Post by Aurora40 on Oct 13, 2005 11:02:37 GMT -6
Flint Engine Plant Recycles or Reuses All Waste
Flint, MI -- General Motors Flint Engine South is the first GM manufacturing facility in the U.S. to divert all of its waste away from landfills, instead recycling or turning the waste into something usable.
The plant is one of the first automotive manufacturing plants in the U.S. to reach this achievement. Over 97 percent of the plant’s waste materials (7,775 tons) are recycled and less than 3 percent (or 211 tons) are converted to energy at waste-to-energy facilities.
“GM has a long commitment to protecting the environment,” said Ray Tessier, group director, Environmental Services, General Motors. “Our environmental principles state that ‘we are committed to reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources and recycling material at every stage of the product life cycle.’ What better way to support this principle than through such an achievement? We hope this is the first of many facilities to achieve this challenging goal.”
In the past year, waste streams from the plant included the following materials:
* Metals (6700 tons)
* Used oil (786 tons)
* Compactor waste (172 tons)
* Industrial waste (39 tons)
* Cardboard (95 tons)
* Scrap plastic (53 tons)
* Wood (75 tons)
* Roll media filters (36 tons)
* Batteries (21 tons)
* Office paper (9 tons)
* Medical waste (0.1 tons)
“The people at the Flint Engine South Plant worked very hard to achieve this goal”, said Steve Finch, plant manager. “Not only is it good for the environment, it is also good for the bottom line, as we recycle material rather than paying to put it in the landfill. This shows that environmental leadership and business leadership are complementary goals.”
The environmental benefits of the plant’s waste recycling efforts include the prevention of over 44,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions being emitted into the atmosphere as a direct result of the plant’s recycling efforts. The plant’s recycling of office paper, wood, and cardboard alone saves over 3,000 mature trees annually.
From an energy conservation standpoint, the 211 tons of plant waste used to produce energy are equivalent to the use of 100 tons of coal in a utility boiler to produce electricity. The power generated is enough to provide the annual electricity needs of more than 50 homes.
In North America, General Motors facilities have reduced non-recycled waste by over 67 percent since 1997 by either increasing recycling rates or eliminating the generation of waste. These same North American facilities currently recycle nearly 88 percent of the waste they generate. Globally, the recycling rate for GM facilities is approximately 86 percent.
Flint Engine South builds the award-winning GM Vortec 4200 I-6 engine that powers many of GM’s SUVs and trucks. The plant opened in 2000 and began production in 2001. There are approximately 700 employees, 600 of which are represented by UAW Local 659. The plant has 733,000 square feet and is currently beginning construction on an addition to the facility to build a module of GM’s global V-6 engines. In 2004, the plant produced 445,648 engines.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 317,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company’s history. GM’s global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
Flint, MI -- General Motors Flint Engine South is the first GM manufacturing facility in the U.S. to divert all of its waste away from landfills, instead recycling or turning the waste into something usable.
The plant is one of the first automotive manufacturing plants in the U.S. to reach this achievement. Over 97 percent of the plant’s waste materials (7,775 tons) are recycled and less than 3 percent (or 211 tons) are converted to energy at waste-to-energy facilities.
“GM has a long commitment to protecting the environment,” said Ray Tessier, group director, Environmental Services, General Motors. “Our environmental principles state that ‘we are committed to reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources and recycling material at every stage of the product life cycle.’ What better way to support this principle than through such an achievement? We hope this is the first of many facilities to achieve this challenging goal.”
In the past year, waste streams from the plant included the following materials:
* Metals (6700 tons)
* Used oil (786 tons)
* Compactor waste (172 tons)
* Industrial waste (39 tons)
* Cardboard (95 tons)
* Scrap plastic (53 tons)
* Wood (75 tons)
* Roll media filters (36 tons)
* Batteries (21 tons)
* Office paper (9 tons)
* Medical waste (0.1 tons)
“The people at the Flint Engine South Plant worked very hard to achieve this goal”, said Steve Finch, plant manager. “Not only is it good for the environment, it is also good for the bottom line, as we recycle material rather than paying to put it in the landfill. This shows that environmental leadership and business leadership are complementary goals.”
The environmental benefits of the plant’s waste recycling efforts include the prevention of over 44,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions being emitted into the atmosphere as a direct result of the plant’s recycling efforts. The plant’s recycling of office paper, wood, and cardboard alone saves over 3,000 mature trees annually.
From an energy conservation standpoint, the 211 tons of plant waste used to produce energy are equivalent to the use of 100 tons of coal in a utility boiler to produce electricity. The power generated is enough to provide the annual electricity needs of more than 50 homes.
In North America, General Motors facilities have reduced non-recycled waste by over 67 percent since 1997 by either increasing recycling rates or eliminating the generation of waste. These same North American facilities currently recycle nearly 88 percent of the waste they generate. Globally, the recycling rate for GM facilities is approximately 86 percent.
Flint Engine South builds the award-winning GM Vortec 4200 I-6 engine that powers many of GM’s SUVs and trucks. The plant opened in 2000 and began production in 2001. There are approximately 700 employees, 600 of which are represented by UAW Local 659. The plant has 733,000 square feet and is currently beginning construction on an addition to the facility to build a module of GM’s global V-6 engines. In 2004, the plant produced 445,648 engines.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 317,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company’s history. GM’s global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
From:http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=3&docid=19549
