At the November Green Business morning blend, we had the pleasure of hearing from the Columbia Corridor Association (CCA) and TSMC Washington's green team. The main focus of both presentations was the importance of utilizing every resource around us to optimize production and reduce emissions and waste.
Corky Collier with CCA presented on the idea of creating a symbiotic relationship between the industries along the Columbia Corridor, which spans the Columbia River from North Portland to Troutdale, Oregon. Corky explained how successful industrial symbiosis can be by showing us the city of Kalundborg in Denmark. Kalundborg has created a network between industries that allows the waste stream of one company to become a resource in another (or multiple). This method greatly reduces the waste produced and energy needed by these companies, benefiting both the environment and the economy. CCA's goal is to replicate this symbiosis here at the Columbia Corridor to benefit our environment and economy.
Bryan Mirick with TSMC Washington presented on the many ways their company focuses on improving their environmental impact and providing their employees with opportunities to connect with nature. TSMC Washington currently has Bold Reuse supply all of their reusable cups during meetings and other gatherings, which previously created a waste stream of 400,000 to 500,000 Styrofoam cups per year.
Their environmental health & safety (EH&S) policy guides their environmental actions, requires using a third party to verify they're in compliance with the ISO 14064 standard for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promotes certifications proving their commitment to a healthier environment for their employees and the community. They're committed to reducing their waste by recycling as much as possible, including 58% of their water waste and 56% of their solid waste. They use about 700,000 gallons of water each day which undergoes purification, post-processing, removal of contaminants, balancing of the pH and removal of any solids. Some of this water is clean enough to return to the City of Camas to be reused in other processes. TSMC Washington aims to reduce the waste they produce on every level and send as little to the landfill as possible.
When it comes to their GHG emissions, TSMC Washington is carbon neutral for both scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions. Scope 1 is direct emissions from the company and scope 2 is indirect emissions from the production of energy that the company uses. They're able to attain carbon neutrality in these scopes by using 100% renewable energy since 2018 and purchasing Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (REC's) and carbon offsets. Even though these improvements are costly and take time, they're looking to further increase the efficiency of their energy usage.
TSMC Washington also focuses on providing useful programs for their employees to lead more sustainable lives. These programs include recycling initiatives, employee gardens, walking trails, an on-site gym with showers, a commute trip reduction program and the annual Earth week event. During the Earth week event they allow employees to drop off E-cycle materials, which resulted in 4,800 pounds of E-waste being collected at their last event.
We were inspired by the incredible sustainability successes achieved by TSMC Washington. We hope you left our morning blend with new ideas and inspirations to bring back to your business. Remember, every action toward a green, more sustainable process has benefits for your business, your employees, and environmental health.