These efforts can help reduce material waste and lower material costs.
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Transportation and motion: Teams review current waste streams and observe disposal practices across production and warehouse areas to identify materials
currently sent to landfill that could instead be segregated for recovery, such as metals, plastics, cardboard and electronics. Actions may include implementing simple
point-of-generation sorting through labeled bins, signage and training, as well as identifying appropriate recycling or scrap vendors. These efforts can help reduce landfill
waste and disposal costs while also recovering scrap value.
Environmental Management Systems: Environmental management systems play an important role in supporting structured resource and
waste management practices. A subset of our operating companies align with recognized standards, such as International Organization for Standardization ("ISO") 14001, to guide
environmental management processes and establish goals related to waste reduction and environmental performance.
Internal Audits: Internal oversight of resource and waste management is supported through periodic reviews and audits conducted
within the 0Dover framework. These reviews help evaluate alignment with operational excellence principles and identify opportunities to strengthen resource and waste-related
processes over time.