Operations
Reducing the environmental impact of our operations means engaging our entire organization in making changes big and small throughout our manufacturing, distribution, and office facilities.
And to provide the focus and motivation to do so, we have set new footprint reduction goals. For each case of product sold, we will reduce GHG emissions, energy use, and water use by 10 percent, and solid waste by 20 percent, all by 2013.
Water Use
Goal
We pledge to reduce our water consumption by 10 percent per case of product sold from 2007 to 2013. This includes water we use in products as well as process water as part of daily manufacturing operations.
As of 2010, we’re halfway through our goal period, and we’ve already achieved a 14% reduction in our water use (as compared to our 10% goal) on a per case of product sold basis. We plan to continue the good work that has already been done and further reduce our global water consumption, despite having already attained our original goal.
Our water conservation efforts were off to a fast start from 2007 to 2010 due to a number of water recycling infrastructure and equipment upgrade initiatives, as well as changes to some of our water management practices. Most notably, our Kingsford plants in Parsons, West Virginia and Belle, Missouri both reduced their water consumption by more than 40% primarily through investments in water recycling infrastructure and replacing water with air compressor systems.
In 2010, a number of water reduction initiatives occurred across several plants, such as pipe repairs, the switch from water-cooled compressors to air-cooled compressors, improved filtration and recovery systems. Additionally, extensive water process mapping and conservation training occurred at all manufacturing facilities, and as a result, better plant level water practices were put into place.
