'Protecting and Preserving Our Environment Essay\r'

'At WD, we recognize the need to bear upon and value the earth’s vital inwrought preferences. We believe that part of being a sound corporate citizen and a good neighbor is confirming or improving the clean contestationss of the air, water and cut down of the locations in which we operate. As a result, our facilities throughout the world comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations, and each has developed and implemented a comprehensive set of practices designed to ensure move shape. In addition, we continu tot every last(predicate)yy critical re beguile our operations and serve upes to distinguish opportunities which eachow us to curtail or cycle by intersection points generated by our activities. We be also concerned round protecting the natural resources of the communities in which our products argon change and make utilise ofd. We review the content of the products we manufacture and energize got established programs to eliminate or phas e out the use of accepted materials restricted by international legislation. We have also begun offering for sale a line of products circumstantial completelyy designed to reduce the environmental impact resulting from their use.\r\n every of our manufacturing facilities in Asia have environmental oversight systems in patch which atomic number 18 ISO 14001 certified. Each zeal has a comprehensive policy and set of load-bearing(a) procedures training environmental permits, contamination prevention, uncivilized warmnesss, counterbalancewater and substantialness drive offs, airborne sacks and product content. Our policies express a dedication to continued improvement, and to this end, we review the status of our environmental solicitude systems at least annu tout ensembley.\r\nAll of our manufacturing facilities have environmental specialists onsite, and we provide training programs on environmental practices for employees whose melodic phrase duties impact our envir onmental caution systems. In addition, all of our facilities provide clear written direction to all employees and workers in languages appropriate to each site regarding requirements and responsibilities for environmental practices in accordance with company policy.\r\n residency with RoHS and WEEE Directives\r\nWD products manufacture and sold worldwide after August 1, 2005, go or exceed Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) conformism requirements as mandated by the European Union for galvanizing and electronic products. The RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament, which was effective in the EU beginning July 1, 2006, aims to protect human health and the environment by narrowing the use of certain hazardous substances in new-fashioned equipment, and consists of restrictions on lead, mercury, cadmium, and separate substances. The Waste Electrical and electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive was developed to minimize the disposal of electric and electronic eq uipment into landfills. WD big(p) drive products and packaging entangle the WEEE symbol in support of this directive.\r\nSupplier Compliance\r\nWD has conducted and continues to conduct very extensive tests regarding use of environmental compliant material on all our components. WD requires all component suppliers meet WD’s environmental Specification, titled â€Å"WD’s environmental Guidelines for Materials, Components and Products.” This 20-page Specification sets forth the utter well-nigh threshold limits for restricted, prohibited and managed substances and requires suppliers to adhere to all applicable laws. In addition, the Specification states that all WD suppliers and sub-suppliers will be expected to complete environmental declaration forms for all new materials and components based on a faction of knowledge of their incoming raw materials, process review and their own analytical testing and certification data. Suppliers are required to maintain do cumented records, made ready(prenominal) to horse opera digital, indicating which measures are used to ensure compliance to the Specification. We review all suppliers’ Declarations of compliance with WD’s environmental Specification during the launch of every new hard drive program and also track this in concert with a 3rd party Analytical research laboratory data by component in our Environmental Compliance database. In addition, we maintain strict requirements with rate to Supplier Process/Material Change requests. Suppliers are also required to keep records of their in process tests to ensure compliance to the approved Process counseling Plan and\r\napproved materials. These are on a regular basis audited by WD.\r\nGreenhouse Gas Emissions\r\nGlobal mode change, caused by increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, is one of the most significant concerns facing our world today. As a corporate citizen, WD is particularly sensitive to the effects of planetary climate change. The need to understand the science of climate change and to formulate appropriate policy to address scientific findings is intensifying with each passing day. To view WD’s Greenhouse Gas report, click here.\r\nQ& adenine;A for Environmental and Hazardous Materials\r\nEnvironmental\r\nQDoes western sandwich digital have caution representatives responsible for guarantee compliance with respect to environmental laws, regulations and codes? AYes. occidental digital has management representatives at all critical sites whose shopping mall responsibility is monitoring, communicating and training employees in all aspects of environmental compliance as related to the specific facility.\r\nQDo Western digital’s facilities receive episodic audits of environmental practices in order to assess compliance with regulatory and otherwise requirements? AYes. Western digital conducts twain internal and external audits to evaluate its compliance with appl icable environmental laws and regulations.\r\nQWhat faces of policies, rules or procedures does Western Digital maintain relative to environmental programs? AWestern Digital maintains environmental polices, rules and/or procedures which address environmental permits, pollution prevention, hazardous substances, liquid state waste, solid waste, air emission controls and product content. The substance of these programs is delivered to our employee existence utilizing sundry(a) formats including in-person training, web-based training, face-to-face communications, postings and bulletins. All programs are communicated in\r\nvarious languages appropriate to the employee population of each of our facilities to insure that all employees have a clear understanding of the programs.\r\nQDoes Western Digital place contractual requirements on its suppliers to be in compliance with environmental laws, regulations and codes of conduct? AYes. Whenever possible, Western Digital executes contracts with its suppliers which require, among other things, that the suppliers comply with all relevant and applicable environmental laws and regulations.\r\nQIs Western Digital required to maintain certain environmental permits in the operations of its facilities? AYes. Western Digital is required to maintain certain environmental permits as related to the operations of its facilities. Based on the geographics and the operations, permits may be required for chemical manipulation and storage, waste treatment, wastewater discharge, air emissions and storage tanks.\r\nQDoes Western Digital make open Material information Safety Sheets (MSDS) to workers that handle chemicals? AYes. Western Digital makes MSDS sheets available to employees onsite at all of its facilities. In addition, Western Digital contracts for OnCall MSDS information domestically.\r\nHazardous Materials\r\nQDoes Western Digital use hazardous materials in its manufacturing process? AYes. Western Digital utilizes a variet y of hazardous materials in its manufacturing operations. Classifications of hazardous materials include flammables, combustibles, corrosives and toxic shove offes.\r\nQHow does Western Digital retention chemicals at its facilities? AWestern Digital stores all hazardous materials in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Storage areas are secured and cover containing various types of containers including bottles, cylinders, drums and other approved vessels with the appropriate type of labeling and containment as required or recommended by codes, regulations and other authorities.\r\nQDoes Western Digital generate wastes that are classified ad as hazardous wastes? AYes. Western Digital generates various types and quantities of hazardous wastes. All wastes are disposed of in compliance with applicable law, and we regularly audit our hazardous waste haulers and their facilities.\r\nQDoes Western Digital have a program or procedures for management of hazardous waste? AYes. W estern Digital has a variety of programs and procedures for the management of its hazardous waste. These include monitoring, characterization, treatment, conversion and disposition. All wastes are disposed of in compliance with applicable law, and we regularly audit our hazardous waste haulers and their facilities.\r\nQDoes Western Digital have a site specific management system registered to ISO 14001, OSHAS 18001, or other recognized health and safety or environmental management standards? AYes. Western Digital factories in Malaysia and Thailand maintain management systems which have earned the ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001 designation.\r\nQDoes Western Digital have programs or procedures to reduce or eliminate pollution and waste in its operations? AWestern Digital is al ways sounding for ways to eliminate or reduce pollution or waste generated by our operations. Among the programs we consider are solvent re-use or elimination, process waste and emission minimization, packaging reduc tion, recycling or elimination as well as reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.\r\nQDoes Western Digital have programs or procedures to reduce the use of energy, water and other natural resources in its operations? AWestern Digital is always looking for ways to reduce energy and other natural resource consumption in our operations. Among the programs we consider are evaluating product or process design modifications, improvement in energy efficiency of process, and the evaluation of construction, maintenance and land use programs.\r\n'