Beyond chemical screening, we perform due diligence on all new waste vendors to make sure their practices meet applicable legal requirements and safeguard the surrounding environment. If a waste facility passes this evaluation, Micron updates the assessment periodically to ensure the consistent and effective management of waste materials over time.
In the past few years, we have taken several measures to reduce and manage hazardous substances and waste at various sites:
- Reusing chemicals from production on-site
- Recycling inorganic sludge for construction off-site
- Sending solvents and acids off-site for reuse
- Transferring mixtures of solvents to an off-site distillation facility for reuse of constituents
Given our dynamic industry, we keep abreast of any developments that could present new risks or opportunities related to hazardous substances. We are committed to reducing chemical consumption and waste production, as well as to identifying opportunities to increase our waste recycle rate. With our new aspirational goal to send zero waste to landfill, we are setting our sights even higher by reviewing our waste streams and identifying further segregation methods, collaborating with waste vendors on solutions, optimizing recipes to reduce chemical waste, and working with business partners on new reuse and recycling technology. In just one example, we expect to improve the waste recycling rate at our Muar, Malaysia, site by 40% and achieve zero hazardous waste to landfill by working with a partner to divert treatment plant sludge for use as an alternative raw material in other industries.
Micron also engages our employees in waste reduction. Employees can earn rewards for participating in our global wellness program, which includes tips for reducing waste at home. Employees can also compete to win the Desirable Trash Award by taking home nonhazardous scrap material from their workplace that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated and upcycling it into new and beneficial uses.
