Sustainability in Action

I think sustainability is the responsibility of everybody living on this planet. We know that we have limited natural resources and both the ability and the obligation to help shape how they are managed. I believe smaller things – like using public transportation or shopping more carefully – can make a big change collectively. But I’m also glad to work for a company that has made sustainability one of its core values, not just in its own operations, but in helping customers around the world, too.

My job with the Commercial Solutions Division in West Europe is all about helping customers find ways to solve their sustainability challenges. Sometimes that means identifying the right product or technology for them. Sometimes it means using existing products in new ways – and sometimes it means developing something entirely new.

A nice example was when some post offices in Europe recently invested in a fleet of electric cars. They wanted to not only visually brand the fleet, but to do it in a way that was part of the big step toward sustainability that the new cars represented. The solution? 3M’s Envision wrap films.

When we launched the Envision brand of wrap films, we were able to take premium performance to the next level by adding a sustainability edge. The film is non-PVC, so it releases fewer toxins and is free of phthalates, which reduces issues with incineration at end of life. The film is produced using bio-based materials and with less solvent and no added chlorine or other halogens.

In many ways, 3M has been in the sustainability business for decades, voluntarily reducing waste, cutting emissions and lowering water use. At the same time, our company has been developing new solutions and commercializing them so that our customers – and the environment – can have the same benefits. It’s been a great door opener to people and businesses around the world looking for more environmentally friendly solutions to their needs.