The Sherwin-Williams Company: Using Waste Value Stream Mapping to Build a Sustainability Project Pipeline

Overview

Sherwin-Williams sought to improve efficiency and eliminate waste in its operations by building a project pipeline to meet its sustainability goals, but found identifying new opportunities to reduce energy and waste to be challenging. Instead of creating something new, Sherwin-Williams looked internally and leveraged lean continuous improvement tools to develop sustainability-focused Waste Value Stream Maps, which are visual representations of the end-to-end supply chain process. The initial five pilot sites utilizing the maps identified 39 opportunities to add to the overall project pipeline, with one identified solution saving 3,700 MWh annually across all US sites.  

Barrier

Identifying new opportunities for waste and energy reduction

Solution

Use Waste Value Stream Maps to engage employees in identifying sustainability projects

Outcome

39 new opportunities for waste and energy reduction added to the project pipeline

Policies

In 2021, the company committed the following to its 2030 Sustainability goals: reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30%; increase renewable energy to 50% of total electricity usage; increase operational energy efficiency by 20%; and reduce waste disposal intensity by 25%. 

Process

Waste Value Stream Maps start with walking the process. A waste value stream map is a visual representation of the end-to-end supply chain process with waste opportunities identified in the individual steps throughout the process. After waste opportunities were identified, solutions were developed to reduce the waste. 

Sherwin-Williams planned to target eight sites representing different manufacturing technologies (architectural, applicator, distribution, aerosol, and powder). The Statesville plant was chosen as the first architectural pilot site to help them refine the process and set the format for other sites to follow. Training materials and an example Waste Value Stream Map were developed as part of the pilot and shared with the remaining seven sites.  

Some of the pilot sites already had an end-to-end supply chain mapped so they used these existing maps to update the identified wastes and solutions, while the use of a familiar continuous improvement tool eased the acceptance at each site. Instead of identifying cycle times and lead times, the team focused on energy usage and waste generation at each step of the process. 

After the map was created, the team brainstormed projects to address the areas with the largest potential for energy and waste reduction. This process also provided a methodical approach to demonstrate how waste is generated throughout production. The projects identified in the mapping process helped define Sherwin-William’s five-year strategy toward meeting its sustainability goals. A combination of engineering, continuous improvement, EHS, and operations personnel generally conduct the walk process in order to achieve a holistic view of the opportunities available, with some select staff also tasked with defining Sherwin Williams’ five-year-strategy. 

Outreach

The final Waste Stream Mapping training has been refined and examples have been shared on internal SharePoint pages. Sherwin-Williams is planning to include the creation of maps and identification of projects as part of the audit process within their management system to ensure compliance.

Tools & Resources

Figure 1. portrays an example of the waste value stream map from the Holland, MI aerosol site. The purple bubbles identify the solutions the site is planning to address the waste within each process.

 

Waste Stream Map Flow Chart

Figure 1. Waste Value Stream Map - Holland Aerosol Site

Measuring Success

The projects identified are scoped and then entered into a database that tracks the savings for continuous improvement projects using the category identifier “Sustainability.” The life of the Waste Value Stream map does not end with the identification of projects. It is a living document to be updated annually to continuously identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and the generation of waste. Sherwin-Williams has also implemented a Sustainability Award to encourage sites to identify and initiate projects to reduce energy usage and the generation of waste. The award recognizes the site with the highest achievement in employee engagement, completed sustainability projects, and percent improvement in energy reduction. Last year, 23 sites submitted applications for the award and the inaugural winner was one of the pilot Waste Value Stream Map sites.  

Outcomes

The use of a standard tool to identify energy and waste reduction initiatives has given the sites a roadmap towards sustainability and encourages the engagement of all employees at the site.  The solutions derived from the map are further investigated and developed to estimate cost-benefits and are then prioritized to help develop capital funding toward sustainability initiatives.

The initial pilot highlighted Sherwin-Williams’ greatest opportunities for energy and waste reduction: reducing air leaks, implementing LED lighting upgrades, automating equipment shutdowns, increasing recycling opportunities, and reducing liquid waste generation. The estimate for reducing air leaks across all US sites will save 3,700 MWh annually. The implementation of these initiatives at each site will be tracked through auditing processes, along with ongoing tracking and validation of completed projects in the continuous improvement database. For each project, the energy and/or waste metrics are quantified, along with applicable cost savings.