Two CENTRIA Locations Receive 2011 Pennsylvania Waste Watcher Awards For Sustainability Initiatives
Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP) Program Recognizes Organizations For Exemplary Performance In Recycling, Waste Reduction, Reuse and Composting
Moon Township, PA - CENTRIA, an industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of sustainable architectural metal wall and roof systems, has been recognized with two separate 2011 Pennsylvania Waste Watcher awards for their significant sustainability efforts—one for their corporate office in Moon Township and one for their Ambridge coil coating facility. An initiative of the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP), the Pennsylvania Waste Watchers award recognizes corporate and community programs that go above and beyond state mandates for recycling and waste reduction.
“CENTRIA’s commitment to environmental responsibility permeates every aspect of our company,” said Rick Mowrey, Director of Marketing and Business Development, CENTRIA. “Often acknowledgments regarding our sustainability practices are focused on our environmentally friendly products and manufacturing processes, so we are very pleased to be recognized for the strides we take within our facilities every day to preserve the environment.”
Simple, easy-to-implement changes have made a significant impact. At the corporate headquarters, CENTRIA employees recycled 10.94 standard tons of office paper in 2010. The building is now equipped with EcoRewards recycling bins, allowing employees to recycle plastic and cardboard in addition to paper, glass and metal. While employees are encouraged to use their own glasses and mugs, any foam cups that are used are returned to the vendor for recycling.
“In addition to the conventional strides we’ve taken to decrease waste in our day-to-day operations, we’ve also created several unique recycling projects that we publicize internally,” said Carla Liebenguth, Sustainability Associate at CENTRIA.
For example, CENTRIA’s Moon Township office donates one large container full of aluminum cans to their local fire department each month, the proceeds from which benefit the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Free Care Fund. The company also collects used cell phones/accessories for the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium to recycle, as well as used ink cartridges, which help fund a company-wide effort to send care packages to our troops.
At CENTRIA’s Ambridge facility, all waste associated with coil coating is evaluated and separated for recycling or reuse. In 2010 alone, the facility recycled 3,635 tons of material ranging from steel and aluminum to office paper and ink cartridges. Recycling bins, in highly visible locations, have replaced trash cans throughout the facility for easy identification and simple sorting.
The Ambridge facility also implemented processes focused on reducing the consumption of water, energy and harmful chemicals during the manufacturing process. Water usage was reduced by 57,600 gallons last year after installing special misting nozzles, and more than 95 percent of the water that is actually used is recycled. The coil coating services facility has also implemented air nozzle technology to remove a large blower, reducing their electric usage by 194,249 kilowatts, resulting in an average savings of $16,511 in energy costs.
In addition, the Ambridge facility has formed significant partnerships with their vendors and distributors to ensure that the minimal packaging and shipping materials that are used can be easily recycled by the end user.
Finally, Ambridge employees are held accountable for personal sustainability actions. Monthly meetings are held to update all personnel on new opportunities, including depositing recyclable materials from home in the plant’s bins. Several community businesses drop off corrugated cardboard at the facility’s easily accessible recycling dock.
“Our ultimate goal is to produce less waste,” said Liebenguth. “This Waste Watchers recognition serves to demonstrate the importance of our internal efforts at multiple locations and we hope that it will educate and encourage even more employees to participate in our initiatives for years to come.”
About CENTRIA
CENTRIA innovations in architectural metal wall and roof systems are helping building teams around the world reimagine the building envelope. From inspiration through installation, CENTRIA provides the highest level of expertise including service and support from an elite Dealer Network. Based in Pittsburgh (Moon Township, Pa.), CENTRIA's metal architectural systems are the perfect combination of science and aesthetics, offering advanced thermal and moisture protection, the broadest spectrum of design options, truly integrated components, and superior sustainability. CENTRIA invites you to explore the limitless possibilities metal provides for your next project and to reimagine metal at CENTRIA.com/ReimagineMetal or find CENTRIA on Facebook.