More of Our Story
Our 2011 Sustainability Report provides a lot of insight into our efforts company-wide to address sustainability.
But it’s just a snapshot of the work we’re doing. Here are some additional examples of how we’re enhancing the sustainability of our operations, investing in our employees and supporting our local communities.
Taking the Heat
Running machinery, generating compressed air and curing coatings are all processes that generate heat. Rather than letting this heat go to waste, we are actively implementing novel ways to leverage this important resource to fuel our manufacturing operations worldwide. As a result, we are reducing waste and saving energy.
In the Spotlight: Batesville, MS, U.S.
- Action: This beverage can plant uses a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer to treat exhaust. Heat from this process is recovered and used directly in our process to provide the energy necessary for can washing.
- Result: Batesville is saving 240,000 therms of natural gas per year. The process also enables us to optimize temperatures for can washing operations.
In the Spotlight: Chatham, Ontario, Canada
- Action: General heat from machinery accumulates in the high ceilings of this food can plant. To direct this heat down to the plant floor, we added high volume, 24-foot diameter ceiling fans that run at low speeds.
- Result: The plant’s heating units operate less frequently, reducing natural gas consumption by 20%. When combined with the installation of programmable thermostats to optimize plant temperatures and other heat recovery initiatives, natural gas consumption has decreased by over 40%, or nearly 300,000 m3 annually, eliminating over 500 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Turning the Power Down, Smartly
Electricity is the driving force that powers our business, from manufacturing machinery on plant floors to the lights in our offices. As energy costs have soared, we have made electricity conservation a top priority. As part of this commitment, we have made significant investments to improve infrastructure and upgrade lines and equipment to reduce energy use. We have also stressed workforce education to encourage employees to become more aware of energy use and to adopt new practices.
In the Spotlight: Guadalajara, Mexico
- Action: Between 2007 and 2011, our beverage can plant in Guadalajara, Mexico took several steps to reduce electricity consumption. This included the installation of new energy-efficient lighting, the reprogramming of conveyors to stop when cans were not detected, and equipment and the integration of higher efficiency software.
- Results: Over this four year period, the plant reduced electricity use by nearly 20%.
In the Spotlight: Mexico City, Mexico
- Action: In 2007, highly efficient electronic current converters replaced rotary current converters on welding machines in this multi-product three-piece can production facility making food, aerosol and general line containers.
- Results: The plant reduced its electricity consumption on assembly line operations by 80% during the period from 2008 to 2010.
