2007
Mohawk Fine Papers
Joins EPA’s Climate Leaders Program
A North American paper company has made a commitment to sustainable
business practices by pledging to reduce its corporate-wide greenhouse
gas emissions.
Mohawk Fine Papers Inc., based in Cohoes, N.Y., recently joined the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program, an
industry/government partnership launched in 2002 that works with companies
to develop long-term comprehensive climate change strategies. Members
of the program set a gas reduction goal and inventory their emissions
to measure progress. By reporting inventory data to the EPA,
members create a lasting record of their accomplishments.
“Because paper manufacturing depends heavily on energy, water,
and other natural resources, we long ago embraced the concept of extended stewardship,”
said George W. Milner, Mohawk senior vice president of energy,
environmental and government affairs. “We continually examine
every aspect of our business with the objective of making our environmental
footprint as small as possible.”
A few of the strategies Mohawk is employing to reduce emissions include:
• Embracing renewable energy when it’s economically viable.
• Becoming the first paper mill and one of the first large-scale
production facilities in the U.S. to use non-polluting, wind-
generated electricity for manufacturing.
• Striving to be a national leader in the use of wind energy,
which provides 60 percent of the electricity for the company’s
manufacturing, converting and distribution.
• Using wind power products certified by Green-e.
• Achieving certification from SmartWood to manufacture paper
following Forest Stewardship Council standards and carrying a wide
range of products with the FSC label.
Yield to Green
Initiative Makes Strides To Make Printing Greener
printing produces large graphics, billboards, banners and other
eye-grabbing advertisements. This type of printing also causes concern
due to the use of vinyl PVC banners and petroleum-based inks.
To make this printing process more eco-friendly, Steve Beard began
the Yield to Green initiative to research cleaner printing technologies.
Beard found banner material that is safely biodegradable, along
with papers and cloths used in Europe that are more sustainable.
He also located a New Hampshire company that produces bio-based
ethyl lactate inks derived from corn. While the inks require an
upgrade from the printer and some set-up adjustments, they have
shown promise.
The most notable stride in green printing comes from XLprints in
Santa Clara, a company with the largest collection of wide format
printers in Northern California. XLprints has agreed to dedicate
one of its printers, or a third of its production, to the Yield
to Green initiative.
Auto Parts Recycler
Receives First Emission-Free Recycling Machine
One of the world’s largest recyclers will receive the world’s
first 100 percent emission- and pollutant-free green recycling machine
for auto shredder residue (ASR). Global Resource Corporation will
supply Gershow Recycling in Long Island, N.Y., with its proprietary
technology to reduce landfill waste by approximately 65 percent.
The result will recover extra metal for profit and the process will
generate virtually no emissions linked to global warming.
Global Resource Corporation created the ASR conversion machine,
the HAWK 10. The cutting-edge system uses high microwave frequencies
to convert “autofluff,” such as textiles, foams, plastics,
rubber, and light metal content extracted from cars into oil and
gas. This process significantly reduces the amount of waste that
Gershow will send to landfills and it is conducted in a closed-loop
system that eliminates pollutants.
Global’s HAWK 10 eliminates these costs and environmental
hazards by breaking down the “autofluff” with its patent-pending
high-frequency microwave technology. The microwaves gasify the materials
and convert them into 80 percent light combustible gases and 20
percent oil. The gas is then cycled in a closed-loop system to fuel
the next round of material breakdown, without emitting any harmful
waste. The alternative renewable energy system delivers sizable
savings by:
• Converting combustible gases and fluids to energy.
• Providing an approximately 65 percent reduction of land
fill tipping fees.
• Capturing additional metallic material.
• Earning alternative energy tax credits.
“We expect Gershow Recycling to capture a full return on their
investment within one year of use, thanks to HAWK 10’s incredible
efficiency, and its ability to lower expenses and recover profit,”
said Frank Pringle, CEO of Global Resource Corporation. “Gershow’s
agreement to implement the HAWK 10 is an excellent example of their
forward-thinking, tech-savvy approach to recycling—one its
entire industry should emulate to fight global warming. We’re
on the cusp of an energy revolution in our country, and alternative
energy technology such as ours offers a clear way to cheaper, cleaner
fuel, and higher profits.”
Honeywell Helps Perris Go Green
Honeywell announced that it will help a California city create an
energy and environmental conservation program. The city of Perris
will participate in a large-scale solar energy project. A variety
of upgrades designed to increase energy efficiency in city buildings
are expected to reduce the city’s energy use and significantly
decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
Honeywell will install solar panels on the roofs of new carports
at five sites throughout the city, including the Perris library,
the local senior center, the city fire house, the corporate yard
and city hall. The custom SolarPorts, designed by SPG Solar, Inc.,
are expected to produce 370 kilowatts of electricity. This effort
should produce enough energy to power about 100 homes per year and
cover 20 percent of the city’s electricity needs.
“We’re meeting our energy goals and protecting the environment
by using renewable technology,” said Mayor Daryl Busch. “The
entire program will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 960,000 pounds
per year—equivalent to removing more than 90 cars from the
road.”
Home Depot Pledges
$100 Million For Urban Homes
and Trees
The Home Depot Foundation pledged a 10-year, $100 million commitment
to support efforts to make communities healthier and more stable.
The funds will be invested to address two areas of vital concern:
access to affordable, healthy homes for working families, and planting
and preserving community trees in urban areas. In total, the pledge
will support the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes,
and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million community
trees over the next decade.
Kelly Caffarelli, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation
said that the foundation views these houses and trees as providing
more than just shelter and shade.
“We believe in creating environments—both inside a home
and outside in a community—that contribute to the financial
stability, personal success, physical health and overall well-being
of our neighbors,” Caffarelli said.
The Home Depot Foundation is also working to help communities address
the economic, social and environmental issues facing urban areas
through the strategic use of trees. Trees reduce energy use by cooling
urban areas in the summer and providing shelter in the winter. In
fact, placing trees properly in a yard can reduce a home’s
energy usage by 30 percent. Trees also provide natural infrastructure
that controls storm water runoff and erosion, reducing the need
for cities to undertake expensive public works projects. Areas with
adequate tree cover also experience less crime and residential property
values have been shown to increase by up to 20 percent. Over the
past three decades, America has lost 30 percent of its urban forest,
which is equal to the removal of more than 600 million trees.
Kyocera
to Double Solar-Module Manufacturing
Kyocera Corporation recently announced plans to expand its annual
solar module manufacturing capacity to 500 megawatts by the end
of March 2011—more than double its current annual capacity
of 240 megawatts—in response to global demand. The company
has secured supply contracts with silicon producers to ensure the
steady increase in production capacity.
“For the last two years, as we endured a shortage of solar-grade
silicon, Kyocera has focused on improving solar-cell quality and
energy-conversion efficiency,” stated Tatsumi Maeda, senior
managing executive officer of Kyocera Corp. and general manager
of the company’s Corporate Solar Energy Group. “Among
the world’s fully integrated suppliers that manage every stage
of the process, from casting silicon ingot to engineering and supplying
complete solar electric generating systems, our goal is to lead
the industry in both quality and quantity.”
The new raw-material contracts will allow the company to expand
capacity throughout its quadripartite global manufacturing network
for solar modules, which includes plants in Yohkaichi and Ise, Japan;
Tijuana, Mexico; Kadan, Czech Republic; and Tianjin, China. Kyocera
will invest an estimated $250 million in plants and equipment throughout
this network during the course of the expansion effort.
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