Protecting Our Planet
We prioritize operational excellence and environmental stewardship across our value chain because we're dedicated to playing an active role in helping preserve the environment and its natural resources for generations to come.
Our 2030 Environmental Goals
Our Work In Action
Reducing Plastic Waste in Manufacturing
Reducing plastic waste and increasing recycling is a priority for us. Around the world, our facilities implement projects to reduce plastic scrap from manufacturing, which represents roughly one third of our non-hazardous waste and is our largest waste stream. For example, in 2020, our facility in Cuernavaca, Mexico, reduced PVC and HDPE plastic waste material by 78 metric tons by applying process improvement techniques, such as Six Sigma. Additionally, our facility in Mountain Home, Arkansas, reduced plastic waste in 2020 by approximately 400 metric tons, despite a 3% increase in production. We accomplished this by reducing scrap in the film extrusion lines and increasing the amount of plastic that is reground back into the product.
Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHS&S)
Our EHS&S Policy supports our mission to save and sustain lives and outlines our commitment to consistent improvement in environmental, health, safety and sustainability performance as we create value for our stakeholders. Our EHS&S management system is based on Global EHS&S Requirements that establish the minimum standards all of our facilities must meet and maintain. These requirements guide our approach, applying ISO 14001 to systematically manage environmental aspects and ISO 45001 to manage employee health and safety hazards and risks. The EHS&S audit process helps to verify that the company’s facilities have programs that satisfy regulatory requirements and meet our EHS&S objectives and goals.
Throughout our integrated supply chain, we strive to use energy, water and raw materials efficiently, while reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions. A key focus is to reduce the environmental impact of the products we design, manufacture and sell, thus cross-functional groups participate in Baxter’s Product Sustainability Program to further embed product stewardship across the company. You can visit our latest Corporate Responsibility Report for more information.