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Success Stories - Manufacturers
More and more businesses are implementing cost saving, environmentally friendly recycling, composting and waste reduction programs. Here are a few manufacturing companies in Cuyahoga County who are leading the way.
- NOSHOK, Inc.
- Ques Industries, Inc.
Working with the Solid Waste District, NOSHOK Inc. rapidly improves recycling by 40%
NOSHOK Inc. in Berea, Ohio is a leading manufacturer of pressure, temperature, level, and force measurement instrumentation serving major industries around the world. The facility is approximately 50,000 square feet and employs 48 people. There are two floors of offices and the manufacturing and shipping facility is behind these. The facilities manager contacted the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District business recycling specialist because he wanted to improve the company’s recycling program, reduce waste, receive rebates on commodities, and reduce the overall cost of the program. Working with the district included both a walk through audit and a waste audit or “dumpster dive” to see what was still being put in the trash, and in what quantity. The solid waste district also assisted NOSHOK Inc. by reviewing their waste hauling and recycling contract. The business recycling specialist provided a special report to NOSHOK Inc. outlining the results of the waste audit and contract review, as well as step by step recommendations to achieve their goals.
The facilities manager went through the report and starting implementing the recommendations. NOSHOK Inc. started out by choosing a different waste hauler that offered them both better service and pricing. Also, instead of having their waste hauler pick up their recyclables, they chose a shredding company that provides the recycling services they need as well at no charge and pays them for baled cardboard. NOSHOK Inc. purchased a baler for cardboard, so they are now getting a rebate for the bales. With the savings on renegotiating their waste hauling, the baler should be paid for in less than 2 years! Their recycling company provided free indoor non- secure shredding containers and free 95 gallon recycling containers and helped them with the labeling. The shredding and recycling company picks up the recyclables at a back dock, so employees no longer have to head outside, especially in winter, to put recyclable material into a recycling dumpster. This makes the program quite easy to follow!
The facilities manager sent out companywide e-mails and flyers to promote the new program. The employees are thrilled and the facility manager finds the outdoor area much cleaner now that there is only one dumpster outside. They have reduced the need for trash pick-ups by 50% already and increased their recycling percentage 40% by total weight in just a period of a few short months. The facilities manager told the district how thrilled he is with the customer service of both his new trash hauler and new shredding and recycling company! NOSHOK Inc. continues to implement new recycling procedures for other items, including reusing their bubble wrap for shipping and recycling toner cartridges. Congratulations to them on all of their success!
Ques Industries, Inc. Reduces Waste by 40% and Turns its Trash into Revenue
Ques Industries, Inc., located on Brookpark Road in Cleveland, has been in business for approximately 30 years. The company offers private label chemical blending and toll manufacturing. A rapidly growing company with 18 employees currently, they specialize in water treatment chemicals as well as cleaners and degreasers. The company serves a number of industries, including transportation, steel manufacturing, and metal and food processing. Several years ago, when employee Bob Hallis became Plant Manager, he decided to embark on the journey to sustainability by looking for ways to reduce waste. Along the way Bob found that he was not only able to reduce waste, but was also able to turn some of the recyclable items such as paper, cardboard, metal, and plastic into revenue streams for the company!
The Journey to Sustainability Begins with Recycling
Bob first took a look at what they could reuse in the plant. They recondition as many of their plastic totes, poly drums and steel drums as they can. What they cannot recondition they take to nearby recycling companies. Bob cut the lid off of several large totes and placed them just outside their plant. The employees are instructed to separate the cardboard, plastic, and metals into the corresponding totes. The plastic recycled includes plastic banding, plastic bags, plastic wrap, and plastic containers #1-#7. They are even able to recycle their plastic pails with steel handles. Wooden pallets are given away if not needed. Styrofoam peanuts from packaging are reused. Bob also conveniently placed some clearly marked recycling containers just outside the office doors for paper, metal cans, and cardboard. Office employees are encouraged to put all their recyclables in these containers. Employees slowly began to catch on to the idea of recycling, and to encourage their participation, Bob brings in lunch monthly for the employees with some of the revenue generated from the commodity streams. Once the employees began to see the fruits of their labor, they became more enthusiastic towards recycling. Bob also uses some of the revenue generated from recycling to buy items for the plant, like light energy efficient light fixtures.
Success = Revenue
Fortunately, to make recycling easier, Ques Industries, Inc. is conveniently located near several recycling centers, including across the street from their lighting recycling company. From 2010 to 2012 the company reduced their waste by approximately 40% which resulted in the removal of one of their two trash dumpsters. This way, they were able to decrease the cost of waste removal as well. The company also increased their amount of recycling revenue generated by nearly 100% during this time, with the largest increase in dollars seen through metals recycling. Bob recently attended one of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District’s Business Recycling and Contracting set of seminars to see what he could do to improve his company’s recycling program. With the information gathered at the workshops, Bob is already looking at the next phase of his waste reduction and recycling plan: Styrofoam #6, toner and ink cartridges, and electronic scrap. He is working with the district’s business recycling specialist who provided him with information on where and how to recycle these items.
Updated: 1/2/2024