Manufacturing & Industry » Georgia Environmental Partnership

GEP Success Stories

Georgia Department Of Corrections
Reidsville, GA

- Comprehensive water efficiency program for canning plant

- Multifaceted program tracks usage, utilizes counterflow rinsing, and dry clean-up practices

- Peak water usage down 57 percent; approximately 25 million gallons each year

Metcam, Inc.
Alpharetta, GA

Installed an ultra filtration membrane and rinse counterflow system to reduce reject rates, chemical use and wastewater generation
Results:

- Operating costs reduced by 78%

- Rinse wastewater reduced by 96%

- Annual cost savings of almost $30,000

- Internal rate of return of 105%

- Evaporator cost avoidance of $42,000

Wal-Mart Supercenter
Athens, GA

An Athens Wal-Mart Super Center was used as a model assessment for ways to achieve by-product recovery, renewable energy use and sustainability momentum.

UGA recommendations pointed to a potential 124 million cubic feet of natural gas per year displaced by renewable fuels (by-product oils and grease from store operations).

Recommendations are being pilot-tested by the company in Super Centers in Missouri, Texas and Colorado. Wal-Mart is sharing their innovations with their competitors worldwide further demonstrating their commitment to the environment.

Pratt Industries USA
Conyers, GA

Recycles old corrugated cardboard and uses a large quantity of water for the process.

GEP recommended the use of the reclaimed wastewater from the county wastewater treatment plant as a source.

The use of reclaimed water will save the company approximately $130,000 per year, and over 90 million gallons per year of fresh water will be conserved.

Fleetwood Homes of Georgia
Douglas, GA

Recommended using wood waste material to manufacture wall studs

140 tons of wood waste will be diverted from the landfill each year

Annual savings of $125,000 due to avoided disposal and transportation costs

Cedartown Manufacturing, LLC
Cedartown, GA

Suggested modifying cotton processing equipment

Reduced amount of cotton fiber rejects

Changes save $18,000 and 25,000 pounds of fiber per year.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Comapny
C-130J Aircraft Painting
Marietta, GA

Training, equipment upgrades and procedural changes reduced waste and material usage, resulting in annual cost savings of $37,000.

New paint spray equipment improved application efficiency and reduced paint usage by 27% per aircraft.

By consolidating the paint supply into a central unit, paint waste was reduced by 4.5 gallons per aircraft and solvent by 8 gallons per aircraft. Hazardous waste generation was reduced by 19%.

In addition to material and waste reductions, Lockheed also saw an improvement in the quality of the coating.