European employees make small changes to save energy and fuel, reduce waste
JohnsonDiversey employees are finding creative ways to demonstrate the cumulative effect of individuals making small, day-to-day choices to conserve energy.
A "Going Green" initiative launched in November 2007 has already yielded impressive results. Our Denmark operation installed energy-saving plugs at all office outlets. When employees turn off their computers at night, they also turn off the electricity to the computer, desk lamps and other electronics. Timers installed on coffee makers and printers automatically shut off power to those appliances at night, when the offices are vacant. Those simple changes contributed to a five- to 10-percent reduction in electricity use in our Denmark facilities in 2008. Employees in Belgium and the Netherlands have engaged in similar efforts.
A drive to increase recycling resulted in a 14 percent reduction in the waste stream in Denmark, and the installation of new, low-flow toilets reduced water consumption by 18 percent. A recycling effort in Germany in 2007 contributed to a 262-metric ton reduction in waste.
In several countries in Europe, we encouraged employees to check the tire pressure on company cars once a month, an effort that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 800 metric tons per year. We determined that company vehicles contribute 38 percent of JohnsonDiversey's carbon dioxide emissions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Properly inflated tires not only improve vehicle fuel efficiency, they also improve traction and braking distances to help prevent accidents.
In lieu of a meeting gift at a regional leadership meeting in Prague, we offered participants a year's membership in the World Wildlife Fund.
Employees have embraced these programs wholeheartedly, and have provided a constant stream of suggestions for improving results.
Employees lead drive for local green business certification
Taking to heart JohnsonDiversey's strong global commitment to environmental sustainability, a group of employees in JohnsonDiversey's Santa Cruz, California, offices looked for ways to "green up" their operations.
Their efforts earned them the status as a "certified green business" in the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program. The program requires compliance in four major areas: pollution prevention, energy conservation, solid waste reduction and water conservation.
The self-designated, all-volunteer "Green Team" at JohnsonDiversey Equipment tackled all four projects in a single year. They replaced the facility's janitorial supplies and coffee service with greener options. They established an incentive program to encourage employees to use alternative transportation, and they planted trees locally and in Mexico to offset the facility's annual paper consumption. They began using biodegradable tableware for events, recycled more scrap materials through local organizations, purchased products in recyclable packaging, and increased the recycled content of the paper in office copiers and printers.
The team also joined a recycling program that uses proceeds from recycled waste to provide meals for senior citizens in need. In 2008, JohnsonDiversey Equipment in Santa Cruz provided 244 cubic yards of recyclable waste to the program, which in turn generated a contribution of 2,928 meals for local senior citizens.