Contact: Lauren Johnson,
Chemical Strategies Partnership
415-421-3405
http://www.chemicalstrategies.org
http://www.CMSforum.org

Chemical Use Reduction Pilot Launched in Silicon Valley Electronics Manufacturers Invited to Participate

San Francisco, CA -- The Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group (SVMG), Chemical Strategies Partnership (CSP) and the Santa Clara County P2 Program are launching a pilot for Silicon Valley manufacturers to reduce chemical use and waste in Silicon Valley. The pilot will introduce a business model, chemical management services (CMS), proven to cut costs and optimize chemical use in manufacturing. Facility managers, EHS professionals and procurement managers are invited to a November 15 workshop to learn how to assess the true costs of their company's chemical use and see how CMS can benefit them.

CMS involves a strategic partnership with a chemical service provider who performs some or all of the chemical management for a facility. "Silicon Valley manufacturers who are interested in streamlining their chemical supply chain, who want to cut costs while enhancing their environmental performance shouldn't pass up this opportunity," says John Claussen of CSP. "Companies we have worked with have cut their chemical costs dramatically by adopting CMS. One semiconductor fab cut its chemical consumption by 50%, and significantly reduced its hazardous waste with its CMS program."

The workshop will address many of the particular concerns of electronics manufacturers. "All patterns of chemical use - whether low diversity/high volume, or high diversity/low volume - require accurate costing data," says CSP's Tom Votta. "When managers appreciate the 'hidden' costs of chemical use -- inventory, liability, waste, tracking, disposal - they see how CMS can benefit them. We aim to dispel the misperceptions that keep companies from adopting CMS and provide the tools to help managers make the internal sell."

The workshop, "Chemical Management Services: A Strategic Alliance to Optimize the Enterprise," will feature panelists from Motorola, Toppan Electronics and Raytheon Company who will discuss the results of their CMS programs. Participants will receive CSP's state-of-the-art manual Tools for Optimizing Chemical Management.

"To make efficiency improvements, innovative manufacturers need to start with good information, and that is where CSP can help them," says Justin Bradley, of SVMG. "CSP's approach provides a market-based solution toward a sustainable Silicon Valley."

Following the workshop, companies will have the opportunity to partner with CSP to evaluate their lifecycle chemical use and develop an RfP for a service provider.

CSP, based in San Francisco, is a national non-profit that promotes CMS to achieve environmental benefits in manufacturing. The project is funded by a U.S. EPA grant with additional support from the San Francisco Foundation. Visit the CSP website for more information or to register for the workshop.