?/EPA
United Slates
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics
7408
EPA745-K-94-011
May 1994
EPA's 33/50 Program
Company Profile
Johnson & Johnson
Printed-oo-Recycled .Paper
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THE 33/50 PROGRAM
This Company Profile is part of a series of reports being developed by EPA to highlight the accomplishments
of companies participating in the 33/50 Program. The 33/50 Program is an EPA voluntary pollution reduction
initiative that promotes reductions in direct environmental releases and offsite transfers of 17 high-priority toxic
chemicals. The program derives its name from its overall goals -- an interim goal of a 33% reduction by 1992 and
an ultimate goal of a 50% reduction by 1995. The program uses 1988 Toxics Release Inventory (TRJ) reporting
as a baseline. In February, 1991, EPA began contacting the parent companies of TRJ facilities that reported using
33/50 Program chemicals since 1988 to request their participation in the 33/50 Program. As of April, 1994, a total
of 1,216 companies had elected to participate in
the Program, pledging to reduce emissions of the
17 target chemicals by more than 355 million
pounds by 1995. Companies are encouraged to
set their own reduction targets, which may vary
from the Program's national 33% and 50%
reduction goals. Company commitments and
reduction pledges continue to be received by EPA
on a daily basis.
The 1992 TRJ data revealed that releases
and transfers of 33/50 Program chemicals de-
clined by 40% between 1988 and 1992, surpass-
ing the Program's 1992 interim reduction goal by
more than 100 million pounds. This accomplish-
ment, together with evidence from analysis of
facilities' projected releases and transfers of the
17 priority chemicals, reported to TRJ under the
Pollution Prevention Act, offers strong encourage-
ment that the 33/50 Program's ultimate goal of a
50% reduction by 1995 will be achieved.
17 PRIORITY CHEMICALS TARGETED
BY THE 33/50 PROGRAM
BENZENE
CADMIUM & COMPOUNDS
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHLOROFORM
CHROMIUM & COMPOUNDS
CYANIDES
DICHLOROMETHANE'
LEAD & COMPOUNDS
MERCURY & COMPOUNDS
METHYL ETHYL KETONE
METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE
NICKEL & COMPOUNDS
TETRACHLOROETHYLENE
TOLUENE
1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE
TRICHLOROETHYLENE
XYLENES
Also referred to as methylene chloride
EPA is committed to recognizing companies
for their participation in the 33/50 Program and
for the emissions reductions they achieve. The
Program issues periodic Progress Reports, in
which participating companies are listed and highlighted. In addition, Company Profiles, such as this one, are being
prepared to provide more detailed information about companies that have written to EPA describing significant
emissions reduction initiatives. Information presented in these profiles is drawn primarily from the company's
written 33/50 Program communications and the annual TRJ reports submitted by their facilities (including Pollution
Prevention Act data reported to TRJ in Section 8 of Form R). All company communications to EPA regarding
the 33/50 Program are available to the public upon request.
EPA does not endorse the performance, worker safety, or environmental acceptability of any of the technical
options discussed in this Profile. Mention of any product or procedure in this document is for informational
purposes only, and does not constitute a recommendation of any such product or procedure, either express or
implied, by EPA..
For information on the 33/50 Program, contact the TSCA Hotline at (202) 554-1404 or contact 33/50
Program staff directly by phone at (202) 260-6907 or by mail at Mail Code 7408, Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20460.
33/50 Program Company Profile: Johnson & Johnson
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Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson reduced releases and
transfers of 33/50 Program chemicals by 77%
(575,047 pounds) between 1988 and 1992. Most of
these reductions were achieved through source
reduction activities, such as process redesign to
eliminate use of toxic chemicals.
I. CORPORATE BACKGROUND
Johnson & Johnson is the world's largest
health care company, with over 80,000 employees
and manufacturing and sales locations in more
than 50 countries. The company manufactures
toiletries and baby care products, medical supplies,
and pharmaceutical products. In the United
States, Johnson & Johnson operates six companies
that report releases and transfers of 33/50 Program
chemicals to TRI.
• Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products man-
ufactures skin care, toiletries, and wound care
products;
• Janssen Pharmaceutica and Noramco, Inc. pro-
duce pharmaceutical preparations;
Johnson & Johnson implemented a
Product I Process Development approach
that strives to make pollution preven-
tion an integral pan of both new and
existing manufacturing processes.
• Ethicon, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson Ad-
vanced Materials manufacture medical prod-
ucts and surgical sutures;
• Vistakon, Inc. produces contact lenses.
Among Johnson & Johnson's more familiar
consumer products are Band-Aid™ Brand adhe-
sive strips, Tylenol™ pain reliever, and Stayfree™
sanitary protection.
Collectively, these six companies operate nine
facilities that reported releases and transfers of
seven of the 33/50 Program chemicals: chloroform,
dichloromethane, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl
isobutyl ketone, toluene, l,l,l-trichloroethane,and
xyiene. The company releases and transfers of
these chemicals totalled 743,880 pounds in 1988.
Releases and Transfers of TRI Chemicals
by Johnson & Johnson
(1000 pounds)
1988 1992
33150 Program Chemicals
Chloroform
Dichloromethane
Methyl ethyl ketone
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Toluene
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
15
204
23
36
40
91
8
77
5
11
19
24
25
Xylene (mixed isomers) 336
33/50 Program Subtotal* 744 169
Other TRI Chemicals 795 886
Total* 1,538 1,055
' Columns do not sum to totals due to rounding.
Chloroform is used as a carrier solvent in
pharmaceutical manufacturing. The remaining six
chemicals are solvents which find a wide variety of
uses such as cleaning and degreasing metal parts
and machinery, as carriers for pressure-sensitive
adhesives, and as solvents in processes for manu-
facturing products containing polymers.
Data for releases and transfers of 33/50 Pro-
gram and other TRI chemicals on a company-wide
basis are shown at the end of this profile in Table
I, while Table II details the same data for selected
Johnson & Johnson facilities.
II. CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL
STRATEGY
In 1987, Johnson & Johnson released its
"Worldwide Statement on the Environment,"
which made environmental responsibility a mea-
sure of performance for management. In 1989, the
company implemented a Product/Process Develop-
ment approach that strives to make pollution
prevention an integral part of both new and exist-
ing manufacturing processes.
The company's approach is illustrated by its
establishment of a worldwide comprehensive goal
to reduce releases of toxic chemicals by 90%, when
33/50 Program Company Profile: Johnson & Johnson
-------
indexed to production or sales, based on 1987
levels. This is approximately equivalent to a 75%
decrease on an absolute scale.
The company has also endorsed and adopted
the goals of the Montreal Protocol for reducing
the use of CFCs and other ozone depleting chemi-
cals, and plans to eliminate all uses of these
chemicals well in advance of the Protocol's January
1, 1996 elimination date. This reduction pledge
specifically includes carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,1-
trichloroethane, two of the 33/50 Program's priori-
ty chemicals.
Johnson & Johnson's 33/50 Program
objectives were to implement achievable
reductions of releases and transfers of
33/50 chemicals as early as possible
during the 1988-1995 goal period
Johnson & Johnson has demonstrated its
commitment to the environment by releasing
public communications such as a corporate envi-
ronmental report and cooperating with govern-
ments and civic groups in the areas in which the
company operates facilities to highlight environ-
mental issues.
III. 33/50 PROGRAM GOALS AND
POLLUTION REDUCTION ACTIVITIES
Johnson & Johnson's 33/50 Program objectives
were to implement achievable reductions of releas-
es and transfers of 33/50 chemicals as early as
possible during the 1988-1995 goal period. John-
son & Johnson has also begun informing its
suppliers about its corporate environmental strate-
gy and will continue this process in the future.
To reduce releases and transfers of 33/50 Pro-
gram chemicals, Johnson & Johnson has undertak-
en several projects at its various facilities:
• Eliminating the use of methyl ethyl ketone,
methyl isobutyl ketone, and xylene at the Con-
sumer Products plant in North Brunswick, NJ.
These chemicals were used in the manufactur-
ing process for the company's Band-Aid™
Brand adhesive bandages. Vinyl extrusion and
a water-based emulsion have been substituted
in the manufacturing process, resulting in a
decrease of over 380,000 pounds in releases
and transfers of these three 33/50 Program
solvents between 1988 and 1992.
• Equipment and procedure changes in several
processes at the Noramco facility in
Wilmington, DE, resulting in a reduction in
releases and transfers of dichloromethane and
toluene of over 131,000 pounds between 1988
and 1992. These changes include:
using dichloromethane and toluene in-
stead of water as the seal fluid in liquid
ring vacuum pumps on processes that use
these two solvents, thereby reducing the
previous wastewater transfers of mixed
water and process solvent;
implementing a leak detection and repair
program to reduce fugitive emissions; and,
eliminating one product recovery step,
further reducingdichloromethane transfers
in wastewater.
This facility has achieved reductions of 52% in
releases and transfers of all 33/50 Program
chemicals between 1988 and 1992.
• Material substitution at Ethicon plants in
Somerville, NJ and San Angelo, TX, as well as
the Advanced Materials facility in Gainesville,
GA and the Vistakon plant in Jacksonville,
FL, resulting in a decrease of over 66,500
pounds (74%) in releases and transfers of
1,1,1-trichloroethane between 1988 and 1992.
A biodegradable cleaner was substituted for
1,1,1 -trichloroethane.
In addition to these reductions, the company
has undertaken source reduction efforts with non-
33/50 Program chemicals, such as the replacement
of methanol with water as a carrier agent in the
preparation of many pharmaceutical products.
IV. PROGRESS TOWARD 33/50
REDUCTION GOALS
As a result of its pollution reduction efforts,
Johnson & Johnson has recduced releases and
transfers of 33/50 Program chemicals by 77%
(575,047 pounds) between 1988 and 1992. The
largest reductions contributing to this achievement
were for xylene and methyl ethyl ketone, which de-
3.1/50 Program Company Profile: Johnson & Johnson
-------
creased by 93% and 80% respectively. These
reductions were due principally to the conversion
of the adhesive carrier to aqueous emulsion in the
Band-Aid™ manufacturing process. Releases and
transfers of 1,1,1-trichloroethane also fell by 74%
(66,580 pounds), in conjunction with the
company's goal of eliminating the use of this
chemical and other ozone depleting substances.
The company remains committed to further reduc-
tions in releases and transfers of 33/50 Program
chemicals in the future.
V. SUMMARY OF JOHNSON &
JOHNSON'S EXPERIENCE
Johnson & Johnson has successfully met its
33/50 Program objectives, primarily through imple-
mentation of source reduction measures. The
company's commitment to further reductions will
be achieved through a "continuous improvement"
process.
Johnson & Johnson has stated that participa-
tion in the 33/50 Program has helped significantly
in formulating reduction initiatives and in obtain-
ing corporate support for their implementation.
The requirement of reporting releases and trans-
fers of hazardous chemicals to TRI initially made
the company aware of the extent of its emissions
and off-site transfers. The company began to
develop strategies for reducing releases and trans-
fers of hazardous chemicals as figures were first
compiled company-wide. The 33/50 Program's
Johnson & Johnson's Progress
Towards Meeting 33/50 Goals
1600 r
1400 ••
1988
1989 1980
1981
1982
focus on a distinct set of chemicals then helped
Johnson & Johnson to develop and choose among
specific source reduction projects for the Program's
targeted chemicals.
33/50 Program Company Pro/lie: Johnson & Johnson
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Table I
Johnson & Johnson Company
Releases and Transfers of TRI Chemicals, 1988-1992
Chemical
Chloroform
Dichloromethane
Methyl ethyl ketone
Methyl isobutyl ketone
Toluene
1,1,1 -Trichloroethane
Xylene (mixed isomers)
Year
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
Total Air
Emissions
(pounds)
14,556
1 1 ,659
8,782
7,902
7,329
46,887
32,867
31,177
33,000
20,000
20,050
22,044
25,268
7,940
4,640
33,371
33,332
32,081
578
1,959
18,567
16,186
16,274
10,904
6,870
71,310
70,332
87,096
60,362
24,000
212,143
189,833
165,331
41,857
24,350
Transfers Percent
Off-site Change
Transfers for Treatment/ Total Releases 1988-1992
to POTW Disposal/Other and Transfers (1) Total Releases
(pounds) (pounds) (pounds) and Transfers
148
0
5
5
5
156,872
1 14,080
137,659
1 10,000
56,000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
250
5
8,605
21,028
25,256
23,506
18,005
11,005
0
0
0
0
0
3,100
2,700
2,829
130
150
32
0
750
1,178
950
0
0
0
0
1,460
3,048
367
1,426
0
0
3,048
815
1,663
589
475
0
0
0
1,734
1 ,035
19,270
7,580
35
18
0
120,450
133,717
98,655
64,180
0
14,736
1 1 ,659
9,537
9,085
8,284
203,759
146,947
168,836
143,000
77,460
23,098
22,411
26,694
7,940
4,640
36,419
34,147
33,994
1,172
1 1 ,039
39,595
41,442
39,780
30,643
18,910
90,580
77,912
87,131
60,380
24,000
335,693
326,250
266,815
106,167
24,500
-44%
-62%
-80%
-70%
-52%
-74%
-93%
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Table I
Johnson & Johnson Company
Releases and Transfers of TR1 Chemicals, 1988-1992
Chemical
33/50 Program Chemicals
Non 33/50 Program Chemicals
(17 chemicals reported)
All TR1 Chemicals
Year
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
Total Air
Emissions
(pounds)
416,884
376,253
366,009
162,543
89,148
270,027
244,247
241,644
413,148
410,747
686,911
620,500
607,653
575,691
499,895
Transfers Percent
Off-site Change
Transfers for Treatment/ Total Releases 1988-1992
toPOTW Disposal/Other and Transfers (1) Total Releases
(pounds) (pounds) (pounds) and Transfers
181,148
142,036
164,249
128,145
75,765
373,613
321,960
420,781
340,188
288,541
554,761
463,996
585,030
468,333
364,306
145,848
142,479
102,529
67,699
3,920
150,876
209,356
184,593
237,867
186,536
296,724
351,835
287,122
305,566
190,456
743,880
660,768
632,787
358,387
168,833 -77%
794,516
775,563
847,018
991,203
885,824 11%
1,538,396
1,436,331
1,479,805
1,349,590
1,054,657 -31%
Percent Chance from 1988-1992
33/50 Program Chemicals
Non 33/50 Program Chemicals
All TRI Chemicals
-79%
52%
-27%
-58%
-23%
-34%
-97%
24%
-36%
-77%
11%
-31%
Notes: (1) Total Releases and Transfers for 1991 and 1992 do not include on- or off-site recycling or energy recovery.
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Table II
Johnson & Johnson, Selected Facilities
Releases and Transfers of TRI Chemicals, 1988-1992
Chemical
Total Air
Emissions
Year (pounds)
Transfers
Off-site for
Transfers Treatment/ Total Releases
to POTW Disposal/Other (1) and Transfers
(pounds) (pounds) (pounds)
Johnson & Johnson Consumer, North Brunswick, NJ
Methyl ethyl ketone
Methyl isohutyl ketone
Xylene (mixed isomers)
33/50 Program Chemicals
Noramco of Delaware Inc., Wilmington,
Dichloromethane
Methyl isohutyl ketone
Toluene
33/50 Procram Chemicals
1988
1989
1990
1988
1989
1990
1988
1989
1990
1991
1988
1989
1990
1991
DE
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
18,050
17,942
15,478
33,371
29,914
29,561
208,343
164,783
137,481
14,957
259,764
212,639
182,520
14,957
46,887
32,867
31,177
33,000
20,000
1,600
8,605
5,063
4,635
4,800
1,100
55,492
37,930
35,812
37,800
22,700
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
156,872
1 14,080
137,659
110,000
56,000
8,600
19,823
25,006
23,256
18,000
11,000
176,695
139,086
160,915
128,000
86,600
3,048
367
1,426
3,048
815
1,413
120,450
133,717
98,655
64,180
126,546
134,899
101,494
64,180
0
0
0
0
1,460
0
0
0
0
670
180
0
0
0
670
1,640
21,098
18,309
16,904
36,419
30,729
30,974
328,793
298,500
236,136
79,137
386,310
347,538
284,014
79,137
203,759
146,947
168,836
143,000
77,460
10,200
28,428
30,069
27,891
23,470
12,280
232,187
177,016
196,727
166,470
110,940
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Table II
Johnson & Johnson, Selected Facilities
Releases and Transfers of TRI Chemicals, 1988-1992
Chemical Year
Ethicon Inc., San Angelo, TX
1,1,1 -Trichloroethane 1988
(Only 33/50 chemical reported) 1989
1990
1991
1992
Total Air
Emissions
(pounds)
39,460
41,032
37,800
36,000
24,000
Transfers
Off-site for
Transfers Treatment/
to POTW Disposal/Other ( 1 )
(pounds) (pounds)
0 7,200
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Total Releases
and Transfers
(pounds)
46,660
41,032
37,800
36,000
24,000
Advanced Materials, Gninseville, GA
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
(Only 33/50 chemical reported)
Vistakon Inc., Jacksonville. FL
1988
11,600
11,600
1,1,1 -Trichloroethane
(Only 33/50 chemical reported)
1988
1989
1990
1991
18,750
24,750
39,750
15,862
0
0
0
0
12,070
7,580
35
18
30,820
32,330
39,785
15,880
Notes: (1) Total Releases and Transfers for 1991 and 1992 do not include on- or off-site recycling or energy recovery.
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