Waste

Although semiconductor devices are small, their protective packaging can be extensive. Most semiconductor devices are shipped by air from assembly facilities in Asia to regional distribution centers and customers all over the world. A long term project cooperatively lead by Microchip’s Thailand assembly facility and Winnersh, UK, European Union distribution center to remove inner cartons or use smaller inner cartons made significant progress this year. We believe that removal of the inner carton or using smaller cartons will ultimately reduce the as-shipped product packaging weight by 8%, or approximately 34,375 kg. In 2009 the team worked with our regional distribution centers and customers to revise specific packaging requirements avoiding shipping 6,761 kg of cardboard, saving about 126 trees and reducing our freight-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Microchip Gresham reduced waste by 175 tons between 2007 and 2010. These reductions included silicon wafer recycling, chemical reductions, sending DI water processing materials for reuse and calcium fluoride sludge reduction.