WI Best Management Practices
The WI Sustainable Business Council, though the Green Masters Program, compiles best practices in nine areas.
These brief, one-page case studies are designed to provide step-by-step guidance on how to implement a certain set of practices. They will be continuously updated. We encourage you to contact the companies featured in the case studies, if more information is desired.
Updated 2.6.2012
Contents
2. Community & Educational Outreach
3. Energy
4. Governance
5. Supply Chain
8. Water
9. Workforce
1. Climate Change
SC Johnson – Greenhouse Gas Reduction
S. C. Johnson has been tracking Greenhouse Gas Emissions for over 10 years. The primary drivers of its GHG emissions are from the electricity and natural gasused to power its facility. In the years 2000-2005 SCJ reduced GHG emissions globally by 10%. The Global goal for 2006 to 2011 was established by first evaluating the impact of estimated increases in GHG emissions through acquisitions and increased manufacturing volume, and then comparing this against the potential energy reduction projects. Using these inputs, the 2005-2011 goal was set at a 12% reduction from the 2000 baseline. In order to achieve this global goal, each manufacturing site was requested to contribute a 2% reduction from their current output. SCJ’s strategy for delivering the goal included: 1. Creating urgency and engagement throughout the organization; 2. Breaking down the five year goal into manageable pieces; 3. Creating the right structure and organizational activities (more)
2. Community & Educational Outreach
Kohl’s found that a large part of their environmental footprint is attributable to their supply chain. They seek to encourage suppliers to embrace sustainability through stewardship of natural resources. They encouraged their suppliers to identify and adopt actions that would minimize their impact upon the environment. An open sustainability dialog incorporates risk mitigation, cost reduction, innovation and branding.
Wal-Mart – Developing a Personal Sustainability Project
In 2005, Wal-Mart committed to 3 environmental sustainability goals: to create zero waste; to be supplied 100% by renewable energy; and to sell products that sustain people and the environment. To compliment these 3 corporate goals, Wal-Mart developed the Personal Sustainability Project (PSP) to help its associates understand the principles of sustainability and incorporate sustainability into their personal lives. The challenge was to develop and launch a program that would get as many Wal-Mart associates as possible to understand and embrace sustainability by incorporating small changes into their lives that together would make a positive impact on their health, their community and their environment. (more)
3. Energy
ABB established a goal to reduce the energy for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), while making the facility more comfortable. The facility’s four HVAC units were equipped with fan blowers that ran continuously at 1800 rpm. The 10-horsepower fans had only one speed, and were using over 100 kw Hrs per day. ABB swapped out the fans’ single speed starters and replaced them with its own manufactured variable speed drives.
American Family Insurance - Lighting Upgrades
Case study of American Family Insurance’s installation of single-bulb reduced-wattage T8 fixtures. The project achieved savings of over 875,000 kWh per year with a 1.7 year payback.
Case study of ESI’s efforts toward continual measurement, adjustment and reassessment. ESI measures nearly every quantifiable process that takes place in their headquarters building and continually strives toward improved energy efficiency.
Flambeau River Papers - Fine Bubble Diffusers
Case study on Flambeau River Papers’ initiative to install fine bubble diffusers in their wastewater treatment plant. The fine bubble diffusers reduce the amount of pumped air needed, thus increasing energy efficiency.
Frito Lay – Heat Recovery Systems
Guided by Frito-Lay’s corporate Environmental Management System (EMS), the Beloit facility set aggressive energy and reduction goals each year to reduce operational costs and their environmental footprint. Frito-Lay focused their efforts on increasing the efficiency of their baking and cooking processes, specifically by developing heat recovery technology that could reintroduce waste heat energy either back into the process or into their facility applications. On their Doritos Tortilla Chip process, they recovered waste heat from the toaster ovens that is now used to preheat the process oils. On their Lays Potato Chip process, they installed a heat exchanger device that transfers the waste steam heat from an outgoing stack, into a glycol loop that services the entire rooftop of the plant. From there, this heat is used to preheat water used in cooking and cleaning applications. The glycol loop also services over 80% of the direct exchange heating units throughout all of manufacturing and warehouse operations.
Gundersen Lutheran – Energy Efficiency and Biogas Use
Gundersen Lutheran set goals to reduce its energy use by 20% within two years, and targeted lighting, HVAC, chillers and cooling towers. They also worked with City Brewery to harvest and burn the brewery’s waste treatment biogas discharge.
Miron Construction - LEED Expansion
Case study on Miron Construction’s expansion and renovation of their corporate headquarters. During this process, the company pursued and attained Gold LEED Certification without incurring any additional costs.
SC Johnson – Alternative Energy
As part of the strategic planning process, SC Johnson challenged the organization to purchase 40% of its total worldwide manufacturing electricity from renewable/green sources by 2011, a 33% increase from 2006 usage. One component of the alternative energy mix is wind energy. Each production facility around the world has been challenged to evaluate the potential for a wind generated source of electricity in close proximity to the SC Johnson Plant. Each production entity must work within its facility capital or expense budgets to approve the identified projects. (more)
Sentry Equipment – LED Lighting
In 2006, during the planning stages for construction of a new manufacturing facility, Mike Farrell, CEO of Sentry Equipment, was looking for ways to save costs and improve the performance of the new building. Mr. Farrell found that using light fixtures with LED bulbs was potentially more cost-effective than CFL bulb lighting systems that were included in the original design. For outdoor lighting the LED lights were compared to High intensity discharge (HID) lighting.
Wal-Mart is committed to being supplied 100% by renewable energy. Finding new, clean sources of power (such as wind and solar power) is an important part of achieving this goal. Wal-Mart is also looking for ways to use less energy in its day-to-day operations. Conservation is the least expensive form of new energy. It’s cheaper to find ways to reduce energy use than it is to build new power plants or use peak energy to handle demand spikes. Peak energy sources of power tend to be the most expensive to produce. Wal-Mart’s challenge was to find new energy-saving technologies that itcould install in its stores so that they would use less power in their daily operations. (more)
4. Governance
5. Supply Chain
Home Depot – Purchasing Green Products
In 2004, The Home Depot (THD) developed and implemented a comprehensive business strategy on environment. The Home Depot has implemented a comprehensive plan related to sourcing and merchandising green products within itsstores. Merchants are encouraged to implement criteria and use established and credible third party certification processes to identify innovative products that provide demonstrable environmental benefits. Vendors must provide evidence that the product is green. THD recognizes nine environmental certification programs: Energy Star, Scientific Certification Systems, Terrachoice EcoLogo, Forest Stewardship Council, GreenGuard, WaterSense, OMRI, and Green Seal. (more)
Kohl’s takes into consideration the effect cleaning chemicals have on our surroundings. Since 2006, Kohl’s has minimized the number of cleaning chemicals used, while broadening their multi-purpose use. Cleaning solutions have been converted to green alternatives that are as effective or better when compared to their harmful chemical counterpart.
SC Johnson – Developing the Greenlist
An SC Johnson team looked at many product and raw material evaluation tools and found most had major deficiencies in Complexity, Cost, and Data that was not readily available. The company set out to develop a new evaluation tool for raw materials which was simple to use, the data was readily available, and differentiated raw material with similar functions. The Greenlist™ process was developed as a patented process for picking the best ingredients and setting new SC Johnson Environmental Standards that go beyond simple compliance. (more)
6. Transportation
7. Waste Management
ABB was disposing of plastic housings that were not being recycled because a buyer for PC/ABS plastic had not been identified. ABB found a customer that chipped, melted and pelletized the material for sale and reuse. ABB also used this customer to recycle plastic pallets.
Badger Meter – Product Redesign to Minimize Material Use
The company set a goal of using 100% recycled content in its castings and meter casings, because of the rising economic and environmental cost of copper. To reach this goal, they changed suppliers of raw material, redesigned their meters so that less raw material was needed, and established a closed loop recycling system.
Frito Lay (FL) has long been working to reduce waste sent to landfill, and has established a goal of reaching zero landfill (ZLF) status (defined as sending less than 1% of manufacturing waste to landfill) in all of its manufacturing facilities. The program was founded on three pillars: 1) to reduce/eliminate the use of non-reusable and non-recyclable materials in FL plants; 2) to reduce waste to landfill from FL operations to zero; and 3) to transform waste disposal costs into material revenues. While the program has obvious environmental benefits, the FL ZLF initiative also focused on decreasing waste expense and increasing recycling revenue. (more)
Kimberly Clark – What To Do with Disposables
Kimberly-Clark (K-C) is a manufacturer of disposable essentials, products that are often used on a daily basis. As a responsible steward of the environment, K-C continues to look for ways to minimize any impact its products or operations have on the environment. While disposable diapers account for less than 3% of landfill waste, there is a desire to reduce this even further. Faced with this issue, K-C partnered with the University of Wisconsin to investigate options for diaper disposal.
Kraft Foods – Reducing and Improving Packaging
Kraft Foods is committed to reducing and improving its packaging. While there are many advantages to flexible film packaging: it is lightweight, right-sized to the product, and transports well – there are not many recycling facilities which recycle flexible, multi-layer film. Consumers often tell Kraft that post consumer packaging waste is a problem that needs attention. As a result, Kraft partnered with TerraCycle–a unique “upcycling” company that helps prevent post-consumer and post-industrial packaging waste from ending up in landfills. TerraCycle packaging waste is turned into high-quality merchandise like backpacks, tote bags, yoga bags, umbrellas and kites. (more)
Case study on WI Green Masters company Lauterbach Group’s waste materials recycling efforts. Working with Channeld Resources Group and other partners, Lauterbach Group has continually found ways to reduce the amount of waste materials it sends to landfill.
Nestle – Waste and Materials Management
In an effort to continuously reduce packaging and energy usage and improve waste reduction in operations, Nestle focused on efficiencies, shed costs and ensured continuous improvements in recyclable packaging and the diversion of packaging from landfill. They used five strategies: 1) Use 100% recyclable packaging materials for every product produced, whether the bottle, the wrap or the tray; 2) Reduce packaging material use by working with suppliers on design changes that maintain functionality 3) Challenge internal teams to improve on waste reduction and internal recycling levels; 4) Increase recycling of products by working with government and industry on recycling; and 5) Earn environmental certification from the world’s leading standards associations to confirm energy reduction achievements.(more)
Wal-Mart has a core sustainability goal to create zero waste, defined as achieving more than 95% waste diversion. Determining which waste streams stores can divert from the landfill is part of this goal. Another part is reducing and diverting as much as possible from Wal-Mart’s home office operations. Wal-Mart set out to create a zero-waste home office environment – and fast! To do so, it implemented a two-fold strategy. First, it diverted as many waste-streams as possible from itshome office, and second, it reduced the amount of non-recyclable materials coming into its building. (more)
8. Water
American Family Insurance - Cooling Tower Retrofit
Case study on American Family Insurance’s addition of a water softener to their cooling towers. Water savings were achieved with no price premium over taking no action.
Briggs & Stratton - Green Space
Case study on Briggs & Stratton’s conversion of an underutilized parking lot into a multi-use green space.
Flambeau River Papers - Water Recovery
Case study on Flambeau River Papers’ project to recover and re-use heated seal water in the paper-making process.
Sentry Equipment – Saving Water
In 2006 as Sentry was preparing for a move to a new building, they were notified by Oconomowoc Utilities of a $75,915 impact fee tied to their water usage. The utility indicated that they were using 1,440,000 million gallons per year at their existing facility. Investigation into the major water uses in the facility identified two large water-cooled compressors on their factory floor that used water at the rate of 4 gallons a minute 20 hours a day for 260 days a year. These were replaced with air-cooled compressors in the new facility.
9. Workforce
Briggs & Stratton - Employee Sustainability Weeks
Case study on Briggs & Stratton’s Employee Sustainability Weeks to raise awareness among employees on a variety of sustainability topics. Since 2009, the company has held a week each year dedicated to sustainability.
Case study on ESI’s efforts to optimize their work environment in terms of employee health and comfort. The measures in place have helped increase employee productivity, among other benefits.
