Southampton, PA — NewAge® Industries, the maker of AdvantaPure® products for pharmaceutical and biotech industries and a manufacturer of plastic tubing and rubber hose, recently took several steps to support the green effort. It revamped its trash disposal system to increase recycling, completed several building improvements, and discontinued printing its product catalog. Besides being environmentally responsible, the changes are helping the company’s bottom line.
“Let’s face it,” says Ken Baker, CEO. “It’s tough for a company that manufactures plastic tubing to call itself green—most of today’s plastics are petroleum-based. So we’ve made efforts to recycle more and to reduce our energy consumption in a number of ways.”
A few months ago NewAge reorganized its trash disposal program to include recycling and compacting. Interestingly the catalyst for the effort was a team member, not management or a local mandate. After a brief training class, coworkers became enthused about the program and quickly jumped on board. It’s a simple process to sort trash into two cans—recyclable and non.
Benefits were realized immediately. In addition to helping the environment, the company saw a cost savings of 60% in its trash hauling charges in the program’s first five months. Recycling at work is raising green awareness at home, too. Team members are encouraged to bring in recyclable items, including plastics numbered 1 through 7, that their local municipalities do not accept. This keeps more trash out of landfills.
Recent building upgrades at the company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in Southampton, PA, include:
• Changing outdated light fixtures in its warehouse and manufacturing areas to energy efficient styles. The new lighting is brighter, too, making it easier for team members to read equipment and product labels.
• Sealing warehouse floors to eliminate concrete dust and dirt. The benefits are less pollution, cleaner product packaging, and healthier breathing for team members.
• Installing screens on all dock doors to allow ventilation without debris and insects entering the building. Exhaust fans on the roof are run much less often, saving energy.
As NewAge continues to expand its clean room facilities for the production of AdvantaPure Single Use Systems (SUS) for the pharmaceutical market, it incorporates building upgrades such as new light fixtures and energy efficient ventilation systems.
Late last year NewAge stopped printing a full-line product catalog. The 120-page book had been the staple of the company’s sales force for decades, and discontinuing it was a heated topic among team members. The company decided to print smaller, material-focused books in house on an as-needed basis. The benefits include using much less paper, creating less waste, and allowing for up-to-date product specifications. It also helps shift customers and potential buyers to the company’s web site, where PDF versions of each of the smaller catalogs are available.
NewAge Industries, Inc.
www.newageindustries.com
::Design World::
Filed Under: Tubing components, Green engineering • renewable energy • sustainability, Medical-device manufacture