Closure manufacturer in the US, Portola Packaging has announced that the company’s North American facilities have achieved reduction in energy usage by almost 20% over the past two years, and recycled more than 5.5 million lbs of material.
In 2011, the company reported an 8% reduction in energy usage, besides a 10.5% decrease in 2010 as compared to 2009. Its plants recycled more than three million lbs of material including plastic regrind, corrugated, paper, aluminum and steel, when compared to 2.5 million lbs in 2010.
Portola president and chief executive officer Kevin Kwilinski said the company's conservation goals begin with responsible manufacturing, which includes upstream processes that use material in a possible way to avoid back end recycling.
"We also believe in partnering with our customers and communities to help make that happen," Kwilinski added.
Portola said more than 20 different initiatives have contributed to the energy conservation efforts, which include waste water management, replacement of poor efficiency equipment and improving air compressor optimization. The initiatives were taken up across all eight of the company's plants - four US facilities, three Canadian plants and one in Mexico.
The company's material recycling efforts included production scrap/regrind, corrugated shippers, hydraulic oil waste, scrap metal, aluminum cans and paper.
Portola is also working with customers on an individual basis to convert shipments from corrugated boxes to Gaylords, in order to achieve shipment of 30-35% more closures per truckload and achieve reduction in fuel and packaging materials costs significantly.
Besides its North American facilities, Portola's five international manufacturing plants in China, UK, New Zealand and the Czech Republic are also working on a parallel environmental stewardship path.
