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Plaid Conserves To Preserve

Simple changes can mean big savings.

Staff Report (May 5, 2008)

(Note: The following is another installment in CLN's period series on what industry companies are doing to make their businesses more eco-friendly.)

Plaid Enterprises, manufacturer of probably the widest array of product lines in our industry,

has implemented significant initiatives in an effort to contribute towards a clean environment and to sustain global resources. The company believes that, as a manufacturer operating a plant that has produced over 20 million gallons of paint, millions of stencils, and numerous other formulations, it is critical to recognize the need to conserve energy and resources. Plaid has implemented the following standards:

1. Waste water treated to eliminate solids and paint by-products allowing no solids to flow into public water system.

2. Well dug on Plaid's property produces 7,000-8,000 gallons of water a day, rather than utilizing city water.

3. Corrugated recycled with recently initiated process of import packing which resulted in cutting the amount of un-recyclable corrugated by 80%.

4. Plastic waste is recycled from stencil manufacturing process and returned to vendor who reuses material.

5. Gram weight has been taken out of plastic bottles.

6. Plastic bottles received in reusable totes make round trip between Plaid and supplier 15 times before being recycled, eliminating corrugated master shippers. Reduction of 50,000 corrugated cartons per year

7. Optimization software is used to select optimum size re-pack cartons in distribution to reduce corrugated usage

(Note: To read previous installments, click on "Helping the World in More Ways Than One," "Help People – And the World," and "Taking Care of Business – And Helping the World" in the right-hand column.

What is your company doing to preserve energy and natural resources? Tell CLN and we'll tell the industry. Send your thoughts to mike@clnonline.com.)

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