3M accelerates sustainable development in China

Science and innovation giant 3M has been accelerating sustainable development through "Green" Process & Product.

The industrial green development blueprint, released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, promotes high-end industrial structure, low-carbon energy consumption, clean production process, circular resource utilization, greening of product supply and digitalization of production methods, and 3M's development strategy is in line with China's target running through 2025.

In 2021, 3M announced that it would invest US$1 billion over the next 20 years to accelerate its sustainability goals, including commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.

The American multinational conglomerate is also committed to using 100 percent renewable electricity to power its operations by 2050.

3M is accelerating progress toward these goals through product formulation upgrade, process improvements and the installation of new technologies.

The company's Xinqiao plant in Shanghai has achieved a transition to toluene-free products with combined measures to save energy and cut emissions, making continuous progress in sustainable manufacturing.

These include move to renewable energy, CEMS (Continuous Environment Monitoring System), smart management of production equipment, and automated manufacturing.

As a result, the Xinqiao plant reduced its water use per unit of output by 65 percent in 2022 from 2015 levels; also cutting waste per unit of output by 37 percent, and energy consumption per unit of output by 42 percent between the same period.

And VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions are down 60 percent from 2016 to 2022, including a 50 percent decrease by improving Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) thermal efficiency. 3M is also participating in the first net positive water impact (NPWI) pilot program for the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC).

The NPWI pilot program builds on work within 3M to reduce overall water use – targeting a 25 percent cut by 2030 – and return higher quality water to the environment after use in operations.

The sustainability of its operations plays a critical role in the company's ability to develop, manufacture and deliver global solutions at scale. By reducing its environmental impact, 3M is building resiliency for the future and continues to lead the way forward in modern manufacturing.