Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine 2014 | Page 26

firsts that act as a benchmark for other industrial manufacturers. SIA became the first U.S. auto plant to: • n 1994 - ban smoking. I • n 1998 - achieve ISO 14001 I certification. ISO 14001 is a rigourous set of internationally accepted standards, related to environmental management. Since then an independent 3rd party audits the plant every year, re-certifying it each time. • n 2002 - install an on-site solvent I recovery and reuse system. • n 2003 - be designated a Backyard I Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. • n 2004 - achieve zero landfill status. I • n 2006 – be rated #1 among I all overseas facilities of Japanbased automakers in the Nikkei environmental management survey. • n 2012 – become the first U.S. I automotive assembly plant in to win 24 ISO 50001 certified. ISO 50001, the set of international standards for energy management, also requires yearly audits that meet challenging energy reduction targets. Along the way the plant has also garnered a long list of environmental awards including: • n 2003 – Governor’s Award for I Environmental Excellence for Recycling and Reuse • n 2006-2009 – EPA’s WasteWise I Gold Achievement Award for New Partners, Industrial Recycling, Climate Change and Community Involvement • n 2011 – Urban Wheels Award for I Greenest Automaker in America • n 2011 – American Manufacturing I Strategies Award for Greenest Manufacturing Plant • n 2012 – Finalist for Global Sustania I Award • n 2013 – Campbell Institute/ I Stewardship Action Council Innovation Challenge Award for Zero Waste But it’s SIA’s ability to achieve and maintain zero-landfill status that’s had more than 800 companies banging on the doors to learn how they can do the same. According to Easterday, “Too many companies choose only the lowhanging fruit when it comes to reducing the amount of waste sent to a landfill. The easy stuff. They initiate a few recycling programs and see some initial success. But when that success isn’t sustained they give up. To really make a difference you need to tackle the hard stuff and reduce, reuse and recycle in that order.” And that’s just what SIA did.