FOUR SHAW FACILITIES RECEIVE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE CALIFORNIA WASTE REDUCTION AWARD
02.02.2010
The four facilities manufacture products for Shaw’s Patcraft and Tuftex brands. Two of the facilities also recently announced Zero Waste to Landfill status.
The facilities’ ongoing waste reduction leadership has played a vital role in the company’s overall progress towards an overall corporate waste to landfill reduction goal, and it demonstrates the value of Shaw’s participation in public-private partnerships such as CalRecycle and EPA’s WasteWise, according to Vice President of Sustainability Rick Ramirez
"Shaw’s corporate goal is to reduce waste to landfill by 90 percent by year-end 2011, with the overall objective being zero waste to landfill for our entire organization," Ramirez said. "The waste reduction initiatives implemented by our California facilities continue to serve as a model of best practices for other facilities within our organization as well as for manufacturers in other industries looking to successfully reduce – or eliminate – their waste to landfill."
"A healthy business community is indispensable to our economy, and the steps these WRAP winners have taken toward resource management, recycling, and waste reduction are impressive," said CalRecycle Director Margo Reid Brown. "All these businesses have managed to make their bottom line greener while helping preserve our environment."
According to Tuftex Environmental and Risk Manager Bill Woyshner, the four Shaw facilities have diverted approximately 10 million pounds of waste from landfills in a year, saving $1,736,541 through decreased landfill costs, waste reduction and reuse in the process.
"Receiving WRAP recognition for the fifth year in a row is an achievement and a commitment," said Woyshner, who was recently appointed to California’s LA County Sanitation District’s Industry Advisory Council, a group charged with bridging the gap between regulatory agencies and the business community through a focus on sustainability, green chemistry and best practices.
"We are proud of the work the award represents, and in keeping with Shaw’s commitment to sustainability through innovation – the Shaw Green Edge, we are also looking forward to setting new standards for waste reduction through our participation in the WRAP program and our partnership with CalRecycle."
About CalRecycle (formerly the California Integrated Waste Management Board)
Officially known as the Department of Resources Recycling and Recover, CalRecycle is a new department within the California Natural Resources Agency. It administers programs formerly managed by the State’s Integrated Waste Management Board and Division of Recycling. CalRecycle oversees, manages and tracks California’s 92 million tons of waste generated each year. CalRecycle promotes a sustainable environment where these resources are not wasted, but can be reused or recycled. CalRecycle also promotes the use of new technologies for the practice of diverting California’s resources away from landfills. For more information, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov.
About the Shaw Green Edge
Sustainability through InnovationTM That’s the Shaw Green Edge®. It’s our commitment to create the most beautiful – and sustainable – flooring in the world. And to help create a better planet for our customers, our people and our communities in the process. Rooted in our drive to continuously improve every aspect of our business, the Shaw Green Edge guides everything we do, every day – from maintaining the highest ethical standards to safeguarding the health and well‐being of our people and our communities, to conserving energy and water and recycling raw materials, to designing cradle to cradle products that can be remanufactured over and over again. Because setting the standard for environmental excellence, social responsibility and product design is more than our responsibility. It’s also good business. And it’s our legacy.
About Shaw Industries
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider with more than $5 billion in annual sales and 26,000 associates. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial product applications worldwide. A recognized leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw has implemented hundreds of sustainability initiatives and cradle to cradle design solutions collectively termed the Shaw Green Edge. For more information, visit www.shawgreenedge.com.
