EVERETT — Sometimes, a simple change makes a big difference.
On the Boeing Co.’s 777 jet production line, a minor change in the distribution of cleaning cloths has resulted in a major reduction in hazardous waste.
The idea for the change came from Erin Haworth and Molly McLaughlin, members of the 777 line’s “green team.” The 777 green team formed last November, but similar teams have been popping up across the Boeing Co. over the past few years.
“Typically, they start small and it just grows like wildfire,” Haworth said.
“We’d like to open it up and get more people involved.”
Haworth and McLaughlin, who have both worked at Boeing for about two years, try to bridge the gap between production workers, engineers and management. It’s a natural progression for the two liaison engineers, whose jobs are to serve as a link between Machinists and engineers.
“A lot of people have great ideas; they just don’t know how to get it done,” McLaughlin said.
One of those great ideas was to change how Boeing distributes cleaning rags on the shop floor. The rags, which look a lot like thin gauze, and other debris make up about half of the hazardous waste that accumulates annually at Boeing’s Everett site, McLaughlin said.
“We had 20 to 30 percent of the rags being thrown away that were either unused or only used partially,” McLaughlin said.
The cloths used to come in containers like napkins in a restaurant, making it difficult to grab just one or two at a time. That method has been replaced with rolls, similar to paper towels in a kitchen, making it easier for workers to take just the amount needed.
Workers used to throw away rags in the hazardous waste containers regardless of what was on them, McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin and Haworth have been educating other employees about how to dispose of the cloths based on what kind of waste — chemicals, food, etc. — is on the rag.
They’ve even put different colors of dots on chemicals that correspond which a waste container of the same color. Haworth and McLaughlin are working to add pictures of chemicals to the waste containers.
These simple adjustments in daily operations on the 777 line have cut that production area’s contribution to hazardous waste by about 20 percent, the two engineers estimate. And the line uses fewer cleaning cloths.
Other green team projects have included revamping the touch-up kit for aircraft paint primer. The company used to order the primer in three bottles and mix it together. Today, it comes premixed in a small container, reducing the number of bottles that have to be disposed of as hazardous waste.
For their next project, Haworth and McLaughlin are working on lining up a “green” airplane. At each step of production — from wing spars to final assembly — the process would start with an educational meeting on how to reduce waste and be more environmentally friendly with manufacturing.
“Education and communication — that’s a lot of what we do,” Haworth said.
Across Boeing, green teams — from St. Louis, Texas, California — hold Web meetings every quarter to share ideas and knowledge.
“The whole point is to steal (ideas) shamelessly,”Haworth said.
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