Environmental Leader

JohnsonDiversey Inc., a cleaning and hygiene solutions provider for business, reported environmental performance improvements in 2008 for five key areas — effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD), waste disposal, total water usage, net water efficiency and total energy usage– including a 23 percent per metric ton reduction in energy use, according to its latest sustainability report.

The company said its overall plan is to use more fuel-efficient vehicles worldwide, upgrade the energy efficiency of its buildings and operations, investigate alternative energy sources such as fuel cells and wind turbines, implement policies to reduce employee travel, and educate employees about the impact of their day-to-day decisions on energy use at work and at home.

Key highlights in the report indicate that JohnsonDiversey has made environmental progress at various facilities around the globe including a reduction in water discharge at sites in India, Japan and China; adoption of water-savings technologies in several manufacturing facilities; installation of energy-efficient lighting, heating, and steam and compressed-air systems; and consolidation of warehouse operations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption.

As an example, JohnsonDiversey consolidated four warehouse operations into one near its manufacturing facility in Gebze, Turkey, and installed a lift and conveyor system between the factory and warehouse to eliminate truck movement between the locations.

These efforts are expected to help reduce its logistics-related emissions by 25 percent, including the elimination of 457 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. It will cut JohnsonDiversey’s consumption of diesel fuel by an estimated 160,000 liters per year, and by eliminating 457,000 kilometers of road travel per year, it will reduce the company’s consumption of oil and tires, and decrease the chance of traffic accidents.

The company’s “Going Green” initiative launched in November 2007 has already resulted in energy consumption savings. For example, by installing energy-saving plugs at its office outlets in the Denmark operation, it contributed to a five to ten percent reduction in electricity use at those facilities in 2008.

In addition, a drive to increase recycling resulted in a 14 percent reduction in the waste stream in Denmark, and the installation of new, low-flow toilets reduced water consumption by 18 percent. A recycling effort in Germany in 2007 contributed to a 262-metric ton reduction in waste.

JohnsonDiversey has implemented a tire pressure check in several countries in Europe, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 800 metric tons per year. Company vehicles are estimated to contribute 38 percent of JohnsonDiversey’s carbon dioxide emissions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The company has also initiated several sustainability programs including water- and energy-management at its global headquarters in Sturtevant, Wisconsin.

By focusing on green-building principles such as energy efficiency, use of natural lighting and workspace controls for lighting, the company expects to save more than $90,000 per year. The building collects storm water to irrigate the grounds near the building, reducing its use of potable water by more than 2 million gallons a year.

The company realigned its transportation operations in Europe and North America in 2008, which resulted in reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, improved safety and reduced costs. As an example, at its second largest European manufacturing plant in Enschede, The Netherlands, the facility reduced carbon dioxide emissions from product transportation operations by 7.3 percent.

In North America, JohnsonDiversey partnered with a third party to manage its product transportation, which in two years, delivered a 5.1 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions related to truck and rail shipments, despite the 4.4-percent increase in the number of shipments. The company also participates in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership to drive additional reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

As an example of environmental improvements in manufacturing, the Villefranche, France, manufacturing facility reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) generated by the plant’s wastewater by 31 percent. COD is a measure of the organic compounds in water, and is a means of evaluating the level of organic pollution in wastewater, said the company.

The company participates in the World Wildlife Fund Climate Savers initiative, which resulted in a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 8 percent by 2013 in all of its operations around the world.