From an environmental standpoint when is it appropriate to do more than the bare minimum?

The answer is ALWAYS!

It doesn’t matter if you are a large/small Waste Management Company, a Utility dealing with CCR management, a small private/public landfill, or a Development Company trying to transform an environmental eyesore into usable space; it is critical to STOP strategizing to only meet the bare minimum.

Try to get your organization ahead of environmental changes by setting goals beyond current compliance requirements. This creates an environmental culture where all stakeholders consider “what could be” versus making the best of “what is presently.”

This is hard to accomplish since the current regulatory framework does not set rewards for going beyond minimum standards. Also, environmental negotiations like coal ash battles and landfill capacity issues have become so contentious finding a middle path is almost impossible.

WM – A Good Example

Right before the last presidential election, during an earnings call Jim Fish, President, and Chief Executive Officer, was asked about the possible election results and how they could affect regulations, he responded;

“… we’ve said that regulation is actually, in a strange way, a good thing for WM because we hold ourselves to a very high regulatory standard, environmental standard.
And so any additional regulation actually tends to work in our favor. So to the extent that that comes out of tomorrow’s election, that could be a good thing for us.”

The confidence in which a sound environmental plan can yield at the highest levels of environmental stewardship is evident when leadership is flexible for any possible outcome and can be obtained across the many participants in the environmental space. It all starts with self-awareness and planning.

Try implementing these things when strategizing on your environmental plans.

Continuous Quality Improvement

An organization can improve its environmental management processes and outcomes through a good plan and the right tools. Benefits are not restricted simply to internal operations. By demonstrating a commitment to environmental management, you can develop positive relations with external stakeholders, such as investors, insurers, customers, suppliers, regulators, and the local community. This, in turn, can lead to an improved corporate image and financial benefits, such as increased investment, customer sales, and market share.

Think Innovatively

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Thinking outside the box,” but how willing are you to put aside all your preconceived notions and do it?

True innovators make it a habit. Their typical modus operandi is to view problems from every angle and brainstorm until they come up with a variety of creative solutions. They try until they hit on the combination that works best.

Granted, not everyone is cut out to be an innovative thinker, but it’s vital to have at least one on your solution team.

Make Environmental Plan Malleable

Self-Awareness: Consider asking yourself these questions:

Does my organization foster environmental management plan improvement?

As mentioned, space for continuous improvement is imperative. Your process needs to be able to intake any new changes, apply necessary adaptations, and continue business activities.

With a stagnant process, your data can be unreliable and out of compliance. By the time a decision to modernize the processes to current expectations is made, you are climbing a mountain. With continuous improvement, the changes are part of the regular activity and will not be as challenging.

Does my organization have the right internal and external influencers?

If you lost your keys in the living room but are looking in the kitchen to find them, there is a 100% chance you will not find them. Leaders in environmental space cannot have tunnel vision when looking for solutions to their environmental challenges. Instead, being aware of a variety of resources will widen your options when solving the challenges faced. These resources include internal teams and external partners, like consultants.

Does my organization have an environmental management plan that is flexible, adaptive, and systematic?

Every good environmental plan solves the known issues; however, a great plan sets up solutions for any anticipated issues that could develop. alternative pathways should be developed that create a middle path scenario where all stakeholders are driven toward the short-term goal without hindering the maximum benefit achieved over the complete life cycle.

If you can check these three boxes, your organization is ready for any external forces changing the environmental landscape. A flexible, adaptive, and systematic plan will be successful with each change in the environmental management industry.

Here at EnCAP-IT, we pride ourselves on our CORE, which we continuously improve. We are working to raise the standards of Mechanically Stabilized Earthen structures with creative solutions that can answer unique challenges. A standardized solution platform provides resources and tools to leaders in the environmental management space to know new and innovative methods.

When we think that we have figured it all out, we restart the process all over again.