ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the concept of the green value stream. The systematic process can be applied to almost any business or organization, making it dynamic, but each can go green in the best way for that company. The seven green wastes are as follows, along with symbols used to identify each: energy, water, materials, garbage, transportation, emissions, and biodiversity. The seven green wastes encompass the environmental dimensions of sustainability covered under the internationally accepted standard for sustainability reporting, the Global Reporting Initiative. Sources of travel and transportation waste are rampant throughout organizations. Biodiversity waste comes in two forms: first from the direct destruction of flora, fauna and organisms resulting from the building of infrastructure, secondly from the overharvesting of natural resources. Emissions waste comes from paying to create and discharge pollutants onsite, and then being subject to the fines and levies associated with doing this.
