The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources has recognized the TE Connectivity Pegg Road plant in Greensboro as a 2014 Environmental Steward, one of only 21 facilities in North Carolina to earn the coveted award for a commitment to superior environmental performance.
“Companies like TE Connectivity show that economic success and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand,” said John C. Evans, deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “The plant’s demonstrated energy reductions, its work with the local community on recycling efforts, and solid waste reduction goals show the plant’s commitment to balancing the needs of the environment with the demands of business.”
Stewards, like TE Connectivity, must demonstrate environmental leadership through a commitment to exemplary environmental performance beyond what is required by regulations. Stewards represent the highest of three levels of recognition for environmental performance in the state’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative.
An external advisory board recommended the recognition for the TE Connectivity plant. The board said the plant earned status as an Environmental Steward for several reasons, including the plant’s compliance history and its mature ISO 14001 environmental management system that has been certified by a third party since 2003. The advisory board also recognized the facility for its commitment to send zero waste to the landfill and to work with the community on environmental education. The board noted the plant’s ability to reduce its energy usage thanks to compressed air and heat loss improvements.
Jeff Dixon, senior manager, Greensboro Operations, said that the Pegg Road plant was built in 1994 and is a 168,000 sq-ft facility. “It includes sophisticated molding, assembly and testing capabilities for manufacturing critical electronic connection systems for the automotive industry,” he said. The plant is part of TE Transportation Solutions, a division that accounts for $6.1 billion of the company’s $14 billion overall revenue. Pegg is one of 90 worldwide manufacturing locations for TE.
Carl Schultz, senior director, EH&S, said that TE Connectivity is committed to being a responsible environmental steward and actively working to reduce our environmental footprint.
“Our efforts reduced greenhouse gas emissions for the company by 25% from 2010 to 2014, while our water usage was down 17% during that same time. TE is also a partner in the U.S. Department of Energy Better Plants Program and is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index,” Schultz said.
TE technologies are also helping the automobile industry reduce CO2 emissions, with key challenges being vehicle weight, fuel consumption and improved electrical efficiency. Lighter vehicles are key to greener transportation. The company successfully engineered copper to aluminum termination of wire harnesses in vehicles, and full termination can reduce the weight of a wire harness by about 15%. It also offers solutions that can positively impact vehicle emissions directly. Their Urea quality sensors can actively engage and understand the physical and chemical makeup of vehicle exhaust.
TE Connectivity
te.com
Filed Under: TECHNOLOGIES + PRODUCTS, Green engineering
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