SSP November 2017

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Kentucky Association of Manufacturers recognized with environmental sustainability award

The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has been selected as the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC) Douglas C. Griffin Environmental Sustainability Award winner for 2017. KPPC created the award in 2009 to recognize Kentucky entities that have demonstrated a commitment to the principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship. The award is presented each year in conjunction with National Pollution Prevention Week.

Established in 1911, KAM’s mission is to create and protect a manufacturing-friendly environment in Kentucky through advocacy, education and provision of cost-saving programs and products to members. For several years, KAM has hosted an annual Energy Conference to inform manufacturers about energy efficiency, reliability and affordability. KAM has been an integral partner working with KPPC on numerous other projects promoting sustainable practices that conserve energy and reduce environmental impacts, helping manufacturers preserve jobs and enhance overall competitiveness.

KPPC’s Executive Director, Lissa McCracken, presented the award to Lee Lingo, incoming Executive Director, along with retiring CEO Greg Higdon in Louisville on October 26. Higdon acknowledged the support of the staff and Board of Directors in the association’s successful sustainability efforts, “We are honored to accept this award for our environmental sustainability achievements. I would like to thank our team for their hard work and foresight to promote the projects we have been able to accomplish, and I challenge them to pursue additional opportunities to further our sustainability efforts. I also want to thank our Board of Directors and KAM’s advocacy team for their leadership and support, We also appreciate the assistance the staff of KPPC has provided to help us achieve our goals.”

There have been fourteen Kentucky companies that have won the Environmental Sustainability Award since KPPC created the award program: Akebono Brake in Elizabethtown, Denyo Manufacturing in Danville, Fetter Group, Kindred Healthcare and Republic Conduit in Louisville, Sherwin Williams in Richmond, The United States Playing Card Company in Erlanger, Indelac Controls in Florence, A. Raymond Tinnerman Manufacturing in Flemingsburg, Owensboro Grain and Hausner Hard-Chrome in Owensboro, Cox Interior in Campbellsville, Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green and KAM in Frankfort.

Find out more about the Sustainability Award and past award winners.

 

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KSMI Training Series begins with webinar on sustainable manufacturing

On November 8, 2017 the Kentucky Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (KSMI) training series kicked off with the first of three webinars designed to accompany three of the scheduled workshops. This first webinar provided an overview of sustainable manufacturing and outlined the purpose and elements of the Kentucky Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative. The webinar was facilitated by Lissa McCracken, Executive Director of the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC). The presenters included Mark Toda, Senior Sustainablility Engineer at KPPC, who provided an overview of the Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative with details on the KSMI traning series, and Dr. I.S. Jawahir, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing at the University of Kentucky, presenting on the Fundamentals of Sustainable Manufacturing.

Topics introduced during the webinar addressed the context of sustainable manufacturing and why it is an important consideration including the business case that it can represent to manufacturers, integrating sustainability into manufacturing operations and product development and life cycle thinking as a key strategy. The learning objectives included obtaining a framework for thinking about sustainable manufacturing and learning about the principles of sustainable manufacturing.

The webinars in this series are intended to be a preface to the hands-on and engaging workshops that have been scheduled. The webinars are also designed to be independent resources that can initiate thinking about the aspects of sustainable manufacturing to be considered for business strategy development and implementation. Each webinar will be recorded and made available on the KPPC website under the KSMI content. This first webinar recording is now available for viewing along with descriptive information and related references.

There are two more webinars and workshops available to attend as part of the training series that are scheduled for January and February of 2018. Find out more about these upcoming training opportunities.

View the first webinar in the KSMI training series.

 

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Cabinet’s annual awards honor businesses, groups and individuals

The 41st Annual Kentucky Governor’s Conference on Energy and the Environment featured an awards luncheon during which Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Charles Snavely handed out 10 environmental awards.

These awards reflect a commitment by those honored to preserving and enhancing this beautiful state through energy efficiency, soil conservation, mine land reclamation, farmland stewardship or innovation.

Some of the awards given out at the luncheon included:

The KY EXCEL Champion Award, given by the Department of Environmental Protection, recognizes a Kentucky EXCEL member that has demonstrated outstanding stewardship of Kentucky’s environment in the areas of energy conservation, air quality, minimizing waste or incorporating citizens to participate in environmental stewardship behaviors.

It was awarded to Sekisui S-Lec America.

The Environmental Pacesetter Award, given by the Department for Environmental Protection, is presented to an individual or firm that has demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts to protect the environment and to set an example of environmental stewardship for the Commonwealth.

It was awarded to L’Oréal USA Manufacturing, of Florence, Kentucky.

The Resource Caretaker Award, given by the Department of Environmental Protection, goes to an individual or firm that has improved or furthered the conservation of Kentucky’s natural resources in efforts such as revitalizing underutilized or contaminated land, habitat restoration, recycling programs, pollution prevention, water-use reductions, or energy efficiency.

It was presented to the Maker’s Mark Environmental Team.

The Kentucky Excellence in Energy Leadership Award, given by the Department of Energy Development and Independence, recognizes energy leaders who have had a tremendous impact on the Commonwealth and who have inspired others to save energy and/or to utilize alternative energy resources.

It was awarded to the Kentucky Army National Guard and Department of Military Affairs.

The Secretary’s Award, given by the Office of the Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, is awarded annually to a person, business, municipality or non-governmental organization that has demonstrated long-term leadership and commitment to sustainability, environmental protection, conservation of natural resources or is responsible for the development of energy resources.

It was presented to Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.

Read more about the award winners and other awards that were given out.

 

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Newsbits

 

UofL receives $6.7 million to become Superfund Research Center

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville has received a $6.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to become one of fewer than two dozen Superfund Research Centers across the United States.

The five-year grant comes after a 20-year effort by the university to secure Superfund money for environmental study and will establish a new, multidisciplinary center at UofL that will support the federal Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program.

UofL was one of five new Superfund Research Center sites funded in 2017, bringing the number across the nation to 23, including such institutions as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University and Duke University.

Researchers will study how chemical exposures, particularly to chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), contribute to the incidence, prevalence and severity of cardiometabolic disease as it relates to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease, all big problems in Kentucky.

The Superfund program, created in 1980, is part of a federal government effort to clean up land in the U.S. that has been contaminated by hazardous waste, and identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a potential risk to human health or the environment. The program was started in part by the discovery of a waste site near Louisville in Bullitt County. Known as the “Valley of the Drums,” the site contained thousands of steel drums full of chemical waste that accumulated over decades.

Read the full article on the UofL News site.

 

The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable’s 2017 MVP2 Winners

KPPC’s Lissa McCracken recognized as NPPR’s “Volunteer of the Year”

Congratulations to NPPR’s 2017 MVP2 winners! Winners were notified during P2 Week that they were being recognized for exceptional efforts to promote pollution prevention. The awards recognize outstanding pollution prevention and energy efficiency projects on the state and local level as well as public awareness activities.

This year’s MVP2 Award Winners are:

– Peggy Morgan, Washington Dept. of Ecology – P2 Champion
– Kate Anderson, Beyond Benign – P2 Educator
– Global Foundries US 2 LLC – P2 Program Winner
– Mark Richey Woodworking – Multi-media Winner
– Lissa McCracken, Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center – Volunteer of the Year
– Peterbilt Motors Company – Honorable Mention

Find out more about the award winning initiatives.

 

Costco develops new safer chemicals policy

Costco has announced that it is committing to reducing harmful chemicals in the products it sells by adopting a new Chemicals Management Policy! Fewer hazardous chemicals on Costco’s shelves mean fewer hazardous chemicals in our homes, our bodies, and our environment.

Costco made its announcement on its website stating:

“Costco’s Chemical Management Policy goes beyond the boundaries of regulatory compliance in an effort to reduce potential chemical harm to humans and to the environment from the product manufacturing process and from consumer use and disposal.”

The policy outlines the steps the company is taking with suppliers including:

1) Identifying chemicals of concern (utilizing comprehensive testing programs);
2) Removing or applying the process of informed substitution for any identified chemicals of concern;
3) Identifying ways suppliers can change their manufacturing processes to reduce hazardous chemical use; and
4) Reviewing qualified third-party green certifications.

Additionally, the company is partnering with the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry to help develop implementation of this Chemical Management Policy, beginning by focusing on three product areas: furniture, textiles, personal care and household products. This builds on Costco’s Smart Screening Program the company announced earlier in the year.

Read the full article on the Safer Chemicals website.

 

Ikea introduces national mattress recycling program

Ikea U.S., Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, has introduced a national mattress recycling program.

The Swedish home furnishing company says the new program is keeping with its sustainability strategy of “turning waste into resources.” Ikea launched its People and Planet Positive Sustainability strategy in October 2012. The strategy outlines moves the company plans to make to reach certain sustainability goals by 2020, including using 100 percent renewable energy.

The mattress recycling program includes old mattresses of any brand that are picked up when new Ikea mattresses are delivered, as well as all returned mattresses at Ikea stores.

“The goal is zero waste to landfill, with as much recycling as possible,” says Ikea.

“In keeping with our People and Planet Positive Sustainability strategy, Ikea has decided to take a lead in turning waste into resources. We are committed to securing recycled materials while ensuring key parts of our range are easily recycled—all contributing to a closed loop society,” says Lisa Davis, Ikea U.S. sustainability manager.

An estimated 18 million mattresses with box springs are disposed in the U.S. each year, resulting in approximately 50,000 mattresses a day ending up in landfills across America, the company says. Some of these mattresses are illegally dumped adding to great landfill waste. IKEA understands mattresses need to be recycled to conserve resources such as steel, foam, and wood that is able to be used in new products.

Read the full article on the Recycling Today website.

 

See What’s New at ESRC

The Environmental Sustainability Resource Center (ESRC) is a member of the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx™), a national network of regional information centers. The objective of the ESRC is to provide technical environmental sustainability information and training to industrial service providers in EPA Regions 3 & 4. Region 3 includes Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, D.C., Delaware and Maryland. Region 4 includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. ESRC resources and staff are available to users in industry, consulting and universities. Please visit the ESRC website or call toll free (855) 531-3772 for more information.

 

GreenBiz – Sustainability news and resources

GreenBiz advances the opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability. Through its websites, events, peer-to-peer network and research, GreenBiz promotes the potential to drive transformation and accelerate progress — within companies, industries and in the very nature of business. Since 1991, GreenBiz has chronicled and been a catalyst for thought leadership in aligning environmental responsibility with profitable business practices.

Currently on the GreenBiz website by Anne Maassen and Juan Carlos Altamirano:

How three cities put circular economy ideas into practice

By 2050, the global population is expected to soar beyond 9 billion people, 66 percent (PDF) of whom may live in cities. Accompanying this stunning pace of urbanization will be a complex web of challenges related to consumption, pollution and water and energy stresses.

Recently, the concept of a circular economy has gained traction as a solution that would ameliorate the burden on natural resources while still encouraging economic growth. The concept is simple: minimize the disposal of waste and the need for raw materials by keeping existing materials and assets in the production cycle. This alternative economic system transforms our current linear economy, which “takes, makes and wastes,” into one that reuses, recycles and repairs.

Although China embraced the circular economy from the mid-2000s, conversations about the circular economy are taking place in many countries around the world, in particular developed countries. Large corporations, foundations and local governments have gotten behind the CE as the new way forward. But given that most of urban growth will take place in less developed countries, their rapidly urbanizing cities need to be included and even prioritized.

Circular solutions in developing countries

People in developing country cities use “circular economy” principles every day — picking through waste, using less and repairing more. As Ibrahim Thiaw, deputy director for the U.N. Environment Programme, noted, “repairing is part of the DNA of developing countries.”

These practices are, by and large, driven by poverty: necessity is the mother of invention. But as these countries develop, the challenge will be to find ways to deploy systematically circular solutions that drive economic, environmental and social value.

Read about three examples of Circular Economy in practice on the GreenBiz website.

Find the latest articles, videos and resources on the GreenBiz website.

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Upcoming Training, Events and Conferences

• Measuring Amounts and Causes of Wasted Food
  This webinar will feature emerging research and insights from pioneering efforts led by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in collaboration with Portland State University. This research is intended to help governments, NGOs, businesses and funders better understand opportunities to reduce avoidable wasted food through improved measurement and more effective prevention, rescue, and recovery strategies.
  November 30 at 1 p.m. EST
  Register for this webinar.

• 2017 International Forum on Sustainable Manufacturing
  The concept of Circular Economy promotes a restorative approach through regenerative design to concurrently pursue sustained economic growth, environmental protection, and societal well being. Given manufacturing is the engine of wealth generation in any economy, adopting sustainability practices in manufacturing is imperative to the Circular Economy vision.
  December 7-8 – Lexington, KY
  Read more about the forum and how to register.

 

EPA ENERGY STAR webinars:

Portfolio Manager Series

• 101 – December 7 at 1 p.m. EST – Attendees will learn how to: navigate the Portfolio Manager; add a property and enter details about it; enter energy and water consumption data; share properties; generate performance reports to assess progress; and respond to data requests.

• 201 – December 19 at 1 p.m. EST – Learn more advanced functionalities such as: managing and tracking changes to your property uses over time; using spreadsheet templates to update property data; setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties; generating and using custom reports; and using the Sustainable Buildings Checklist.

• 301 – December 21 at 1 p.m. EST – Learn about some advanced features, including: using spreadsheet upload templates to update property data; setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties; creating custom reports; and using the Sustainable Buildings Checklist.

View these plus more training opportunities and to register.

View recorded ENERGY STAR webinars at any time.

• Environmental Management Systems: A Tool for Sustainability
  This updated course specifies general requirements and guidelines of the new ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system (EMS) standard. A fully implemented EMS will provide reasonable assurance of minimal negative environmental impact, improved environmental performance and sustainable growth.
  December 12-15 – Arlington, TX
  For more information and to register.

• Community Involvement: Blooming Where You’re Planted
  The Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices is pleased to announce that it is hosting a FREE webinar on Wednesday, December 13th at 1:00 p.m. CST. This webinar will focus on new ways to engage your communities with the help of your employees. Topics for this webinar will include the “Nobody Trashes Tennessee Campaign”, Keep Tennessee Beautiful (KTnB), and industry partners’ experiences with community outreach.
  December 13 at 2 p.m. EST
  Register for this free webinar.

• KSMI Webinar 2 – Life Cycle Perspective (LCP)
  This webinar will present a practical approach to “thinking” about product life cycles, as is included in the new ISO 14001:2015 standard, in order to address environmental issues and sustainability from a systems, or life cycle perspective.
  January 11, 2018 at 11 a.m. EST
  Register for this sustainable manufacturing webinar.

• KSMI Workshop 2 – Envisioning the Future State
  The workshop will discuss ways in which the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) can be accessed and made useful to manufacturers. Participants will also learn how to incorporate a life cycle perspective in their ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system. Sessions will follow on innovation and practical approaches to incorporating sustainability in new product development, which will be a significant emphasis of this workshop.
  January 25, 2018 – GE FirstBuild, Louisville, KY
  Register for this sustainable manufacturing workshop.

 

To view these and other sustainability-related events, please visit the KPPC Events Calendar.

 

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