Green Machine
How 3M combines innovation, collaboration and determination to drive sustainability
By WP Creative Group
World leaders have pledged to keep global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels to stop climate change. At present rates, we’ll miss that goal. The good news: Innovators are stepping up with solutions aimed at reducing or eliminating emissions and waste from a range of personal and commercial activities—paving the way for a future that is cleaner and greener.
The desire to show some proof points brought industrial and manufacturing giant 3M to Climate Week NYC in September, with the company setting up an exhibit of some of its most eco-friendly inventions in Manhattan’s Battery Park—an area that, ironically, is predicted to be underwater unless climate change is solved.
“3M has a lot of strengths in where we can help make a difference,” said Gayle Schueller, the company’s senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, in an interview at the event. “It’s all about getting to net zero and reinventing the future.”
3M’s track record for creating game-changing innovations that promote sustainability is driven by a culture that promotes collaboration and outside-the-box thinking. Technology platforms are shared throughout the company, and employees from all ranks are encouraged to devote 15 percent of their time to projects that reflect their passions. Schueller said those projects often are environment related. “I’ve had corporate scientists and new people come forward and say, ‘I’ve spent all my 15 percent time on sustainability.’”
That shouldn’t be surprising. 3M’s self-stated mission is to apply science to improve individual lives. So whether it’s renewables that contribute to cleaner cities or filtration systems that ensure safe drinking water, 3M’s inventions are born of a culture where innovation is focused on a higher cause. “At 3M, we are a purpose-driven enterprise,” CEO Mike Roman has stated publicly. “We know that we can grow our business while collaborating to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.”
Seeing is believing
Tangible results of that work were on display at 3M’s Climate Week NYC event, including:
- 3M™ Nanostructured Supported Iridium Catalyst Powder. This catalyst technology can be used to increase the efficiency of, and cut the cost of, green hydrogen by reducing the amount of iridium – a rare precious metal – needed in production. Green hydrogen is a sustainable fuel that is produced with renewable energy and does not release carbon emissions.
- 3M™ Boron Nitride Cooling Fillers: These industrial fillers are thermally conductive and help keep electrical components cool, including parts used in electric vehicle batteries.
- 3M™ Thinsulate™ 100% Recycled Featherless Insulation: Welcomed by geese everywhere, this insulation for jackets and other applications is made from recycled content, yet is as lightweight and cold-resistant as natural down.
- Scotch™ Cushion Lock™ Protective Wrap: E-commerce has sparked a huge increase in the use of packaging for shipping. This material, made from 100 percent recycled paper and inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, features a honeycomb design that provides full protection to whatever it’s covering. To prove the point, an event host threw a Cushion Lock-wrapped wine glass to the floor, where it bounced harmlessly.
- 3M™ Passive Radiative Cooling Film: 3M kept its event venue at a comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit by covering the windows with this film, which reflects solar energy to provide 24/7 passive thermal management and 10 to 20 percent energy savings when deployed on SkyCool Systems panels and integrated with a building’s HVAC or refrigeration system.
An assist from AI
Innovations like these and others that 3M is developing are what’s needed to get the world on track to meet its climate goals, such as those laid out in the Paris Agreement, Schueller said. “At this point, it’s not just that we should focus on how to address climate change, but what the techniques are to do it.”
New information systems are helping 3M create those techniques. The company is leveraging advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning and the cloud as part of its development process. “These technologies are transformative,” said Schueller.
Beyond helping with product innovation, technological advances are helping 3M progress towards its internal goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, cut current emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and eventually reduce its water use by 25 percent. 3M engineers use advanced, data-driven systems to predict how various operational changes could help it hit those marks. “They’re really complex problems, and so AI and machine learning and the cloud are critical,” said Schueller.
As a $35 billion global materials giant with operations throughout the world, 3M also is in a good position to trial the sustainable products it develops for customers looking to achieve net zero. “We love it when we can use our own technologies and innovations as a proving ground,” said Schueller.
3M is now turning to partnerships and external collaboration to further its sustainability efforts, and is working with other companies, the public sector and with non-governmental organizations. “You really need all those groups to come together and make a difference,” said Schueller. As proof of this commitment, during Climate Week NYC the company announced that it had become a charter member of the newly formed Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty. According to its mission statement, the coalition is “committed to supporting the development of an ambitious, effective and legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution.”
Picturing solutions
More fruits of 3M’s efforts around sustainability were on display at the Battery Park event, many of them captured in a 3D, anamorphic mural that depicted a clean cityscape that appeared to rise from the ground as the viewer’s perspective shifted. Innovations captured on the mural included:
- 3M™ Smog-reducing Granules: These absorb as much smog as two or three trees when installed on a typical roof.
- 3M™ Natural Pozzolans: These can be used as a partial cement replacement to help lower the CO2 emissions of concrete production.
- 3M™ Battery Enhancement Materials: These keep EV batteries within optimum temperature ranges to maintain storage capacity and performance.
- 3M™ Wind Blade Protection Tape: Offers durable protection to help reduce maintenance costs for wind turbines and keep them at peak performance.
Event attendees were encouraged to share their feelings about climate change by writing on, what else, 3M Post-it® Notes. Some had specific demands, such as the event-goer who wrote, “Clean water for all!” Others’ pleas were more general, like the attendee who wrote, “Love our planet!”
These notes are a reminder that, while climate change is a macro topic, its impacts are felt by individuals and will be experienced by future generations. This reality informs how 3M thinks about solutions and keeps its people grounded. “At every point in our process we’re challenging ourselves about how we can make this a better product, not only for the customer but also for the environment they live in,” said Schueller.
Schueller, who holds an undergraduate degree in physics and a Ph.D. in materials science, said that, on balance, she’s hopeful about the future. “To be in the sustainability space, you have to be an optimist or you’ll just go crazy. But as an optimist, I think we’ve never been in a better position to address our world’s challenges.”
Click to learn more about how 3M is innovating for sustainability.