How can I develop ISO 14000 standards in my small business?

Wednesday January 28th, 2004

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Summary: ISO 14000 Standards are a set of environmental standards that offer a way for businesses to regulate their impact on the environment. Implementing ISO 14000 Standards in your small business can be tricky-but with time and effort, you can develop a step-by-step plan to meet ISO 14000 guidelines and increase your business productivity and resoponsibility.

How can I develop ISO 14000 standards in my small business?

The ISO 14000 Standards were created to help meet the objective of “sustainable development” outlined at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The ISO 14000 Standards include guidelines for waste disposal, use of natural resources, pollution control and environmental responsibility. The ISO 14000 Standards also include sets of tests and measures that help organizations and businesses measure the impact they are having on the environment. The tests and measures established by ISO 14000 Standards are also used by many governments in drafting environmental policy and keeping a watchful eye on companies that may be exploiting natural resources or polluting heavily.

The ISO 14000 Standards, however, are not just an arbitrary set of guidelines developed by a mysterious international organization. In fact, the standards were developed with the help of environmentally-concerned businesspersons the world over, and are continually evolving with the help of such businesspersons, industry experts and environmental experts. The International Organization for Standardization encourages all parties interested in crafting ISO 14000 Standards to contact them with input, suggestions and advice.

Why do business persons implement ISO 14000 Standards? Many business persons are simply concerned about the environment, and are interested in implementing a standards system that helps them control waste, pollution and resource use. Following the ISO 14000 Standards will help to ensure that your business meets governmental environment and pollution requirements, and will save you money, time and effort because they help you avoid costly penalties for violating governmental regulations and restrictions.

ISO 14000 Standards are also important to many businesses because they help to lay down guidelines for management of natural resources. For Example: If you own a business that relies heavily on timber for the output of goods or services, ISO 14000 Standards may help you develop strategies for how you will acquire timber, how you can assure that a continual supply of timber is available, and how you can help assure that timber supplies and forests and are not entirely depleted. ISO 14000 Standards let you focus both on making your business efficient, profitable and productive and on being a responsible business person showing concern for the environment and natural resources.

Given the benefits of complying with ISO 14000 Standards, how can you go about implementing them in your small business? It can be a challenge for the small businessperson to implement ISO 14000 Standards, which were originally targeted at large companies and corporations. Before you decide to implement ISO 14000 Standards, you should read through them thoroughly and make sure you understand all facets of compliance and implementation. You can get a copy of the ISO 14000 Standards by contacting your local member ISO body or the General Consulate of the ISO. You can also look at the ISO's website () for more information on standards systems.

If you review the standards and decide that you want to implement them in your business, you should draw up a list of reasons you think implementation will be beneficial. Do you want to reduce waste management costs? make sure that you are making a positive impact on the environment? track and control your use of natural resources? become more energy-efficient? make sure you are not polluting air, land or water? Write your goals down, and refer to them throughout the implementation process to make sure that you are 'on target.'

You will more than likely need outside help to implement the ISO 14000 Standards, because they are partially composed of tests used to gage your impact on the environment. Ask other small businesspersons who have implemented ISO 14000 Standards who they would suggest you contact. You may also want to talk to your own employees-some of them might have previous experience in standardization systems, or may have particular interest in ISO 14000 Standards. Finding employees who are interested in heading or helping with the ISO 14000 implementation effort will save you money, and will more than likely boost company morale.

After coming up with a game plan for implementing the ISO 14000 Standards, follow through! Educate your employees on what your plan is, and be sure to involve them in its implementation as much as you can. If you run into difficulties (and you probably will), don't get frustrated-take a step back, and try to figure out why the system is not working properly. Your employees will also be an asset to you in doing this, because they may be able to see things you cannot.

After implementing the ISO 14000 Standards to your own satisfaction, conduct an internal audit to make sure you are actually complying with standards. If you seeking certification, you will need to ask an outside party to perform an independent audit of your business. Again, ask other small businesspersons who they have used to conduct independent audits. Getting a positive report from an auditing bureau can boost your public image and attract customers and investors, so choosing appropriately and preparing adequately for your audit are very important.

Keep up the good work! If you implement ISO 14000 Standards to the satisfaction of yourself and outside auditors, you are ready to take your business to the 'next level.' Continue to evaluate how ISO 14000 Standards can increase the effectiveness of your business, and work to implement new plans.