UniCarriers Americas recently received the 2013 Green Supply Chain Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive for its efforts to incorporate a green initiative into its core supply chain strategy.
The Green Supply Chain Award recognizes companies that are making green or sustainability a core part of their supply chain strategy and that are working to achieve measurable sustainability goals within their own operations and/or supply chains in the areas of sourcing/procurement, fulfillment/logistics, operations, product life-cycle management and other areas of the supply chain.
Submissions were judged based on the clarity and content of the goals and strategy, the extent of the steps being taken, the impact of the results to date and projected results, and the form and presentation of the information submitted.
"We are very proud of our efforts for achieving this award," said Dale Mark, vice president of manufacturing operations for UniCarriers Americas. "We set very strategic goals for our accomplishments, and the results have exceeded our expectations. We plan to move forward with new initiatives that will continue to build on our accomplishments in the future."
"Our readers are implementing sustainable initiatives within their business processes, and they want to know that other leading companies in the supply chain are also with them in the same approach," said Barry Hochfelder, editor of Supply & Demand Chain Executive. "Our goal is to honor those companies in our annual awards and credit them with the recognition they deserve. Taking that first step — knowing where to start when initiating a 'green' plan in one's business — it's not always the easiest thing to do. We honor this year's top 51 recipients for recognizing that there is a need for supply chain sustainability processes and for contributing to this practice with their global, eco-friendly industry actions."
UniCarriers Americas' supply chain strategies include corporate initiatives and practices that govern the cautious use of both renewable and non-renewable resources within the manufacturing facility and offices located in Marengo, Ill. The company's most recent accomplishments include marked reductions in the carbon footprint through a decline in carbon dioxide and volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminants released into the environment, as well as a substantial drop in its waste-to-landfill ratio.
Since 2007, the company's carbon dioxide output has dropped 53.2 percent. Within that same time period, the facility produced 91.5 percent less waste. In October 2013, UniCarriers Americas achieved its goal of becoming a "zero waste-to-landfill" facility two months ahead of schedule. Improvements in the painting process have resulted in the single largest contributor to its near-zero emissions rate.
Additionally, UniCarriers Americas recycles all wood, paper, steel, plastics, steel turnings, electronic scrap and cardboard. The company is currently working with a supplier on its waste-to-energy directive, generating power through heating of waste materials to power a steam turbine. All waste not deemed recyclable is burned for energy, and all waste chemicals are treated to be chemically neutral or burned for energy.
For more information, visit www.unicarriersamericas.com.
