THINKING GREEN – HELPING THE PLANET
Recycle Steel, Recycle Paper, Recycle Paint, Recycle Everything
HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT
MATERIALS – Environmentally Friendly – Recycle
All steel component parts are made from a minimum of 50% recycled material, depending on vendor source.
Parts are powder coated to reduce environmentally unsafe airborne chemicals and hazardous waste and paint granules are recycled.
TECHNOLOGY – Thinking about the Environment
UNARCO uses a preferred “Paper Free” document system. Electronic document and file storage keeps thousands of pounds of paper out of file cabinets by maintaining accounting and plant records on servers rather than paper.
Tens of thousands of dollars have been invested in systems and software to promote preferred methods of billing, order reception and payment which require no paper or mailing. EDI transmissions, fax-to-email servers, wire transfers and ACH are used to reduce mailed content and printed paper.
AIR QUALITY – Protecting the Environment
UNARCO is very active in environmental protection and the safe handling of waste and the resourceful use of energy. UNARCO has won multiple environmental and community awards from state and national organizations. The State of Tennessee recognized UNARCO with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Hazardous Waste Management.
UNARCO was the first in the state to receive an operating permit under Title V Air Quality Standards. Many dollars in capital expenditures have been devoted to air quality systems.
RECYCLING – Good for the Environment
Nearly 20 million pounds of scrap metal and dunnage materials including wooden pallets and metal banding are separated and recycled each year to help the environment.
Chemicals and solvents are reclaimed and later sent off for fuel re-blending to keep them out of the environment. RECYCLE
Powder coat paint granules are reclaimed and recycled back into the lines with an overall efficiency of 95% utilization so they never touch the environment. RECYCLE
UNARCO joined the University of Tennessee to determine whether powder paint waste granules can be re-used to enhance microbial activity in soil and other experiments to save the environment. RECYCLE
New colors are being developed from waste powder paint with particles too small to reclaim and use. These small particles can be blended into a special color instead of ending up in the land fill thus harming the environment. RECYCLE
All computer equipment, electronics, cellular phones, batteries and supplies are recycled.
System Highlights:
Steel, Plastic, Wood scraps are all separated and recycled.
Cardboard boxes and totes are reused to transport recycled materials
Plastic banding used for inter-plant transfers is shredded and recycled
Computer components are separated and usable component parts are sent to Reuse Facilities
Powder coat paint waste is heavily monitored as UNARCO refines its processes to drive down the amount of generated scrap powder
Mill chemicals are refined and reused during the manufacturing process
A recent multi-million dollar investment in multiple powder coat pain lines has led to cost savings and a much more energy efficient operation. Energy costs have decreased by 17% over the last year not only saving money, but also helping the environment. Powder coat wasted from the new paint lines is 23% less because of process improvements and newer technology. Powder coatings are now brought in using extra-large totes, which are reused and multi-purposed in daily plant operations. The paint line investment has led to a much more streamlined use of energy and generated waste.
For more photos of Pallet Rack view the UNARCO Pallet Rack Photo Gallery.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT – Saving Energy – Helping the Environment
Energy consumption is carefully monitored and controlled to reduce waste during manufacturing. UNARCO is exploring alternative energy sources for controlling air temperature and quality within all plants. UNARCO teams with local municipalities to help the environment.
Recent experimentation has begun on paint curing times in ovens and the association with chemical composition of paints. Paint formulation is being adjusted to help conserve energy in ovens.