Manufacturing

TrojanUV Greens New York City Drinking Water Facilities

Challenge

New York City is home to more than eight million people, making it the most populous city in the United States. The City draws its drinking water from two protected surface water systems: the Catskill/Delaware and Croton watersheds. Historically, NYC has not filtered the water from this system nor did they require any additional barriers to microbial contaminants due to the pristine nature of the watershed.

In 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released the Long Term Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR). This new rule requires surface water treatment facilities to either filter their water or install an additional barrier for microrganisms as a multi-barrier disinfection strategy.

Strategy

Engineers working on the Catskill/Delaware project evaluated a new filtration plant but the cost of installing a 2.2 billion gallon per day (BGD) filtration facility was significantly greater than other alternatives. After evaluation of available technologies, it was decided that UV was the most practical and cost-effective solution.

After evaluation of available lamp technologies, NYC chose to design a low pressure, high output (LPHO) lamp based UV system over a medium pressure (MP) lamp-based system. The LPHO units are capable of disinfecting the water utilizing approximately one-third the power of MP lamp units. Trojan Technologies offered a high-flow capacity LPHO lamp solution – the TrojanUVTorrent™ – which minimizes electrical costs while maximizing disinfection efficiency.

In separate work, Trojan assessed the relative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with both MP and LPHO solutions through a joint project with the University of Western Ontario. It was estimated that for the Catskill/Delaware Facility, the low pressure solution would lead to the release of approximately 13,700 fewer tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) annually than a medium pressure option (assuming that for typical conditions, the system operates at 70% of its peak capacity). Over 20 years, this equates to 274,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide, making the TrojanUVTorrent™ the most environmentally-friendly solution for NYC.

Result

CATSKILL/DELAWARE UV FACILITY

In 2005, Trojan Technologies was selected as the manufacturer for the UV portion of NYC drinking water project. In 2009 and 2010, Trojan delivered 56 TrojanUVTorrent™ UV units to the Catskill/Delaware UV Facility. Each unit is capable of delivering a 40 mJ/cm² dose to 40 million gallons of water per day (MGD). This disinfection requirement, set by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, delivers greater than 3-log reduction of microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia. The TrojanUVTorrent™ was custom-designed by Trojan’s engineers and scientists in order to meet the challenging design parameters of this unique project.

CROTON WATER TREATMENT FACILITY

In 2006, Trojan Technologies was selected to supply the UV equipment for the new Croton Water Treatment Facility. This facility has the capacity to treat up to 600 MGD of high quality drinking water. Trojan is supplying 20 TrojanUVTorrent™ UV units. Each unit is capable of producing a dose of 40 mJ/cm² to treat a flow of 30 MGD.

When completed in 2012, the Catskill/Delaware and Croton water plants will supply residents of NYC with over 2.8 BGD of high quality drinking water.

Website Links

Full New York City Drinking Water Facility Case Study

TrojanUV's Stormwater Management System Case Study on ShareGreen

Manufacturing

Carmanah’s Lighting Solution

Challenge

Global security company Lockheed Martin assessed their Orlando, Florida facility and found their 25-year-old streetlights needed replacing, along with the underground wiring that powered them. Lockheed needed an easy-to-install, field-proven solar-powered lighting system, so they partnered with Florida-based Carmanah distributors SESCO and HD Supply to conduct a feasibility study.

Lockheed had already committed to find ways to reduce energy usage across their facilities worldwide, and had benefited from successful installation of energy-efficient lighting at other facilities. Now they were looking to build similar momentum in Orlando. However, Lockheed had another ‘green’ consideration to contend with: cost. In the past, solar-powered outdoor lighting was a costly alternative.

Strategy

Following a comparison between solar and AC-powered fixtures, representatives from SESCO and Lockheed confirmed that the Carmanah EverGEN solar LED streetlights would be a good alternative for the company—and would produce significant cost savings for the company. The EverGEN solar LED lights are cost-effective to install and come with an energy management system that provides enhanced autonomy while ensuring reliable, all-night operation.The EverGEN solar LED lights are the most common solar outdoor lighting in Florida, offering the most practical and economical alternative to conventional hard-wire systems.

The lighting system was installed along the facility’s main entrance way and a main loop road. Lockheed operates the lighting on an efficient split night system: the light comes on at dusk at full intensity for 5 hours, then dims to 25% of full intensity, and then returns to full intensity two hours before dawn.

Result

The installation of EverGEN solar LED lights has helped Lockheed Martin to manage their energy requirements and costs. Installation of the EverGEN lights, including purchase price and maintenance, is $342,000 over a twenty year period. Conventional AC-powered streetlights, including new wiring and electricity costs, would have been $563,000 over twenty years. The Carmanah EverGEN solar LED streetlights will save $221,000 over twenty years.

The installation has helped Lockheed save energy costs while moving towards more sustainable business practices.

Manufacturing

Novo Textiles' GeoBlend® Fill Tackles Pre-Manufacturing Waste

Challenge

Novo Textiles Co. is a progressive manufacturer of home textiles. They are leading the way in the production and delivery of high quality, retail-ready textiles in Canada. Their home textiles are developed through extensive research, customer insight and quality control. They distribute their products to retailers and customers in the hospitality and design industries across North America.

Similar to the environmental trends in most industries, there is a lot of work and discussion around recycling within the home textiles industry. The most top of mind challenge to manufacturers is what to do at the end of an item’s lifespan. However, this only solves one part of the problem. Novo Textiles is taking the conversation one step further by seeking to offer solutions to pre-manufacturing waste.

While still supporting and facilitating end-of-life recycling of upholstery and other home textiles goods, Novo Textiles wanted to find a solution that focused on reducing the waste stream before the manufacturing process began.

Strategy

Novo Textiles’ innovative GeoBlend® fill is made with clean, top-quality offcuts from home textiles manufactured all over North America.

Until now, these excess materials were sent directly to landfills.

Novo Textiles is the only company in Canada with the state-of-the-art machinery capable of reclaiming and reengineering home textiles and upholstery “scraps” and converting them to a premium, high-loft synthetic fill that is incredibly soft and easy to sleep on.

The opportunities for GeoBlend are endless as the material can be used in any product that requires fill – from pillows, to pet beds, to stuffed toys and more.

Result

Today, GeoBlend® diverts approximately 15,000 lbs (6 tonnes) of clean offcuts  from entering Canadian landfills each year.

As an added bonus, using existing materials as opposed to manufacturing new materials allows the company to reduce its impact on the environment.

Novo Textiles’ goal is to divert 4,000,000 lbs (1800 tonnes) from Canadian landfills by 2015.

Find out more at http://www.novotextilesco.com/fills-geoblend.html

Animal lovers, you can find Novo Textiles’ NOVOpets Geoblend products on Walmart shelves and online by clicking here.

Manufacturing

Prairie Pulp & Paper Inc Creates a New Paper Paradigm

Challenge

Prairie Pulp & Paper Inc. has been the industry leader in research, development and commercialization of tree-free pulp and paper for the past 15 years. Based in Winnipeg, the company is led by president Jeff Golfman and chairman Clayton Manness, who co-founded the company with Oscar nominated actor Woody Harrelson.

Between three and six billion trees are cut down each year. Approximately 50% of those trees are used to make paper. This creates tremendous pressure on the world’s ancient and endangered forests and threatens the species that rely upon those forests for survival.

With this in mind, Prairie Pulp & Paper set out to create a new paradigm in the paper industry: tree-free paper.

Strategy

Step Forward Paper™ is a revolutionary copy paper made up of 80% wheat-straw waste and 20% Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified wood fibre.

It is the first paper of its kind to hit shelves in North America, and a big step towards meeting more of our paper needs from leftover straw instead of ancient forests. The paper is made from leftover wheat-straw, providing farmers with an extra source of income while not impacting the food supply chain.

Step Forward Paper’s performance is comparable to regular copy and printer papers and research shows that wheat-straw based paper and 100% recycled tree-fibre paper types have the lowest environmental impact.

Buying just two boxes of Step Forward Paper instead of copy paper made from virgin forest fibre saves one tree.

Prairie Pulp & Paper’s future plans include the construction of a state-of-the-art factory in the Canadian prairies where there are millions of acres of leftover straw readily available.

The paper is currently being sold exclusively online through Staples.com and in over 300 Staples stores across Canada.

Result

As of June 2013, Prairie Pulp & Paper’s Step Forward Paper has saved 2,629 trees and 236,500lbs of CO_2.

Prairie Pulp & Paper is leading the way in changing how we think about paper production and proving there is a demand for a new paper paradigm.

 

 

To find out more about how your business can benefit from making the switch to wheat-straw based paper visit: 

Website Links

http://stepforwardpaper.com/

Manufacturing

Landmark Redefines the Homebuilding Industry

Challenge

Aware of the challenges and increasingly feeling the pressures of the sustainability imperative, The Landmark Group of Builders (Landmark) set out in 2008 to develop a transition plan to move from having a “green building program” to becoming a sustainable company.  From the outset, it was intended that this transition would revolutionize the company and make Landmark the leader in sustainable home design and construction.  Guided by a bold short term goal, to build all of their homes NetZero energy by 2015 at no additional cost to the consumer, Landmark had to rethink and redesign the way homes are built in order to make sustainable homebuilding affordable, yet possible and profitable in their business context.

Strategy

A critical component in this journey was industrializing the construction process with the Landmark Precision Building System (LPBS). The LPBS innovation completely redefines the industry.  It simplifies and makes it economical to produce a more precise, energy efficient home exceeding EnerGuide ratings of 80+, reducing the home’s operational carbon footprint by a minimum of 3.4 tonnes of CO2/home/year.

Not since the advent of power tools has an innovation this huge hit the home building industry.  The LPBS is a fully automated, centralized process that creates a home’s major components in a controlled environment.  The facility in Edmonton, Alberta, currently is the single largest installation of its kind in North America.

Taking technology from traditional framing and bringing it into a controlled manufacturing environment, LPBS greatly reduces the environmental impact of residential construction in several ways – from reducing countless vehicle trips to each site; to reducing the construction cycle process (framing, insulation and roofing cycle).  Compared to traditional site-built methods, LPBS reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 6.21 tonnes/home during the construction process.  And, because each piece of wood used is value engineered, LPBS produces an incredible 58% less waste.  The next stage of LPBS is to add drywall and siding to the panels, further reducing the carbon footprint of the construction process.

In a fully computerized process that minimizes human error, there has been an improvement in the consistency and accuracy of construction.  Accurate window and door placement, accuracy of framing, and consistency of stairwell openings are all contributors to an improved customer experience, a reduction in waste material and the need for rework.  Because the homes are built in a climate controlled environment and not exposed to the elements, warranty technicians do not have to repair problems with sub floor and interior and exterior wall studs that have been warped from moisture damage.  The climate controlled environment also reduces the homes’ exposure to humidity during the construction process.  In conjunction with a wall design that allows drying from both the inside and out and the inclusion of spray foam, mold problems are virtually eliminated.  Line workers well-being has also improved by not being exposed to the variations in weather patterns that they would see when constructing a home with traditional stick-built methods. Increased productivity has been the result.

 

Result

LPBS is poised to become the new standard – empowering builders with an innovative, more economically and environmentally sound way to build homes. 

Landmark actively advocates for sustainable initiatives within its industry and community, and challenges conventional thinking of what it means to build and live in a sustainable fashion. This sharing of trade secrets has garnered Landmark international attention as well.

Landmark is one of, if not the only, production home builders in Canada achieving sustainable, profitable business.

Website Links

http://www.landmarkgroup.ca/

Manufacturing

Walmart Canada's Balzac Fresh Food Distribution Centre: A Living Lab of Sustainablitiy

Challenge

Walmart’s vision is to demonstrate environmental leadership by reducing the ecological impact of its operations through company-wide programs focused on waste, energy and products, as well as outreach programs that preserve and enhance local environments.  Walmart’s global goal is to generate zero waste, to be powered 100 percent by renewable energy and to sell products that sustain people and the environment.

On the way to achieving those goals, Walmart set the equally ambitious goal of building the most sustainable distribution centre possible, while at the same time delivering a compelling return on investment.

Enter the Balzac Fresh Food Distribution Centre – a living lab that demonstrates sustainable operations, products and technologies, while showing that environmental sustainability can go hand-in-hand with business sustainability.

Strategy

Walmart Canada invested $115 million to build the 400,000 square foot centre. One of Canada’s largest refrigerated buildings, it serves as a hub for fresh and frozen food destined for over one hundred of the company’s stores in Western Canada, from Manitoba to British Columbia.

Some of the distribution centre’s sustainability features include:

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology

In keeping with its long-term environmental goal, to be supplied 100 per cent by renewable energy, Walmart Canada will test the use of hydrogen fuel cells for the first time.  Hydrogen fuel cells produce only heat and water as by-products and will replace traditional lead acid batteries in the centre’s entire material-handling fleet.  Fuel cells will increase productivity and reduce operational costs because they last longer, do not need to be changed and can be refuelled in three minutes. Hydrogen will come from Quebec, where the element is produced using 98 per cent renewable energy sources, particularly hydroelectricity.  Powering the material-handling fleet with fuel cells will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by an estimated 530 tonnes.

Solid-State Lighting

In a first for a refrigerated distribution centre, the entire facility will be lit exclusively by low-energy solid-state (LED) lighting. LED lights operate at low temperatures, have long life spans and strike instantly, providing important operational and environmental benefits in a refrigerated building.  Using LED lights is expected to half the energy bill for lighting and save an estimated 1,400,000 kilowatt hours annually or the equivalent of powering 121 average size Canadian households with power for a year.

Solar and Wind Energy 

Walmart Canada plans to test solar and wind energy at the Balzac facility.  Sixteen solar thermal panels, mounted on the side of the centre, will supply clean, renewable energy to heat hot water for the facility.  A 225-kilowatt wind turbine on-site will produce enough energy to supply 55 average size Canadian homes with energy.

Energy-Efficiency

Operating a large refrigerated building requires a large amount of energy.  Walmart Canada has carefully evaluated its purchasing decisions, improved building design and made technology choices to make the facility more energy-efficient.  The company undertook a state-of-the-art infrared scan of an existing refrigerated distribution centre in Ontario, identifying areas that could be made more energy-efficient in the new centre.  Key features of the Balzac facility include a leading-edge refrigeration system requiring significantly less power, high-efficiency doorways between temperature zones, upgraded seals throughout the building and a white roof membrane that deflects an estimated 85 per cent of sunlight to reduce heat gain and demand on the electrical grid.

Sustainable Construction

Environmental sustainability is an important part of the construction phase, now underway.  Through innovative waste diversion strategies, Walmart Canada expects to divert as much as 50 per cent of its construction waste from landfill.  The entire construction phase will also be powered by renewable energy through Bullfrog Power, a Canadian provider of low-impact renewable electricity.

 

Result

The facility is an estimated 60% more energy-efficient than company’s traditional centres and will help avoid approximately $4.8 million in energy costs over 5 years.

The Balzac distribution centre is not only about reducing Walmart’s own environmental footprint and making strides to achieve their long-term sustainability goals, it’s about leading change across an industry and the business world at-large. The hope is that in the future, facilities like this will no longer be demonstration facilities but instead the norm for the industry.

Manufacturing

Ginsey Home Solutions Partners With Suppliers To Go Green

Challenge

Ginsey Home Solutions is a leading provider of products for the home including bath, shower, kitchen and children’s potty training and feeding products. With popular product lines featuring recognizable brands such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and Rubbermaid reaching millions of homes, Ginsey Home Solutions wanted to create sustainable products using ethical practices.

Strategy

While many companies focus exclusively on controlling their internal green initiatives, Ginsey recognizes that the sustainability practices of their suppliers also play a major role in the company’s overall impact on the environment. To this end, Ginsey’s sustainability strategy places a major focus on partnering with suppliers whose green practices align with their own values and goals.

Examples are as follows:

• The supplier of PDQ and master carton labels uses solar panel technology
• The supplier of bellybands and packaging is Rainforest Alliance Certified
• The supplier of  corrugated plastic uses recycled content of 43% and products are printed with low-emission, water-base or soy-based inks
• The supplier of lids and rings for adult toilet seats uses a blend of post-consumer and post-industrial recycled material

 

Ginsey Home Solutions has also made efforts to reduce waste by optimizing recycling practices in their own facilities:

• Excess vinyl from producing toilet seats is recycled, and reused into the vinyl manufacturing process for other products
• Recycling of all corrugated, paper and plastic at corporate offices
• All business reports are printed double-sided on recycled paper, reducing paper consumption by 35%
• Paper stock for product development is supplied by Hammermill, a member of Sustainable Forestry Initiative
• Digital proofing for all graphics vs. hard copy proofing to reduce paper usage
• Product Example: Ginsey developed lines of bamboo products including toilet seats, children’s step stools, feeding and floor coverings.

Result

By looking beyond its own internal sustainability practices to ensure its suppliers’ operate with the same environmental values and goals, Ginsey Home Solutions ensures that it manufactures home products that are of the highest quality for both the consumer and the environment.

Manufacturing

PepsiCo Foods Canada’s Journey to ‘Net Zero’ Begins with Employee Engagement

Challenge

PepsiCo Foods Canada (PFC) is committed to being an environmentally-responsible corporate citizen and believes it is its responsibility to continually improve upon all aspects of the world, in which it operates, environmental, social and economic, creating a better tomorrow. While we are proud of the achievements and innovations we have made so far, we remain aggressively focused on our ultimate goal: to “Leave No Trace” in our future operations.

Strategy

Compliance, Conservation, and then Sustainability:

Our journey towards corporate social responsibility began in the early 90’s with the introduction of employee based Green Teams (GT) nationwide. The objectives of these GTs were to raise employee awareness across all site levels and ensure compliance with all federal, provincial and local laws, rules and regulations. As the teams’ responsibilities and expertise grew with time so did the scope of work they were tasked with. In the late 90’s, this journey moved from “Compliance,” to “Conservation," focusing on improving overall “operational efficiency” reducing the consumption of key resources. This drastically reduced our environmental footprint and thus improved our bottom line. PFC, now focusses on corporate sustainability and responsibility with far greater scope and involvement by all our teams.

Goals:

After solid environmental policies were put in place, it was time to set long-term goals to further drive awareness and employee motivation. This led to the creation of PepsiCo’s ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goals’ (BHAGs) – a set of targets that would evolve with the corporate situation. PepsiCo focuses its environmental sustainability efforts on water, energy and packaging and waste—a path to reduce impact, the “Journey to Net Zero”.

PepsiCo Inc. BHAGs are to reduce water and electricity consumption by 20%, fuel consumption by 25% per unit of production by 2015. In North America, it also aims to divert up to 99% or more of all operational waste away from landfill through its Near Zero Landfill initiative. PepsiCo Foods has completed the following to help achieve these goals:

• Leveraged heat recovery systems at all of our plants, which capture and re-use waste heat from manufacturing lines to offset energy usage (i.e. building heat, starch drying, water heating, etc.);

• Installed technology that recovers the waste heat from our kettle potato chip lines and uses it to cook the SunChips product, eliminating nearly 100% of natural gas needs from the supply piping;

• Utilized water recycling technologies to reduce water consumption of our potato manufacturing lines by almost 50%;

• Driving Zero-emission, Carbon free (Green Powered) electric vehicles in its delivery fleet;

• Used Lean Six Sigma methods to reduce sanitation water usage by more than 40%;

• Created dedicated Near Zero Landfill (NZLF) teams reduce and divert waste to Landfill

Employee Engagement:

With sustainability goals in place, PepsiCo realized the necessity of engaging its employees to ensure company-wide commitment to environmental goals.

A Resource Conservation (RC) program was created, including ‘RC’ Teams at every manufacturing facility to formally drive conservation projects. RC efforts are implemented through a cross-functional and cross-divisional team we call Starfleet.

The Starfleet group consists of management and front line technicians from national and site levels. Progress is tracked using monthly scorecards and when required the Starfleet team will visit sites to analyze progress through four types of Starfleet events. Each visit of Starfleet members has a particular purpose and agenda. The outcomes of Starfleet visits are actionable tactics and projects to assist the site to improve short and long term performance.

Visits consist of the following:

• RC Audits – An exhaustive audit of RC opportunities at the site

• RC Interventions – Visit focused on improving the performance of a particular project or process

• RC Net Zero Planning Sessions – Think tank style planning to develop the next “game changing” projects

• NZLF Dumpster Dives – Direct weighing and sifting through of site landfill waste to identify missed opportunities.

PepsiCo also has employees that promote sustainability initiatives with supply chain partners by reaching out to suppliers and vendors to share sustainable manufacturing practices conduct audits, and scorecard performance. A week long, global sustainability summit brings together leaders from PepsiCo manufacturing, vendors and suppliers to drive sustainability agendas.

These initiatives require detailed measurement and effective communication by every impacted stakeholder. Each facility is responsible for recording energy usage through active metering, sub-metering and an Energy Management Information System. Data is collected to assess performance through scorecards. Scoreboards are discussed monthly to review performance and share best practices. Operational scoreboards include:

• RC Scorecard – documents fuel, electricity and water usage including the financial impact at manufacturing facilities for comparison to previous periods, years or similar sites based on production process standards.

• NZLF Scorecard – compiles all data about landfill waste diversion. Metrics include percent waste to landfill, revenue generated by waste stream, and waste per fleet route.

Employee engagement strategies allow PepsiCo to meet its goals at every level, while ensuring employees are engaged and involved in all facets of sustainability corporate responsibility.

Result

PFC’s work in environmental sustainability has saved:

• More than 134 million kg of GHG emissions since 1999
• More than 7 billion gallons of water since 1999
• More than 84 million kWh of electricity since 1999
• More than 2 million GJ of thermal energy from manufacturing since 1999
• More than 230,000 tons of landfill waste since 2009

PepsiCo has been named the #1 ranked Food and Beverage Company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and PFC specifically, recently received the BLOOM Sustainability Leadership Award, as well we have been named on the

Top 50 Socially Responsible Companies List in Canada by Maclean’s Magazine for two consecutive years.

Economically, PepsiCo has found incredible value while working in the area of environmental sustainability. PFC now generates almost $4 million annually year over year in waste stream revenues. The net result is that waste disposal has been transformed from an operating cost into a revenue source. The increase in resource efficiency is clear from the work in the RC program. Since 1999, all PFC manufacturing facilities have seen reductions in utility consumption. The Cambridge manufacturing facility decreased its water consumption by more than half for each unit of food produced, and similar trends are seen in all resource usage at PepsiCo’s other sites.

PepsiCo’s environmental sustainability commitment can be found at the following website:

Website Links

www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Overview/Policies.html

Manufacturing

Irving Tissue Makes Sustainable Forestry a Priority

Challenge

As a company that relies on the earth’s natural resources for producing and manufacturing high quality tissue products—such as Royale and Majesta—Irving Tissue recognizes the importance of responsible forestry and material sourcing practices. Using sustainability as a driving value Irving Tissue realized the need for a strategy that evolves with good science and best practices, and can be consistently delivered.

Strategy

Irving Tissue, as part of J.D. Irving, Limited, developed a vision to sustainably manage the forests from which wood pulp comes while contributing to the health of the local economy through jobs and re-investment in the forestry sector. As a company whose products are based on environmental resources, Irving Tissue continuously strives to explore innovative new ways to lighten its environmental footprint.

A commitment to sustainable forest management is integral in J.D. Irving, Limited’s strategy for responsible business. The company’s approach to sustainable forest management is based on a long-term planning process that reflects the full life cycle of trees and related habitat.

 

• Irving Tissue uses 100% certified fiber. Certified fiber is sourced using practices that are audited by an independent 3^rd party ensuring legal harvesting and responsible forest protection. J.D. Irving, Limited’s forests are 100% certified under the Sustainable Forest Initiative program and all US timberlands are also certified under the Forest Stewardship Council program.
• Through a commitment to reforestation, in many areas trees harvested today were started in J.D. Irving, Limited’s nurseries and have matured in managed forests over the past 40 to 60 years. Trees can absorb up to one tonne of CO2 in their life cycle and we plant millions every year. By planting over 877 million since 1957 Irving—a national record in Canada – our forest products operations sequester more carbon dioxide than they emit. 
• Irving Pulp & Paper annually diverts over 13,000 tonnes of byproduct wood ash to farmers’ fields to be used as a soil enhancement, approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
• Over 1,300 irreplaceable sites of ecological and historical importance are protected on the woodlands Irving owns and manages.
• J.D. Irving, Limited’s system allows foresters to track forest growth and monitor changes as a forest stand matures, from young regeneration to mature forest. A management system consisting of three operational phases—planning, execution, and auditing—ensures compliance with JDI’s corporate sustainable forest management standards.
• Irving Tissue partners with Tree Canada, an organization who has a primary objective to “maintain a healthy environment through sustaining urban and rural forests.”

 

  

Result

Through these efforts, J.D. Irving, Limited is using its resources to provide economic opportunity and supplying consumer demand while respecting the natural environment for the benefit of future generations.

For full details on Irving Tissue’s sustainability initiatives visit: 

Website Links

http://www.irvingconsumerproducts.com/page.aspx?id=632&ekmensel=c5affa7b_8_16_632_3

Manufacturing

Intex Makes a Splash with Recycled Pool Materials

Challenge

As one of the largest international makers of above ground swimming pools, water toys, and inflatable air mattresses, fun—preferably in the sun—is central to Intex’s business.

It was only natural that a business committed to creating products to help consumers enjoy the outdoors would aspire to take a lead in sustainability. With the desire to put in place responsible practices came the realization that a real difference could be made through a comprehensive recycling program.

Strategy

Intex built its sustainability strategy around returned pools and airbeds, recycling them into new ground cloths and pool covers. On average, 230 forty foot containers of consumer returned product are shipped to the Intex factory each year. These products are used to research failure points, workshop improvements and study new methods of manufacturing. They are then given new life by being recycled back into their own product lines.

Result

The recycling initiative has succeeded in keeping massive amounts of used products out of landfills. In 2011 Intex recycled a total of 110 tons of airbed and above ground pool packaging. Intex also collected over 6 million pounds of vinyl for recycled use within its own manufacturing process.