September 22nd, Whitacre Greer implemented a recycling program for cardboard and plastic. One month after beginning the program, Plant Engineer/EHS Manager John Miller reported that 747 pounds of plastic and 796 pounds of cardboard had been recycled. Miller estimates that recycled cardboard and plastic could top 18,000 pounds over a one-year period and added that Whitacre Greer will now look to identify areas in which the use of plastic and cardboard can be reduced. Cardboard, plastic stapping and wrap are used in the packaging of pavers, firebrick and split firebrick. The recycling effort has had a noticeable effect on the level of waste filling the company’s trash hopper and will lead to a cost savings as a result of less frequent pickups.
Chief Plant Electrician Bobby Binius is engaged in another project to improve the efficiency of Whitacre Greer’s Alliance, OH facility. Binius has been installing higher efficiency T5 lighting throughout the plant and offices in an effort to reduce the company’s carbon footprint through lower energy costs. In areas of the plant that are less frequently travelled, Binius has installed motion sensors to control the intensity of the lighting.
