Success Stories

Manufacturing/Repair

Business: Alcan Cable (Roseburg)

Number of Employees: 150

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• Alcan Cable works with customers to reduce the amount of packaging material required. For example, Alcan Cable no longer wraps certain products in plastic wrap prior to shipment.
• Gaylord containers and pallets are reused or sold for reuse.
• Alcan Cable recycles office paper, newsprint, and cardboard, and virtually 100% of the 2 million pounds of aluminum scrap produced each year. The company recently began recycling 26 tons per year of plastic scrap resulting from insulation coating around the cable.

Case Study

None

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Business: Cameron Graphics (Beaverton)

Number of Employees: 7

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Cameron Graphics prints materials for customers in the Portland area. Emphasizing employee training in waste prevention and efficiency measures has decreased purchasing costs five percent and increased salable product from 90-99% of the average print job.

• The amount of paper allocated to each print job was gradually reduced and employees were challenged to identify methods to maintain quality output while using less paper.
• Opportunities for waste reduction are discussed and tracked at quarterly review meetings.
• Previously discarded margin waste paper is now reused during job setup prior to recycling.
• During job setup, a density reading is used to measure the correct quantity of ink applied to the paper. Meter readings are recorded and used to efficiently duplicate job setup, saving time, paper and ink.

Case Study

• Case study exists, call Metro, 503-234-3000.

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Business: City of Milwaukie (Milwaukie)

Number of Employees: 148

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The City of Milwaukie has four buildings: City Hall, Ledding Library, Public Security (fire and police), and the Johnson Creek Building (offices and shops).

• Reduced hot water temperature at all faucets to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $104/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 230 therms/year.
• Installed water conserving valves on all urinals in men’s restrooms. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $97/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 25,000 gallons/year.
• Purchased a unit to recondition rechargeable batteries. After multiple rechargings, most batteries lose their ability to hold a charge. Reconditioning restores the batteries so that they can be recharged and reused again. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $274/year (net). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 55 pounds/year.
• Reduced paper use across all City offices by 6% through employee education about double-sided copying and efficient printing and formatting practices. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $351/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 585 pounds of paper/year.
• Encourages reuse of filing folders, hanging files, and other office supplies.
• Installed a crank timer for lights in a storage loft. This turns the lights off after 10 to 30 minutes. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $321/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 7,400 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.
• Installed a crank timer for lights in the parking garage. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $522/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 11,000 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.
• Reduced outside night-time lighting levels by 50% to 75% at the Johnson Creek Building offices and shops. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $3,211/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50,900 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.
• Fixed a shower drip in a locker room. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $28/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 16 therms (gas) and 4,900 gallons (water)/year.
• Fixed a leak at the truck/car wash. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $113/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 29,200 gallons/year.
• Incorporated recycled content building materials into several remodeling projects.

Case Study

• Report available on use of recycled building materials in remodeling projects. Call Metro, 503-234-3000.

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Business: Corvallis City Shop (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 16

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• The Corvallis City Shop is heated by a boiler which heats water. The water is circulated through a series of fans (blowers) located throughout the building. The City discovered that the boiler had been disconnected from its time clock, and was running ‘round the clock. The City reconnected the boiler to the time clock so that the boiler only runs during occupied hours. In addition, the City installed a thermometer and control device to decrease the boiler temperature as the outside temperature increases. These measures cut natural gas use at the City Shop by more than 50%. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $2,500/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,180 therms/year (natural gas).
• Repaired a leak in a shop sink. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $12/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 4,400 gallons/year.

Case Study

None

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Business: Corvallis Gazette-Times (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 110

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• Upgraded its heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Four controls were added to sense outside air temperature and adjust the heating and cooling system accordingly. A new direct digitally controlled fan with variable speed intake was installed to increase the use of "free" outside air to cool the building during morning and evening hours. The increased fresh air intake into the building is expected to improve indoor air quality as well as employee comfort and productivity, while reducing energy bills. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $11,500/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 123,000 kWh/year and 12,921 therms (natural gas)/year.
• Discovered that the float valve on the roof-top cooling tower was stuck in the ‘open’ position and was flooding the cooling tower with wasted water. Fixing the float valve cut water use by 64%. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $2,900/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,480,000 gallons/year.

Case Study

None

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Business: Delta Engineering and Manufacturing (Tualatin)

Number of Employees: unknown

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Delta Engineering manufactures and assembles precision custom sheet metal parts for its customers.

• Created a "closed-loop system" for some transport packaging. By convincing a customer to use a local vendor for an interim manufacturing step, Delta Engineering was able to create custom packaging to ship sheet metal parts. The second vendor inserts additional components, then ships the completed assembly to the end customer. The durable cardboard packaging is returned to Delta Engineering and is reused at least 10 times before being recycled. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: more than $50,000/year.
• Modular wheeled metal racks are used for parts delivery to a local customer. Large parts are loaded onto multi-layered racks, covered with reusable protectors and secured with flexible cords. Racks are delivered directly to the customer’s assembly area and empty racks are brought back to Delta Engineering.
• The closure for a specific cardboard box was changed from tape and staples to Velcro. The improved carton is returned to Delta Engineering and reused for two to three years before being recycled.
• Delta Engineering designed and built reusable containers to ship one of its products to a customer. After shipment, the customized containers are returned to Delta Engineering. The cardboard and wood containers are reused as many as 130 times.
• Manufacturing areas that have the highest cleanliness requirements receive new cardboard sheets used to separate and protect parts during manufacturing. Slightly used separators are passed on to other work areas with decreasing requirements for cleanliness.
• Foam pads, similar to the cardboard sheets, are also used several times, including shipments to customers. Pads are returned to Delta Engineering when possible.
• Pallets are reused on site and returned to suppliers for reuse when possible.

Case Study

• Case study exists, call Metro, 503-234-3000.

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Business: Evanite Fiber Corporation (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 330

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Evanite Fiber Corporation has three manufacturing facilities at its Corvallis campus: hardboard (wood interior panels), glass fibers, and battery separator material.

• Faced with an air compressor system that was not performing well enough, Evanite reconfigured and repaired leaks in the compressor system. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $36,000/year in electric bills, plus an avoided capital cost of $27,000 to replace the compressor system. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 900,000 kWh/year (estimated).
• When Evanite closed one if its plants, a purchasing agent chose to list 34 items needing removal as "available" materials in the Industrial Materials Exchange (IMEX). Within two months, Evanite had found users ranging from Portland to New Jersey for 12 of these listings, including various types of plastics and organic chemicals. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: at least $3,500 in avoided disposal costs. The market value of materials reused is over $11,500.

Case Study

• Case study exists.

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Business: Fred Meyer Baking Plant (Clackamas)

Number of Employees: unknown

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• Identified and corrected water leaks and drips totaling 709,000 gallons per year. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $3,280/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,772 therms (natural gas) and 709,000 gallons (water)/year.
• Changed the packing procedure for bear claws and other pastries. Previously, packing staff had not always had enough time to switch packaging types when production shifted from one product to another. For example, at the end of a batch of bear claws, staff would need to move the packaged bear claws out of the packing area and prepare to package the next product. Insufficient time to make the switch meant that the last products in any given batch were often trashed. By increasing the time between product lines (at the packing end) by three minutes, this problem was largely eliminated. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 12,480 pounds/year.

Case Study

None

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Business: Graphic Sciences (Portland)

Number of Employees: unknown

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As part of an ink manufacturing process, Graphic Sciences added a cooling tower to the pigment grinding process. This allows most of the cooling water to be reused, cutting water use by 80%. The installation paid for itself in a matter of months, helping to make lower cost ink of the same quality using less water. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,500,000 gallons/year.

Case Study

• Call the City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development, 503-823-7222.

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Business: Hershey Studios (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 7

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Hershey Studios creates fine art cards and sells them in its own store and through other stationery and gift stores.

• Several times a year, a text sheet is sent to retail customers, showing the cards currently available. It was redesigned to be folded, taped and mailed without an envelope. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $488/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 150 pounds /year.
• To clean up spills of ink and paint, the studio obtained discarded rags from a local hotel, eliminating the use of disposable paper towels. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $69/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 40 pounds of paper towels/year.

Case Study

None

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Business: Lochmead Dairy (Junction City)

Number of Employees: 40

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Lochmead Dairy sells milk, ice cream, and other products through its 45 Dari-Mart stores, which are all located within 35 miles of the dairy (between Philomath and Creswell). At least 45% of all milk Lochmead processes is sold in reusable bottles, and an estimated 93.5% of the bottles are returned for reuse. The durable polycarbonate containers are lightweight, virtually unbreakable, and can be refilled 100 times. Customers pay a 60 cent deposit and collect the money when they bring the empty bottle back, although most people put the money toward their next milk purchase. Lochmead also provides non-returnable containers to shoppers who don’t want to return them.

Case Study

None

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Business: Me and Company (Winston)

Number of Employees: 2

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Me and Company is a stained glass studio, including retail sales of stained glass supplies and space for classes and workshops.

• All scrap glass generated in the studio is saved for use in smaller projects or donated to the art teacher at Douglas High School for student projects.
• Broken window glass is accepted from the public for use in teaching students how to cut glass.
• Recovering lead from leaded stained glass projects and waste solder is a skill taught to classes.
• Polystyrene packing peanuts, office paper, and paper towels used to clean glass pieces are reused.
• Work tables are made from scrap lumber or old kitchen cabinets.
• Scrap glass bins are old kitchen cabinet drawers.
• Cardboard, yard waste, and beverage containers are also recycled.

Case Study

None

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Business: OECO Corporation (Milwaukie)

Number of Employees: unknown

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OECO Corporation, a manufacturing firm, used to duplicate and distribute policy, procedure, health and safety, and other manual updates to each department. Now, manuals are updated on the computer and one master (printed) copy is kept. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $2,100/year.

Case Study

None

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Business: RBD Enterprises (Bend)

Number of Employees: <10

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RBD Enterprises repairs and sells used electron microscopes and other imaging equipment used by research laboratories.

• RBD uses polystyrene packing "peanuts" to protect some of the sensitive equipment during shipping. Through participation in a local resource efficiency program, the company learned that another local business, Periwinkle (a retailer) had polystyrene "peanuts" from its suppliers that it was tossing out. Periwinkle now saves its waste packaging for RBD, who no longer has to purchase new "peanuts." FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $600/year (to RBD Enterprises). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 600 pounds/year.
• Switched from folded paper towels to cloth towels in employee restrooms. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $38/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50 pounds of paper towels/year.

Case Study

None

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Business: Rogue Wave Software (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 175

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Rogue Wave Software develops, markets, and ships computer software products that support software libraries for computer programmers and math experts. The company has implemented several efficiencies in its product packaging:

• Previously, each product (which might consist of several disks and manuals) was packed in a small corrugated cardboard box. Since many of Rogue Wave’s customers order more than one product at a time, these small boxes were then consolidated into one or more larger boxes. Under the new system, manuals and disks are shrink-wrapped together, eliminating the smaller boxes. This has reduced the weight of packaging sent to customers by an estimated 68% and significantly reduces staff time. FINANCIAL SAVINGS (packaging only): $21,000/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 26,200 pounds of packaging/year.
• All manual sizes have been standardized, eliminating the guesswork which was previously involved in trying to find the most efficient way to place manuals in the shipping boxes.
• A "box sizer" is used to adjust box height to fit the content, eliminating the need to stuff the tops of boxes with protective packaging.
• The purchase agreement for each program is printed directly onto the envelope used to protect the disk, eliminating the need for a separate piece of paper.
• Some boxes received from the company’s printer are reused to ship large orders of manuals.

Case Study

• Case study exists.

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Business: Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc.

Number of Employees: 22

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Stahlbush Island Farms is a grower and processor of fruits and vegetables. Most of the company’s customers are large food product manufacturers.

• Water use has been reduced by more than 50%, due to an innovative system where water is used in three or four different applications. Water is used to cool hot pumpkin puree and compressor oil, and to condense ammonia refrigerant. The warmed water is then used to pre-heat both the boiler and pumpkins. Wastewater from pumpkin and equipment washing is applied to fields for irrigation.
• Timers were installed on fan motors in freezers so that fans don’t run all of the time. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $4,500/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 133,000 kWh/year.
• As targeted motors wear out, they are replaced with high-efficiency motors. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: when fully implemented, this will save $2,300/year in electric bills. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50,000 kWh/year.
• Only "natural" (uncolored) five gallon HDPE plastic pails are used. These pails are easier for customers to recycle.
• Ammonia compressor head pressure and boiler pressure have been adjusted to conserve energy.
• The farm composts food scraps and is experimenting with using food scraps as cattle feed.
• Some bulk products are shipped in reconditioned drums.
• Corrugated cardboard boxes and office paper are recycled.

Case Study

• Case study exists.

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