Even before the SmartLog, Bois BSL was already maximizing raw materials use – a fundamental strategy for President and CEO Gino Ouellet for whom innovation is key in order to remain a leader in the wood processing industry.

In fact, the company had to choose between wood pellets and artificial logs. Seeing as the pellets could only be used in special stoves, the logs became a more worthwhile option.

After establishing the availability of the wood residue, Bois BSL had to compare standard elimination costs to determine whether or not it was worth diverting the waste to manufacture a new product. Then, the 1999-2000 forest crisis slowed the market and trade. In one instance, a wood panel manufacturer stopped purchasing sawdust from Bois BSL, which ended up with a surplus. Given the high cost of landfilling or burning the residue, the company decided to find it a new purpose.

Feasibility and waste composition studies were conducted, and a recovery method was developed by a Bois BSL engineer in collaboration with other partners. Pilot tests and laboratory analyses were also carried out. With positive results in hand, Bois BSL then oversaw the design of prototypes for small-scale production and applied for a patent.

Since it was created, the company has always placed importance to advocating less harmful oils, as well as an overall solution to its clients, from the lubrication to the filtration of the oils, from the treatment of the metal turnings to the inspection of the presses, but also through degreasing, floor maintenance, oil absorption and all peripheral activities, machining and waste clean-up.
Tecnolub has gradually developed its own techniques and has innovated in a state-of-the-art technology, that is to say the micro pulverising of machining tools. Spray machines that are part of the ramps, rims and directional jets distil whole or soluble oil, and water concentration can reach a rate of 5-10%. A Digital Machining Control regulates the aspersion (between 2mL/min and 40L/min) and targets the direction of each micro pulverising according to the parameters of the parts to manufacture. The technique that is used avoids the spray effects around, and the lubrication time is reduced.
Otherwise, the company reduces waste from its metal turning activities with evacuating machines, and grinding or compacting-to-small-blocks solutions.
Tecnolub is a small and innovative company employing 8 people ; it promoted this new process by networking. This is an essential communication tool for SMIs.

In 1997, the German distributors who applied the Progress Commitment principles (Responsible Care) have ceased supplying their customers with chlorinated solvents in barrels, suggesting them the secured distribution and closed-loop system developed by Safechem.

The system consists of a Safe-Tainer container for the new solvent and of a Safe-Tainer container for the used solvent.

Each container contains a standard barrel.

The new solvent passes from a container to a cleaning machine of parts to degrease, and then once used, it is transferred towards the other container.
The used product is recovered and recycled.
Both containers are lockable and made out of steel to protect the barrel against damage and leakage. A base facilitates the transport by pallet truck.
During the transfer of the solvent towards the cleaning machine, then this machine towards the container of used solvent, hermetic connectors prevent any leakage or emission of vapor.

In 2001, Michelin created Fleet Solutions Service for road freight companies. The Service provides the companies with tyre hiring. Michelin, by controling tyres, is committed into multiplying their life cycle by 2,5 but also into changing tyres as quickly as possible, to have less vehicles off the road.

For companies, it means :
- making tyres management easier and outsourcing activities outside the core business
- managing the cost price by kilometer of tyres from the fleet
- reducing tyre expenditure and fuel bill
- optimising the fleet’s up time thanks to greater flexibility (planning).

A Scottish researcher called Oliver Peoples discovered a new bacterium at the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) .This bacterium is fed with high-sugar corn syrup and discharges polymer through the sugar it hasn’t used to reproduce itself. After 20 years of genetic studies on molecular biology, Oliver Peoples could modify the bacterium so that it converts 83% of the sugar that has been eaten into plastic.

In 1992, the inventor created a start-up company called Metabolix, to exploit the commercial potential of his discovery.
In 2004, the company was able to produce half the common plastic types from corn syrup.

The method used is energy-saving, as bioplastic is cold–produced and manufactured without pressure. The vegetable material (the corn) the bacterium is fed with uses solar energy thanks to photosynthesis, and absorbs gas carbon. Fallow lands in the United States are used.
The qualities of the product are the same as those of traditional plastic: resistance, resilience and ergonomy. The waste is completely degradable within less than a month.

Some big industrial companies got interested in this product, and Metabolix linked up with an agro-food industrialist to subsidize the construction of a first plant that is able to produce 150,000t of natural plastic a year.