washington business
Leading Environmental Practices
Recognizes a business that has placed a priority on environmental improvement, education or outreach to its business sector and / or community.
the company: Founded in 1967, this family-owned manufacturer of plant-derived cleaning products takes cleaning products as seriously as a clean environment. Last year, the company celebrated its 50-year anniversary. On the company’ s half-century milestone, Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, president and CEO of Earth Friendly Products, said,“ Since the beginning, our mission has been to make plant-powered cleaners that are safer for people, pets and the planet, and to do that for 50 years while supporting our employees and our communities is very rewarding.”
sustainability in action: The company has made green manufacturing a priority since
1967. In 2010, Earth Friendly Products switched to 100 percent renewable energy and achieved carbon neutrality in each of its five locations. As a result, the company avoids emissions of 54 million pounds of carbon dioxide each year. The company has also achieved water neutrality in its facilities. Additionally, strict waste management and recycling programs have cut their overall waste by 95 percent.
the human element: Earth Friendly Products encourages a more sustainable lifestyle for its employees, providing green benefits such as a $ 2,000 incentive to buy an eco-friendly car, a $ 1,000 relocation incentive to move closer( to within 10 miles) of the facility, and a $ 2,000 incentive to install solar panels on employees’ family homes.
remarks:“ For 50 years, our company has been at the forefront of green manufacturing. It was just a thought that our waterways should be clean, that moms cleaning their childrens’ clothing and homes deserve to have effective, yet healthy, cleaning products that lead to the founding of the incredible company we have today. But, behind all these wonderful environmental practices, our company stands for its people. We have proven that being an environmentally friendly company and one that puts its employees first is also a profitable company.”— vivian panou, director of special events and programs, earth friendly products
leading environmental practices award finalists
honeywell international, inc., redmond
The Honeywell International Redmond site is an engineering and manufacturing facility that produces various electronic products for use in aerospace, military and commercial applications. As part of its community partnership, the company has implemented innovative processes and solutions to minimize its environmental footprint.
Over the past two years, Honeywell has implemented procedures that have reduced hazardous waste by 57 percent and has diverted 435,000 pounds of nonhazardous materials from landfills through recycling and composting. The company also invested $ 200,000 in energy efficiency projects that generated annual energy savings of 445,000 kilowatt hours, the equivalent of 350,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. And, the company’ s partnership with the Greater Redmond Transportation Management Authority has encouraged employees to use alternative transport options, which has reduced carbon emissions by roughly 225,000 pounds, or the equivalent of 11,500 gallons of gasoline. nucor steel seattle, inc.
Nucor Steel Seattle, Inc., is the only steel manufacturer in Washington. It is also the state’ s largest recycler, repurposing approximately 810,000 tons of scrap steel in 2014. The company receives scrap steel from demolished structures in the region, like the Highway 99 Viaduct, and recasts it for new projects, such as Seattle’ s tunnel project, the University of Washington’ s Husky Stadium, and many of the buildings dotting the region’ s skyline.
The company is a world-wide leader in environmental indicators, from waste reduction to water recycling. The company has reduced its energy input by 15 percent in the last 10 years through energy-efficient technologies. Additionally, Nucor is one of the nation’ s greenest steel manufacturers, reporting carbon emissions per ton of steel produced at just 26 percent of the U. S. steel industry emissions average in 2014.
32 association of washington business