Can government regulation be a good thing?

It is easy to believe that the regulatory requirements on business in America will not be reduced in the new administration.  Chances are better that it will be increased.  Regulation has increased consistently for the last several decades and we can be thankful for some of it.  The FDA itself and basic food safety requirements were the result of a need for business-focused regulations to protect society from the scaled up production it needed to sustain itself.    

Our Environmental situation may require the same government-level mandates. 

An Environmental Management System is a business tool successfully used by many organizations (a vast majority of which are outside the U.S.) to gain an understanding of what a facility’s environmentally-affecting inputs and outputs are.  By identifying these inputs and outputs, then prioritizing them, a management team can make informed decisions on how to do business.  Many inputs into a business are easy to identify (i.e. raw materials, energy, water, paper, food, etc. ).  Outputs can also be easily identified (i.e. Finished product, waste materials, water runoff, exhaust, garbage, etc.)

In most cases, business decisions focused on reducing energy consumption, reducing waste, and utilizing recycling options, result in operational cost savings. 

The net result of Environmental Management is a Win-Win-Win situation:

·         Reduced costs for the organization

·         Reduced waste and pollution for the environment

·         Leadership position for the business and the local community

The extended side benefit of logical business programs that result in savings for a facility is that, in some cases, the management and staff may take those concepts home and look at their own house for improvement opportunities in waste and cost reduction.

ISOmatrix Inc. ( www.isomatrix.com ) is a consulting firm specializing in Environmental Management Systems (including ISO 14001).

Bill Barber

bbarber@isomatrix.com

805-435-1203       office

805-750-0067       mobile