More Than Just Making Greener Products: Solutions for Sustainable GrowthA bove all, designing a sustainable future for a greener economy is a challenge that must be tackled with unanimity.We started a mission to "act locally and think globally" 20 years ago. Along the way, we realised that the lens we were using hid the fact that environmental impacts are not necessarily spot, linear and sequential. Once environmental impacts were characterised as local, regional and global; however, today we can not use such boundaries to define them. Within a global agenda signed by the Montreal Protocol in 1987, we succeeded in reducing the emissions of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) and decreased the holes in the ozone layer. However, reactive case by case response makes the ecosystem vulnerable to unexpected impacts. An alternative is to develop a prevention strategy to prioritise environmental impacts. This strategy should be based on certain endpoints (human health, biotic / biodiversity, through abiotic / physical environment) balanced with midpoints (e.g.: ozone depletion, global warming, etc.). Thus, efforts will focus on effectively and efficiently minimising environmental risks.Many scientific papers have been published to address the logic of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. However, until recently, implementation of LCA concepts was limited because of data gathering challenge and application expertise. Thanks to the exponential evolution of information technology and the global sharing of knowledge in many fields, such hurdles are less " Currently, the concept of "Life Cycle Thinking" is no longer an academic privilege but a business decision- making tool "Dr Lienne Carla Pires, Sustainability and Environmental Specialist, 3M Brazilsignificant. Currently, the concept of "Life Cycle Thinking" is no longer an academic privilege but a business decision-making tool.The main economic driver for corporate product LCA efforts is the identification of potential occupational and environmental liabilities. LCA can assist a company in managing compliance with product-related regulations (both existing and new regulations); specific customer demands; and in the introduction of local products to global markets.In 2001, 3M adopted the Product Life Cycle Management (LCM) Policy. This policy is applied to all existing and new products. The objective is to identify potential environmental, health, safety, and energy benefits and risks. With more than 60,000 products sold in nearly 200 countries. 3M has many opportunities to use LCM to developing products that help our customers address their environmental and energy challenges. In the last 10 years, LCM has been very important in improving our products and processes. Brazil's National Solid Waste policy, promulgated in 2010, is a good example of promoting the concepts of sustainability under a life cycle standpoint. This policy brings the practice of "the 3Rs" (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), in addition to shared responsibility and reverse logistics. This regulatory framework is a clear expression that Brazil wants to be Solid Waste Management benchmarking throughout the life cycle of products and services, without distinction of public and private sectors. It is an innovative policy in the global scenario, considering the particularities of our country's practices and recycling rates. In one hand, we are leaders in recycling of many materials, on the other, 026 BRAZIL SHOWCASE

Above: Dr Lienne Carla PiresBelow: 3M Curauá Bath Sponge: a greener innovation Pictured bottom: 3M headquarters in Brazilwe have a huge potential for the development of technologies for prevention, treatment and disposal.This is a great opportunity for the government and private sector to collaborate and share experiences on this matter. The philosophy of "the 3Rs" and eco-efficiency are also very important in managing a company's environmental impacts. Some industries and production sectors have noticed direct cost reduction when they optimise the manufacturing processes, generating less waste and maximising the use of natural resources. Consequently, these actions increase profit margins.3M was an early adopter of these strategies. In the 1970s, 3M established a corporate programme called Pollution Prevention Pays (3P). 3P is based on the belief that a preventative approach is more effective, technically sound, and economical than conventional pollution controls. End of pipe practices require natural resources, human energy, and usually are costly operating systems that only constrain the problem temporarily; they do not eliminate it. And conventional controls only constrain the problem temporarily; they do not eliminate it. 3P is different, because it reduces consumption of resources by preventing pollution up front - through product reformulation, process modification, equipment redesign, and recycling and reuse of waste materials. 3P encourages employees to find ways to prevent pollution and save 3M money. At 3M Brazil, projects proposed and developed by the staff have prevented more than 10,000 tons of waste. This initiative saved more than US$30 millions for the company during the past 11 years.It is a successful programme and 3M is extremely proud of its employees work to make pollution prevention an integral part of its operations. The 3P project criteria and categories are periodically reviewed in order to make the programme more inclusive and three-dimensional. The more employees participate, the more comprehensive the project scope becomes (outside the boundaries of the company) and the greater impacts will be prevented.Besides the environmental and economic gains, the programme is also an important tool to help the company achieve its environmental goals. 3M has been setting environmental goals since 1990. Currently, the company has five environmental goals around waste, energy, volatile organic compound (VOC) and greenhouse gas emissions reduction and water stewardship. The goals and 3M's progress towards achieving them are monitored quarterly and reviewed every five years. In 2010, 3M Brazil met and exceeded all its environmental goals reducing VOC emissions indexed to output by more than 50 per cent, reducing waste indexed to production by 23 per cent, improving energy efficiency by 33 per cent and reducing water use by 16 per cent. 3M's environmental goals have evolved over the years, incorporating other aspects of sustainability, such as social and economic indicators. Thus in 2010, 3M established its first set of Sustainability Goals. For a multinational company with operations in more than 60 countries, this means understanding the relationships between all supply chain players and ensuring responsible action more efficient.We are facing economic challenges and stressed socio-environmental conditions. These conditions require multiple actions focusing on a remediation action so as to prevent the midpoints and endpoints, within a global consensus governed by and assisted by an international social environmental agency partner.As a respected nation with a positive economic growth, despite the ongoing economic crises in other parts of the world, Brazil is becoming a leader on crucial global issues, which makes us even more responsible for what captivates our country: our People, our Soil and our Biodiversity. nABOUT THE AUTHORDr Lienne Carla Pires joined 3M Brazil in 2004 as Product Stewardship, responsible for LCM development, implementation and application. Since 2010 she is in charge to drive environmental sustainability from business and supply chain perspective, designing specific projects in 3M Brazil. Additionally, Dr Pires contributed to UNEP- LCInitiative Programe from 2007 to 2010. She has a Master's degree in Pollution Control Systems and a doctoral degree in Life Cycle AssessmentBRAZIL SHOWCASE 027