Alpha Rho, New England’s largest plastic box manufacturer, amps up its green index commitment with the help of North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and NuGen Capital Management, the company supporting the Lunenburg solar project. A Rhode Island company recently built a solar power plant in Lunenburg, MA, and the company struck a deal with the chamber to sell its net metering credits from the plant to local manufacturers. Alpha Rho is among the six local manufacturers from the Fitchburg, MA, area to take advantage of this locally produced energy.
Alpha Rho’s decision to use renewable energy at its Fitchburg plant would allow the company to save money on energy bills over time, while simultaneously reducing the region’s ecological footprint. David Tall, President of Alpha Rho commented, “We are happy to be part of the rapidly growing green energy business in Massachusetts. It not only helps us run our plastics molding plant efficiently, but it is also the right thing to do.”
Green Greener Greenest
Whether it’s through recycling 90% of its waste, signing up to purchase “green power,” or manufacturing biodegradable green plastics rather than petroleum-based plastics, Alpha Rho is doing its bit to make a difference. There are many ways manufacturing companies can spend their time and money to green their manufacturing process and also contribute to a healthier environment. Energy being the single largest operating expense after raw materials in the manufacturing sector, energy-efficient production would not only help reduce the energy usage, lower operational costs, and generate real savings for the companies, but is also a great way for manufacturers to differentiate themselves from the competition. Here are some simple tips for companies to follow in order to achieve green, greener, and greenest energy best practices across the supply chain:
1) Power the entire facility using renewable energy sources such as water, solar matter, geothermal, hydropower, and plant matter.
2) Get an energy audit.
3) Replace outdated machinery with energy-efficient machinery.
4) Utilize natural, biodegradable cleaning materials throughout the facility.
5) Reduce energy usage significantly through regular maintenance and replacement of the cooling system, insulation, lighting fixtures, roofing, and thermostats.
6) Use renewable, resource-based materials in the manufacturing facility.
7) Implement a green policy within the workplace to make it more efficient and environmentally friendly. For instance, each desk and production area should have recycling bins for paper, printer cartridges, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, and other waste material.
8) Encourage employees to turn off or shut down idle processing equipment, lights, fans, air compressors, and other types of energy-consuming equipment when they are not in use.
Creating More Plastic with Less Energy
According to the report prepared by the Society of the Plastics Industry and the U.S. Department of Energy, “The plastics industry employs about 8% to 9% of the U.S. manufacturing workforce, and it consumes approximately 6% of all the energy used by U.S. industries.” Despite this, the plastics industry plays an important role in the larger movement for reducing carbon footprints.
Plastic Plays its Part in the Green Revolution:
1) Over the lifetime of the average car, plastic parts save 650 gallons of gas as a result of their light weight.
2) By using plastics in their packaging, product manufacturers save enough energy every year to power a city of 1 million homes for 3.5 years.
3) Plastics help conserve resources. Using lightweight, durable, formable plastics, manufacturers can minimize raw materials used, energy consumed, and waste generated.
And, by following energy-efficient practices within the plastic molding facilities, plastic manufacturers can also go green!
Sustainable Plastic Packaging for Eco-Conscious Manufacturers
Whether it is food and beverage, medical, dental, automotive, construction, retail and other industry type, plastic is the material of choice for all kinds of packaging needs. While the convenience, cost, and performance properties of plastic give it an edge over other alternative materials, the demand for sustainable plastic packaging is on the upswing among environmentally conscious consumers.
Looking for sustainable plastic packaging? Alpha Rho is the direct source for sustainable plastics and green packaging.
