We are laying the foundation to become an eco-efficient company and realize both the economic and environmental benefits at our operations and in our supply chain.
Our facilities management team continues to make the lighting in our buildings more efficient, and we will build on these efforts by helping all of our manufacturing and distribution facilities realize increased energy savings in their processes and operations.
Our new corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., was completed in 2008 with the environment in mind. The Green Building Initiative (GBI) awarded the company with two Green Globes™ for the building's environmental design, recognizing it for:
Site design and enhancement measures that minimized its impact on the environment.
Conservation of treated water and minimization of the need for off-site treatment of water.
Avoiding or minimizing air emissions, ozone-depleting substances, effluents, pesticides and hazardous materials.
Key environmental features of the building include the incorporation of energy-efficient equipment such as lighting controls in less frequently used spaces; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and building automation systems; providing energy-efficient transportation options such as public transportation and carpooling; water-efficient equipment such as low flush toilets; and the use of building materials with recycled content to minimize the consumption of resources.
Initial energy KPI data collected in 2008 showed eight of our manufacturing facilities consume more than 50 percent of the total energy used by the company and have an annual energy spend of about $40 million. In early 2009, we assembled representatives from each of these facilities along with internal and external experts at an energy conservation workshop to jumpstart energy conservation at these facilities. The 2nd Energy Summit was held in July 2010 at our Calphalon Facility in Perrysburg, Ohio and included facility energy leaders from around the world.
Waste reduction efforts at our Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Winchester, Va., location in 2008 diverted more than 2.3 million pounds of waste from the landfill by recycling it instead. At our Rubbermaid Food and Home Product facility in Mogadore, Ohio, 90 to 95 percent of resin waste is recycled as is 90 percent of corrugated cardboard.
We strive to increase our knowledge of the environmental aspects of our supply chain. We know that it’s important to understand the impacts of our products along the entire supply chain, so we are expanding our environmental sustainability tasks to include supply chain components that impact our organization and our customer’s supply chain footprint.