It Works: Smart Business Recycling Success Stories
AbundaTrade.com
AbundaTrade.com has put into practice several efforts, including educating all employees about the importance of recycling not only for the company, but for the city and environment as well. It recycles all of its paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum cans, inkjet/toner cartridges, old computers, batteries and DVD cases. In addition, it also has several waste reduction practices in place including reusing cardboard boxes and paper as scratch/memo pads. Its employee kitchen is only stocked with reusable items including mugs, cups, plates and utensils. It uses has inkjet/toner refills on about 90 percent of its printers and copiers. It also completes the recycling loop by purchasing recycled-content copy paper and buying refurbished computers.
Bausch & Lomb
Bausch & Lomb recycles nearly 60 percent of the waste that is generated at its facility in Greenville County. The list of recycled items includes cardboard, mixed paper, plastic, scrap metal and pallets as well as fiber and plastic drums. Not only did they see a reduction in their disposal costs, but they also managed to yield a net profit of $75,000.Bausch & Lomb created a recycling team with representatives from all departments. The team continuously looks for new recycling opportunities and educates fellow employees by sending e-mails and placing posters throughout the facility. The team is also responsible for planning the America Recycles Day event.
CDA Architects
Through a strong education program, from classes to newsletters, CDA Architects’ Green Team researches and educates employees on green events and new practices that can be implemented both at work and at home. It also educates the vendors on green building materials and gives clients tours of the office (which has many examples of recycled-content items including garage doors, awnings, carpet tile and furniture). CDA Architects recycles various materials including glass, plastic, aluminum, paper, telephone books, compact fluorescent bulbs, batteries, cardboard, magazines, newspapers, inkjet/toner cartridges and computers. In addition, it has implemented several waste reduction practices including: electronic communications with employees and clients; use of reusable glasses, coffee mugs, dishes and silverware instead of paper, plastic or Styrofoam; filtered water is provided through a piped-in water tower instead of individual water bottles; and double-sided copying and printing. Finally, the firm purchases items made from recycled materials including: paper, bathroom tissue, paper towels and facial tissue, manila and hanging file folders, desktop items (pen cups, desk organizers), sticky notes, legal pads and binders.
Cooper Standard Automotive
Cooper Standard Automotive in Spartanburg recently increased their recycling rate from 40 percent to more than 50 percent. With the help of Smart Business, Cooper Standard Automotive was able to find a vendor for most of their plastic waste that had previously been sent to a landfill. This diversion has resulted in a $15,600 per year cost savings and also has prevented 200,000 pounds of material from going to a landfill. Cooper Standard Automotive also recycles scrap metal, paper, cardboard and pallets.
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) in Gaffney, South Carolina has made a strong commitment to reducing waste and recycling. In 2007, FCCC was selected as the pilot plant for Daimler Trucks North America’s Zero Waste to Landfill initiative, an effort that was to be met by 2010. In two years, FCCC achieved its goal, three months ahead of schedule. Several steps were taken to reach this significant achievement. First, FCCC established a “green team” and launched its internal environmental Web page to educate and motivate employees. Next, FCCC added recycling centers within its canteen and break areas. Staff visited Subaru of Indiana to review its waste reduction program and worked with contractors to finalize details for additional recycling options for the remaining waste stream. FCCC also initiated their plastic and rubber recycling program. Finally, FCCC provides guidance to other Daimler Trucks North America plants on waste reduction and recycling efforts. Within a year of launching the initiative, FCCC was 94.1 percent landfill free – recycling everything from plastic bottles and cardboard to plastic tie bands and nylon hoses. This effort kept more than 4 million pounds of material out of the landfill. In addition, these efforts produced a 37 percent decrease in waste disposal costs. Success was reached in October 2009 when FCCC achieved its goal of being landfill free. By replacing hundreds of large trash cans with smaller recycling containers, productivity and morale have improved.
Lexington Medical Center
Lexington Medical Center (LMC) in West Columbia has found a way to recycle just about everything: cardboard, paper, pallets, furniture, shrink wrap, plastic, electronic waste, aluminum cans, even water and used cooking oil. The hospital’s out-of-date medical supplies are donated to a local animal shelter.Just by recycling cardboard, LMC not only keeps 100 tons of this bulky material out of the landfill but they also manage to save more than $7,100 a year in avoided disposal costs. LMC also educates staff about the recycling program’s successes and positive environmental impacts through an employee newsletter.
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians has 23 offices in Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester and Hampton counties through which recycling information is distributed to employees, encouraging everyone to participate in the recycling program. Currently, it recycles office paper, cardboard, paperboard, metal, glass, plastic, rechargeable batteries, magazines, fluorescent tubes and inkjet cartridges. In addition, it uses ceramic coffee mugs (instead of Styrofoam), reuses packing supplies, sends back vaccination coolers to the vendor for reuse and mixes coffee grounds into the plant beds as well as reused cabinetry and doors during a recent office expansion. Overall, these efforts have resulted in a drop in its disposal costs.
SAGE Automotive Interiors
The efforts to practice waste reduction and recycling are an integral part of operations at SAGE Automotive Interiors. Many materials are recycled including plastic drums and totes, yarn/fabric, metal, cardboard, paper, plastic bottles, film and tubes, wood pallets, fluorescent lamps and aluminum cans. In fact, in 2010, the company recycled more than 1,800 tons. In addition, associates are always looking for new ways to reduce waste including standardizing work procedures to reduce waste in the manufacturing process and reusing packaging. Even printing on both sides of the paper has made a difference. In an effort to close the loop on recycling, all paper office products are recycled-content. Associates are provided extensive recycling information through the facility’s Environmental Safety Team, training and celebrations such as Earth Day, America Recycles Day and World Water Day. Finally, these awareness activities also include ideas and ways for associates and their families to increase recycling at home. Because of these practices, the company has saved money through avoided disposal costs.
Timken
The Timken Company has incorporated many waste reduction and recycling practices into its operations. All of the employees are regularly trained on the recycling processes at the facility and encouraged to offer new ideas to improve the recycling effort. Among the items recycled are paper, grind wheels, used machine oil and coolant, scrap metal, batteries, plastic bottles, aluminum cans (which are collected for the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children program), pallets, scrap wood, cardboard, empty drums, computers, aerosol cans and fluorescent bulbs. In addition, it reuses bags, pallets and cardboard boxes to minimize waste. Costs for disposal have significantly been reduced as a result of its efforts. In fact, Timken recycled 1,011,267 pounds of material in 2010.
About the Recognition and Awards Program ...
More information about the S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program Recognition and Awards Program is available. Apply for an award.
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The S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program is a partnership of DHEC and the S.C. Department of Commerce.
This Web page was last modified on May 3, 2013.