At Dover, efficiency in our operations is a foundational principal and our commitment to reducing our environmental impact includes managing waste responsibly. Accordingly, we are pursuing efforts to identify sources of waste in our operations and to minimize our production of waste, including upstream and downstream waste production associated with the sourcing and use of our products by our customers.
Managing Our Waste
Efficiency is a core principle for all Dover operating companies. Each business is responsible for managing waste which allows a tailored approach customized to the unique business environments and requirements of our diverse portfolio of operating companies.
Waste management practices vary at our sites depending on our operating companies’ product lines and the unique needs of their customers, but generally waste management efforts include some or all of the following:
- Focusing on efficiency and continuous improvement through lean manufacturing that reduces the 7 kinds of waste (e.g., overproduction, defects, transport) identified in the centralized 0DOVER operational excellence and safety framework
- A recycling/waste strategy based on value stream mapping and optimized packaging design
- Following internationally recognized best practice environmental management systems such as International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 and setting goals for waste reduction
- Assessing waste management by third parties such as EcoVadis at the request of customers
- Internal auditing of waste management and lean practices through the 0DOVER framework
- Innovating for sustainability in new product development, including considering environmental aspects such as reducing waste generated or energy or water consumed by products
As with other sustainability-related risks, waste risks are evaluated and integrated into our broader company-wide oversight of risk management as needed and are addressed in part by our ongoing conservation efforts. These include the setting of waste reduction goals by a number of our operating companies as part of their ISO 14001 certifications.
In the future we are considering centralizing data collection, reporting and management of waste to drive increased attention to waste reduction efforts.